Walking Together as Pilgrims of Hope
Walking Together as Pilgrims of Hope
Mercy Light: Believing
Earlier this year, Pope Francis called on Catholics worldwide to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, in this Jubilee year. At St Aloysius College, a Mercy community steeped in Gospel values, students have been invited to reflect on what it means to journey together in faith, in hope, and in action. This liturgical theme flows through liturgies, classroom learning, service opportunities and spiritual formation across all year levels. The concept of journeying together transcends age groups and faith experiences, demonstrating what is possible when hope is at the heart of the pilgrimage.
“Hope, for us as a Christian community, is not just optimism,” says Ms Genevieve Pelekani, Faith and Mission Coordinator. “Hope is a cardinal virtue. We find our essence of hope in Christ’s death and resurrection. We’ve really tried to embrace that in our Lent and Easter reflections this year—it’s a different and more profound way of thinking about hope.”
These weekly reflections in the Cunningham Memorial Chapel, on Fridays before school during Lent and the Easter season, offered the College community a chance to pause and consider Jesus’ sacrifice, and, the good, hopeful news of his resurrection.
“The Easter Chapel Reflections were a special way to share in the liturgical tradition of the Catholic Church in a way that was unique to our community,” Genevieve shares. “Gathering in the Cunningham Memorial Chapel and praying a liturgy written specifically for our school linked us to the heritage of the Sisters, while also reflecting on what Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection mean for us today. Many people commented on the value of having a dedicated time for quiet reflection before the busy-ness of the school day began.”
Genevieve also highlights how whole-school liturgies and daily class prayer continue to foster belonging and connection.
“Whole School Liturgies and prayer in class are times to share in faith and hope (especially in this Jubilee Year), despite differences in our own contexts and backgrounds. We share in Christian prayer in the Catholic tradition but are a community made up of many cultures and faiths. Nevertheless, our hopes for ourselves and our world are shared and given voice in these occasions.”
These shared moments are enriched by the vibrant interfaith dialogue that takes place at SAC, particularly in primary classrooms.
“We’re a multifaith community,” says Ms Isabella Formichella, Religious Education Coordinator (Primary). “Students from all different religious backgrounds enjoy learning about Christianity, its traditions and its history, and we have rich conversations about the connections we see between faiths. It’s shared learning, and that offers hope for the future.”
Primary students are also introduced to faith through age-appropriate experiences that honour their spiritual development.
“Starting this year, I’ve created primary prayer PowerPoints that go out weekly,” Ms Formichella explains. “They include the Gospel reading in children’s language, themed prayers, and songs the students learn together so that when we gather for Primary Mass, it becomes a real community celebration.”
Students in Year 4 engage in focused preparation for initial sacraments—Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.
“We talk about these as part of a journey—like a pilgrimage,” Ms Formichella continues. “We’re walking with them through their primary years, supporting their choices around the sacraments. We talk about actions, choices, and forgiveness, which all connect to the theme of hope.”
The scallop shell is a widely-recognised symbol of a different kind of pilgrimage; that of El Camino de Santiago, ‘The Camino’, which is a network of European pilgrimage routes leading to the shrine of the Apostle Saint James the Great, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain. This symbol has found its way into hearts of SAC students, symbolising their journey in 2025 as Pilgrims of Hope. Ms Sarah Kennedy, Religious Education Coordinator (Secondary) has incorporated scallop shells into each year level retreat in a special way, as a creative and reflective touch point.
“Each secondary retreat has had its own focus, but during each one, the students decorate a shell with symbols that express what the retreat has meant to them. Our Year 9s focused on sustainability and care for creation, Year 11s reflected on connection with culture, and Year 12s painted affirmations to each other—symbols of strength seen in one another. The shell becomes a sign of their own personal pilgrimage, something they carry with them.”
This sense of spiritual development continues into the secondary years, where students are invited to explore and express their own values in a respectful and open environment.
“Our Catholic schools now carry the responsibility of passing on values,” says Sarah. “We are very gentle in how we talk about faith. We’re creating an environment where students feel safe to explore how they feel and reflect on their spirituality. We want them to have values, to care, and to walk with others in the world.”
At SAC, faith leads naturally into action—whether through Justice and Mercy (JAM) initiatives, the Mercy Matters program, or through hearing about charitable works through guest speakers and in subject lessons.
“The girls see a lot of hope in the service they do,” says Sarah. “They don’t just hear about justice—they live it. I remember one moment, just before a retreat, when Sr Meredith Evans visited with an Old Scholar who spoke about her own inspiring story of overcoming significant adversity. At the end of it, she said, ‘I am hopeful.’ That moved our students profoundly.”
Year 9s Focused on Sustainability & Care for Creation During Their Retreat
Genevieve echoes this belief, that faith in action is at the heart of a Catholic education in the Mercy tradition.
“The value of a Catholic education lies in the Gospel. The Gospels are transformative. At the recent Australasian Secondary Schools Association conference in Perth, speaker Br David Hall, spoke of how Catholic education isn’t just good for the Church—it’s good for the world. That the Gospel changes the way we see the world and the way we act in it.”
As the pilgrim shell continues to travel through our students’ hands, stories and hearts this year, it reminds the College community of a shared calling: to walk in hope, to act with mercy and to make space for reflection and connection along the journey.
Ms Maddie Kelly
Marketing Communications Officer/JAM Coordinator
