Principal

Dear Members of the Academy Community,

Last week was a special week as our Year 12 students gathered together with teachers and parents for three significant events: the Year 12 Graduation Mass on Thursday, 15 October, followed by the College Year 12  Farewell Assembly and morning tea celebration on Friday, 16 October.    Our English Learning Leader, Mr Stefan Odachowski prepared and read the homily at the Mass.  It perfectly embodied the Class of 2026, their commitment to the 2026 college theme and to each other.  I have included it here for your reading:

Good evening, staff, Fr McEntee, students and special guests, 

When Miss Hale passed on the request from Sr Mary to deliver the homily this year at the graduation mass, I very quickly said that I would be honoured to do so.  As English Learning Leader, it has been a real privilege to get to know this entire cohort over the course of this year, and it is clear that they are destined for great things, even if that might be Michelin Star worthy bake sales.

As I deliver this homily, my Year 12 English class can grade me for my relevance to the topic, my use of the stimulus material, that being the scripture and hopefully they see that I had some sort of authorial purpose and I am not about to go down some completely random tangent, like I often do in Year 12 English classes. 

I am… a runner…  A scholar of the sidewalks, a pupil of the pavement. 

Some students may have seen me “galloping down Nicholson Street” to get home; however, in reality, it is more a heavy “plodding”.  There are a few other avid runners on staff and this year it has been nice to exchange stories and celebrate new PB’s or just the achievement of finishing a long race. 

Now how does running relate to scripture?  Well, running is often used as a metaphor for life, and today’s gospel reading speaks of what is often known as the golden rule for many faiths, “Love each other as I have loved you” and refers to “laying one’s life down for one’s friends” - to simplify this, I like to see it as “treat others as you would like to be treated.” 

Marathons are events where we witness the goodness in others.  It is refreshing to see competitors, volunteers and spectators all there as “friends”.  There is a sense of unity, etiquette, respect and everyone is there to urge each other on, just recently the Melbourne Marathon reverberated these feelings. 

Building on this notion, I want to bring up the 2026 Boston Marathon, in which after almost three hours and with the finish line in sight, two runners sacrificed personal bests to come to the rescue of an exhausted competitor just 300 metres from the finishing line.  Aaron Beggs was first to stop to pull Ajay Haridasse up off the ground after he fell and could not get up.  With Haridasse still struggling to stay on his feet, another runner, Robson De Oliveira, stepped in and the pair put their arms around Haridasse to help him across the line.

This remarkable act of sportsmanship went viral, amassed millions of views and after the event, Beggs said that when you are running a marathon, "it's a journey together, you help each other along, support each other", then humbly stating “it’s nice to be nice” - I once again reflect on the gospel reading and Jesus’ words to “Love each other as I have loved you.”  This image of picking someone up when they have fallen is something that I witness within the Academy community every single day. 

In the great race that is life, these students have been inspired by our foundresses Catherine McAuley and Ursula Frayne to live out these gospel values.  Known as the “walking nuns”, maybe even at times running or at least I’d like to think “the power walking nuns” – I mean we have all witnessed Sister Mary racing down the school corridors.

The Mercy Sisters continue to dedicate their lives helping the poor, sick, and uneducated in Dublin and the rest of the world.  Historically, a remarkable group of women lending a hand of support to those in need, helping them navigate the hardships that life may throw at them, helping them on that journey to the finish line. 

This cohort has continued that legacy with living out the college theme “Courage to Care” each and every single day, very much mirroring Jesus’ gospel message.  The Year 12s of 2026, have shown me that they too would agree that quite simply, “it’s nice to be nice” and I have no doubt that when someone has fallen this year, someone in this cohort, this community has always been there to pick them up - it is the Academy way. 

As one finish line fast approaches, starting with the 3-hour English exam, a marathon in itself, I challenge the cohort of 2026 to continue to be those individuals that reach out a helping hand to those that need it.  No matter what society dictates, run your own race believing in yourselves - continue to pick up those that fall along the way, continue to live by your Mercy Values, continue to treat others as you’d like to be treated, maintain those lifelong friendships and show that “courage to care” in everything you do. 

Amen. 

On another note, the Irish blessing that is always delivered at the end of the evening was a pleasant surprise for our very own Irishman on staff,  Mr Conor Doran, and I have promised that he will have the honour of reading it to next year's graduating class to wish them on their way!  ☘️

At the Graduation Farewell assembly, we also gave thanks to the Senior Student Leadership Team of 2026 who have been quite extraordinary throughout the year and warmly welcomed the new team of 2027.   

We wish all of our VCE students well for their written exams.  

As the year draws rapidly to a close, I remind you that the Celebration of Excellence will this year be held onsite at the Academy during the morning of Wednesday, 02 December.   This will enable all students to attend and recognise the academic achievements of our very hardworking students across year levels 7 -11 and hopefully be inspired themselves to strive for success in the years to come.  Parents are, of course, also welcome to attend and more information regarding this event will be forwarded closer to the occasion. 

Every Blessing.

Sr Mary Moloney rsm 

Principal