Principal

Professional Renewal Leave

This will be my last Especean article for the year as I commence my period of Professional Renewal Leave on Monday. The College will be in the capable hands of Mr Byrne and Ms Connor, who will ensure a seamless transition.

This break will allow me time to travel, rest and discern and I am excited to finally being able to fulfil a lifelong dream to travel in the footsteps of Saint Paul.

Saint Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, is one of the most influential figures in Christianity. His missionary journeys and theological contributions helped shape the early Church and spread the Gospel across the Roman Empire. Paul undertook three major missionary journeys and a fourth to Rome, documented in the Book of Acts.

On his first journey, Paul travelled with Barnabas through Cyprus and parts of Asia Minor, preaching to Jews and Gentiles and establishing early Christian communities despite facing persecution. His second journey, accompanied by Silas and later Timothy, took him further into Europe, including Macedonia and Greece, where he founded churches in cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth, and engaged with diverse audiences, including philosophers in Athens. During his third journey, Paul focused on strengthening existing churches, especially spending significant time in Ephesus, while continuing to teach, resolve doctrinal issues, and collect aid for the Jerusalem church. These journeys laid the foundation for Christianity’s expansion beyond Jewish communities into the broader Greco-Roman world.

My travels will closely follow Paul’s second missionary journey through land and sea along the pages of Acts chapters 16-18. I hope to:

• Stand in the very places of St Paul’s preaching and prayerfully explore the preserved ruins of Ancient Corinth, Philippi and Thessaloniki.

• Marvel at the living Byzantine Monasteries of Meteora, spectacularly suspended atop rocky pinnacles and still occupied by hermits since the 11th century.

• Reflect upon a spiritually themed focus on the trials and triumphs of Paul and the various people groups and communities of the early church.

• Visit Corinth and the ancient port of Cenchreae where St Paul embarked frequently on Mission.

• Enjoy a privileged two-night stay on the Holy Island of Patmos and enter the actual cave where St John wrote the Book of Revelation.

• Explore the wonders of Ephesus where St Paul lived and preached for more than three years.

   

I will continue to pray for my special community at St Patrick’s College and ask that you keep me in your prayers as I fulfil a dream that I have had since engaging with the New Testament in high school.

Farewell to Year 12

As we gathered for the Graduation Assembly today, I was reminded of the words of Blessed Edmund Rice: “One thing you can be sure of: that whilst you work for God, whether you succeed or not, he will amply reward you.”

Our Year 12 students have reached the culmination of their school journey, and what an extraordinary journey it has been. Their final days at St Patrick’s have been filled with joy, pride, and gratitude—mixed, of course, with the anticipation of examinations and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Each young man’s path has been unique, marked by challenges, triumphs, and personal growth. Regardless of the road taken, every one of them has displayed persistence, commitment, and a generosity of spirit.

In my address, I reflected on the wisdom of Ben Crowe, the mindset coach who has worked with athletes like Ash Barty. His mantra—"Embrace your weird. Own your story. Find your mojo”—is as relevant to students as it is to champions. True success is not found in trophies or ATARs, but in knowing who you are, pursuing what truly matters, and above all, being a good human first.

The Class of 2025 has left a special legacy at St Patrick’s. Their humour, tenacity, and friendliness have enriched our community. They have built a culture of welcome and belonging, showing kindness and respect to all. They now join the great Edmund Rice story, adding their own chapter to the 98-year tradition of this College.

As their Principal, I will miss the banter, the conversations, and the everyday presence of these fine young men. It has been an honour to watch them grow from boys into gentlemen. I leave them with this reminder:

• Being male is a matter of birth.

• Being a man is a matter of age.

• Being a gentleman is a matter of choice.

   

To the graduating Class of 2025, choose the path of being a gentleman in all aspects of your life. Thank you for all you have given. Go forward with courage, joy, and faith, and may you always Live Jesus in your Hearts. Forever.

Staff News

• We welcome Mrs Natalie Katrib, to the College this week as a member of our Religious Education (RE) department. Mrs Katrib will replace Mrs Porter as the Acting Head of RE from the commencement of Term 4.

• Mr James Martin commenced with us this week as well as our incoming Director of Curriculum. Mr Cutrupi and Mr Martin will have a two-week handover in this significant portfolio before Mr Cutrupi goes on leave in Term 4.

In Memoriam

• Please keep Mrs Emily Saoud and Elijah (Year 8), Isaac Tannous (Year 12) and Old Boy Joseph Tannous (’22) on the loss of their beloved mother and grandmother. Mrs Tannous was also an aunt to: Albert (2020), Johnathan (2024), Jacob Elias (Year 6), Tony Elias (2016), Danny, Michael, Tony, Andrew, Jacob and Christian Elias. May she rest in perpetual peace. 

• It is with deep sadness that I advise our staff that Mark O'Halloran's father-in-law passed on Friday morning. The late Joseph Woods is also Luke Woods's (Year 12) grandfather.

   

• We also pray for Owen (Year 10) and Maxwell (Year 7) Leung whose great grandfather Lei Sang Ung passed away earlier this week. 

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything! 

**except divide by zero