Faith, Mission and Identity

Welcome to the Lenten Season!

As we journey together towards Easter, part of the Lenten call is to stop and reflect. A call to still ourselves and consider our faith lives. It’s an opportunity to ask ourselves: am I able to hear the voice of God? 

Our lives are filled with so much noise. While our faith affirms that God is in all of these things, still, Lent calls us away. Lent calls us to our inner room. To an extra moment of quiet. To soften our hearts and listen for the voice of God. The still, small voice that whispers and waits inside of us. Calling us to return. Calling us to faithfulness. Calling us to begin our Lenten journey back home to the God who loves us. 

Shrove Tuesday

Thank you to Youth Ministry Coordinator, Ms Atlamaz, and our incredible Year 12 Student Leadership Team for a highly successful Shrove Tuesday. This year saw 500 pancakes sell out in under 5 minutes!! 

A big thank you to our wonderful Brigidine community who showed such generosity and even donated to the cause when the pancakes ran out. Shrove Tuesday marks the beginning of our appeal for Project Compassion which this year focuses on building better systems for future generations. 

Congratulations to Aquinas for leading the charge on Shrove Tuesday. I look forward to seeing how our houses compete during this Lenten season. 

Ash Wednesday 

On Wednesday 2 March, our community commemorated Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday begins the Christian celebration of Lent. Forty days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to prepare us for the celebration of Easter. 

This year, Pope Francis called for the Universal Church to dedicate its Ash Wednesday liturgies to the people suffering in Ukraine. As we towards Easter, let us keep all persons suffering throughout the world at the forefront of our minds. Let us, as Pope Francis says, combat violence with the weapons of God - prayer and fasting. 

Feast of St Brigid - International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day, we commemorated the Feast of our remarkable patroness, St Brigid. As a woman of great strength and gentleness, this was a fitting day to celebrate the legacy that she left us through her Charism and celebrate the eternal guidance she provides our community.

We also took this opportunity to formally commission our new College House: Delany. 

The symbol of our new house intertwines the story of St Brigid and Bishop Daniel Delany. 

Delany planted an oak sapling from Kildare - Church of the Oak - in the grounds of what is now the Brigidine Convent in Tullow, in order to make the link between Brigid’s monastic foundation at Kildare and the newly re-founded Order of St. Brigid, the Brigidines, on 1st February 1807.

Embedded with the Oak Tree are the initials D.D. The Brigidine Sisters, upon reception into the order, would receive a silver heart locket inscribed with these initials. The symbol of our new house ties our Founder and Patroness together reminding us of our call to live out the extraordinary Charism of St Brigid, recognised by Daniel Delany. 

2022 Leadership Commissioning Mass 

On Tuesday 1 March our community gathered at OLSH Church to formally commission our 2022 Student Leaders. Fr Gerard, Parish Priest of OLSH, celebrated this mass as the new leaders pledged their commitment to College. It was wonderful to celebrate this investiture ceremony together with the parents and families of our leaders.

Year 7 Welcome Mass - International Women’s Day

Following on from the Feast of St Brigid, Year 7 and their families gathered at OLSH Church to officially welcome them to the Brigidine community. 

During the Eucharistic celebration, our new students received their blessed Bibles and Badges from Principal, Sharyn Quirk and their Pastoral Care Teacher. 

We ask God’s richest blessings be upon our new students as they begin their journey at this College:

Lord God, 

We thank you for these young people who have joined our Brigidine community. 

Help them to make the most of the opportunities they have and to build relationships with each other. 

Help them to know your presence is with them in the joys and the struggles that are part of school life. 

We pray that as they grow here at Brigidine College, they will come to know you. 

Fill them afresh with your spirit and inspire them to walk in your ways.

St Brigid, pray for us.

Spirit Week!

This week is Spirit Week at Brigidine College. 

Throughout the week our Senior Student Leadership Team will be hosting events to help fundraise for Project Compassion. Each dollar will also contribute one point towards the 2022 Spirit Cup. 

We kickstart tomorrow with a Senior Bake Sale. Our Year 11 & 12’s are busy baking this weekend to provide our Junior students with some incredible treats. 

Ladies, do not forget to bring your gold coins this week!

UPDATE: Project Compassion - House Tally

Congratulations to Aquinas who lead the Houses after our Shrove Tuesday appeal. 

Keep an eye out for updates on our social media accounts.

Wishing you a holy Lenten season, 

Jamie Lee Wood

Director of Religious Education and Mission