Kilbreda College, Mentone
Making the needs of the vulnerable paramount: Living Justice at Kilbreda College in 2026
At our Opening School Mass, our community was commissioned to become Stewards of Brigid's Flame—to be a light for the world by making the needs of the vulnerable paramount. Throughout 2026, that call has been reflected in the formation of our students and in countless acts of compassion, solidarity and hope across our College community.
Justice has been woven intentionally through our Year 7–12 Reflection Day and Retreat program, forming students to live with strength, kindliness and courage. Our Year 7 students began their Kilbreda journey by reflecting on the importance of welcome, belonging and ensuring that every person is known and valued. Year 8 students explored what it means to walk in solidarity with others, recognising our shared responsibility to stand alongside those on the margins. During their Reflection Day, our Year 9 students were inspired by Aboriginal singer-songwriter Scott Darlow, whose powerful storytelling and music challenged them to become history makers through forgiveness, love, understanding, tolerance and empathy, embracing their role in building a more just and reconciled Australia. At Saltbush, our Year 10 students engaged with the story of Nano Nagle, connected deeply with Country and explored integral ecology, discovering that healing creation is inseparable from working for justice. Year 11 students reflected on leadership through a Brigidine lens, considering how courageous leadership is expressed in service of others. As our senior students prepared to leave the College, the Year 12 Retreat invited them to embrace their vocation as global citizens and advocates for justice, ready to carry the Brigidine story beyond the gates of Kilbreda and into the world.
One expression of our 2026 Justice focus, Making the Needs of the Vulnerable Paramount, was the participation of 21 Year 10 students from Kilbreda College and eight students from St Bede's College in an Indigenous Immersion Retreat at Saltbush. Through their visit to Willum Warrain Aboriginal Gathering Place in Hastings, students encountered Bunurong Country, listening deeply to the stories, wisdom and lived experience of First Nations peoples. More than a cultural experience, the immersion invited students to grow in understanding, humility and respect, recognising the enduring spiritual connection of the Bunurong People to land, waters and skies. In the spirit of the Kildare Ministries Living Justice Living Peace Charter, students were challenged to stand in solidarity with First Nations peoples through truth-telling, deep listening and respect. As they engaged with local Elders and community members, they came to appreciate that justice begins by honouring the dignity of every person and ensuring every voice is heard, taking another step towards becoming young women who lead with compassion and seek justice with courage.
Our commitment to justice has also found expression in the many ways our students have placed compassion into action. Student-led Project Compassion initiatives, including the much-loved Kilbreda Has Got Talent, brought our community together in joyful support of Caritas Australia. We paused as a College to mark National Reconciliation Week and Refugee Week, creating opportunities for learning, reflection and solidarity. During Visual Arts Week, students hosted a Silent Auction in support of Saltbush, while our partnership with Wellsprings for Women continued to flourish as women from the community joined us for The Addams Family production and a Year 9 Café Culture High Tea. Our commitment to justice also extended to care for creation, with students participating in Earth Hour initiatives and Year 8 students working alongside Kingston City Council in a foreshore restoration program. Together, these experiences demonstrate that justice is not simply something we speak about, it is something we seek to live through compassion, generosity and hope.
As our community gathered on 7 August to celebrate 140 years of Brigidine mission in Victoria and the 122nd anniversary of Kilbreda College, we gave thanks for the women whose courage, faith and unwavering commitment to justice continue to shape our community. Their legacy reminds us that justice is not measured only by the milestones we celebrate, but by the choices we make each day to welcome, to listen, to stand in solidarity and to serve. As Stewards of Brigid's Flame, we remain committed to carrying that legacy forward, ensuring that the light first kindled 140 years ago in Echuca continues to shine through the lives of our students and the world they are called to serve.
