Mission and Identity
From the Mission and Identity Team
Celebrating the End of School Year Thanksgiving Mass
As we come to the close of another school year, our community gathered in gratitude for all that 2025 has held. Our End-of-Year Thanksgiving Mass was a moment to pause, reflect and give thanks for the learning, growth and relationships that have shaped our journey. Students, staff and families joined together in prayer, marking not only the end of the academic year but also the closing months of the sesquicentennial celebrations or 150 years of Loreto education in Australia.
As part of our Thanksgiving Mass, we held the blessing of a commemorative tree, which will be planted on our grounds as a living symbol of this historic anniversary. This tree will stand as a reminder of the roots laid by Mother Gonzaga Barry and her companions 150 years ago, and of our commitment to nurturing the next generation in the spirit of Mary Ward with freedom, justice, sincerity, verity and felicity.
As the school year draws to a close, we give thanks for all who have contributed to the life of our community and for the blessings that have carried us through 2025.
May this season of hope lead us gently into Christmas, and may the legacy we honour this year continue to grow strong, steady and life-giving into the years ahead.
Vinnies Christmas Appeal
As we draw near to Christmas, our Loreto community has once again demonstrated extraordinary generosity through the annual Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal. Each year, the call to support families experiencing hardship is met with kindness, compassion, and a deep sense of service and this year has been no exception.
Our students and staff have given with open hearts, contributing an incredible range of gifts, and festive treats to help brighten Christmas for those who may otherwise go without.
The spirit of Mary Ward found in acts of justice, sincerity, and joyful giving has been beautifully alive in our corridors over the past weeks. It has been inspiring to witness students take initiative, rally their peers, and show such genuine care for the wider community.
Thank you to everyone who contributed. Your kindness will make a real difference this Christmas, offering hope, comfort, and joy to families in need. In this season of giving, our community has truly lived out the message of Advent.
Martina O’Connell
Assistant Principal: Mission & Identity
The Slow Work of Advent
As we enter the season of Advent, this week our students have been invited to pause, breathe, and make space for the sacred quiet that this time of year asks of us. Advent is often described as a season of waiting, but it is also a season of becoming—a gentle invitation to slow down and attend to the quiet stirrings of hope, peace, joy, and love in our lives.
In a world that urges us toward constant activity and instant results, Advent calls us to embrace what Pierre Teilhard de Chardin referred to as the “slow work of God.” Growth—whether spiritual, emotional, or personal—does not happen in haste. It unfolds in its own time, often beneath the surface, where God is quietly shaping and preparing us. Advent reminds us that patience is not passive; it is an act of trust. It invites us to believe that God is at work even when we cannot yet see the fullness of what is unfolding.
Within our Loreto tradition, stillness and reflection allow us to deepen our capacity for verity and sincerity: to listen closely to our inner truth, to recognise God’s presence in the ordinary, and to discern how we might bring light to others. This season encourages our students and staff to step back from the rush of the term, to notice small moments of grace, and to cultivate practices of gratitude, service, and gentle attentiveness.
As we prepare for Christmas, may Advent soften our pace and open our hearts. May we learn to welcome the holy in unexpected places, to trust the gradual unfolding of grace, and to carry the light of hope into our families, friendships, and wider community. In embracing the slow work of Advent, we make room for Christ to be born anew—in our world and within each of us.
If you wish to journey through a modern take on St. Ignatius' meditation on the Incarnation, see our digital world—with its smartphones, climate challenges, and global connections—through divine eyes. This Advent reflection, concluding with an original song, explores how God continues to enter our contemporary reality. https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/ignatian-meditations/episodes/Let-Us-Go-Down-e2rkk5o/a-ablg69c
Nancy Rodi
Leader of Religious Education 7-12