Newsletter

Faith and Mission

Our annual Founders Day celebration is approaching and will be celebrated on Tuesday 14 May.  This year we will be celebrating the Mass at St Mary’s Church, Dandenong and all families are invited to attend.  Mass will begin at 9.15 a.m. on that day.

 

This year the Presentation Sisters will celebrate 150 years of mission and education in Victoria.  For us, the Sisters first arrived in Dandenong in 1912 and ever since have had a presence.  Today the Wellsprings For Women program operates for local women as a place to gather, share stories and activities.  It’s a very Nano Nagle place and atmosphere.

 

Here at St John’s we have many ways in which we honour the pioneering Presentation Sisters and those who came after.  It’s good to share these with you as a reminder of the significant impact the Sisters have had on Dandenong and, St John’s in particular.  I simply name them here to raise awareness.  

  • The Nano Nagle building – a building named for the founder of the Presentation Sisters
  • The Presentation building – currently our senior science building
  • The Sr Genevieve Robinson Junior STEM building – recently blessed and opened, this building honours the wonderful work of Sr Genevieve when she was a senior science teacher here
  • The Fidelis Community Garden – Sr Fidelis was one of the three founding members of the first community of Sisters in Dandenong
  • The Sr Margaret Bellesini Staff Award – named in honour of our former Deputy Principal and recognising annually a current staff member for their commitment to Catholic Education

Additionally, there are artefacts and symbols around the College reminding us of the Presentation Presence and to prompt us to continue to build our community on the basic Gospel Values of love and compassion.

 

Along with the De La Salle Brothers who also leave their mark on this place, we honour our Founders in a couple of weeks and thank God for the gift they have been to us and the numerous generations of students who have gone before us.

 

Venerable Nano Nagle:  pray for us