John XXIII College Newsletter

Faith and Mission

Celebrating 150 Years of Loreto in Australia: Being Faithful to Grace

This weekend in Ballarat, the Loreto network will celebrate a special milestone—150 years of Loreto in Australia and Southeast Asia. 

 

The theme of this anniversary, ‘Being Faithful to Grace,’ highlights the spirit of Mother Mary Gonzaga Barry’s mission. At the request of Bishop Michael O’Connor of Ballarat, she left her homeland of Ireland, at 41 years of age, embarking on a 60-day journey by sailing a steamer ship to establish the first Loreto school in Australia. Her decision was guided by an unwavering faith in God's providence, demonstrating immense courage and determination to provide quality education for girls.

 

Her impact extended beyond Victoria. Recognising the need for Catholic education in Western Australia, Bishop Gibney of Perth sought out Mother Gonzaga Barry to establish a Loreto secondary school in Perth. At a time when 'people were pouring in and gold was pouring out,' the Bishop saw the need for strong Catholic schools that would shape both the intellect and faith of the growing population. Mother Gonzaga Barry responded with her characteristic vision and faith, further extending the reach of Loreto education.

 

In this celebratory year, we also acknowledge the treasured letters Mother Gonzaga Barry wrote to her students in the Loreto school magazine Eucalyptus Blossoms. These letters, filled with wisdom and encouragement, continue to inspire generations of Loreto students. In honour of this legacy, Loreto Sister Sandra Perrett IBVM, a former staff member of our College, has prepared a series of monthly meditations reflecting on key insights from these letters, sourced from the Loreto Australia and Southeast Asia archives.

 

The February quotation captures the essence of Mother Gonzaga Barry’s calling: 

'If I had said ‘no’ I would have been unfaithful to grace.'

Despite leaving Ireland with a heavy heart, Gonzaga followed the call to something greater. 

 

Today, her remarkable legacy reminds us that being faithful to grace invites us to step beyond our fears and into the unknown with courage, trust and faith. We invite you to find a quiet moment to listen to the following meditation and reflect on how your journey has opened and is opening you to grace – to trust and possibility beyond the limits of your imagination.

 

Janeen Murphy

Deputy Principal Faith and Mission

 

 

 

 

 

Community Mass

Thank you to students in Koolyangarra House who prepared this morning’s Community Mass. We included prayer for Pope Franics whose condition remains fragile. Jesuit, Fr Andy Hamilton, has shared an article in praise of the Holy Father – see below.

 

Next Friday, 7 March, our Community Eucharist, will be prepared by Year 10 students. Everyone is invited! Just come to the Chapel in time for an 8:00am start. The bell rings at 7:50am as a reminder! After Mass, there is coffee in the Circle of Friends Café for those able to stay.

 

If you have any questions about Community Mass, please contact Mary-Anne Lumley: 

mary-anne.lumley@johnxxiii.edu.au

 

Community Mass Details

  • College Chapel
  • Fridays in term time
  • Starts: 8:00am and concludes 8:30am.

Sacraments

Do you have a child in Years 3, 5 or 6?

Students in these classes are respectively preparing for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. It is imperative to enrol in a parish program as soon as possible as some parishes have already closed their enrolments for 2025.

 

Each parish has their own unique Sacrament program. Information from some local parishes is provided below and on the College website. 

 

CLAREMONT – ST THOMAS APOSTLE 

Currently accepting enrolments.

Contact: Silvia.kinder@cewa.edu.au

 

COTTESLOE – ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA

First Holy Communion – enrolments close Monday 24 March

Confirmation – enrolments close Monday 25 August.

Enrol online here: Sacramental Programme | St Mary Star of the Sea & Corpus Christi Churches

Full details are available on the College website.

Further queries: Natasha Colli, sacraments.cottesloe@perthcatholic.org.au

 

Parents often have questions about the Sacrament program, so don’t be afraid to ask:

In praise of Pope Francis

 

                                                            Andrew Hamilton SJ

 

As I write this piece Pope Francis is critically ill. At these times we remember how much our friends have meant to us and all the ways in which we shall miss them.  That is so with Pope Francis. In a world that sees refugees and immigrants as a threat, disregards the victims of war, trashes the environment, rewards self-interest and cheapens religious faith, he has wept with those mistreated, pleaded their cause and preached a Gospel of joy. He has faced all the things that make for gloom, done what he could to change them, and remained full of hope. For that we shall miss and grieve him when he is no longer with us.

 

I was first struck by how ordinary Pope Francis is. From the beginning he has been one of us. He went down the street to the barber, rushed off to Lampedusa to grieve with refugees after the drowning, left the popemobile to console a grieving woman, spoke off the cuff at press conferences, and on Holy Thursday washed the feet of a young Muslim woman with tats. His language was earthy too, describing the Church as a field hospital, and telling priests that they were shepherds who should smell like sheep. 

 

He has also bought into the huge issues that face the world and Catholic Church. He wrote letters to the world about responding to climate change, pressed to end wars and to welcome refugees. Within the Catholic Church he has asked us to go out to people at the edge of the Church and society. His Synods involved reflection and conversation at all levels, going up from local congregations, through dioceses and so to Rome to shape reflection at the universal level, and then back to the grass roots. Above all, he has been a brother to all he met, sharing their way of life, their enthusiasm and their frailties. 

 

Pope Francis often puzzles people by taking seriously the living faith of the Church while taking liberty with traditions. He has shown little respect for advice to do things as they had been done from time immemorial. He is not bothered with being misinterpreted or having to correct himself. Some people find this refreshing. Those who lon for a Church in which nothing changes do not approve of it.             

 

At the heart of Pope Francis’ actions lies his personal faith, perhaps best articulated in the motto he chose as Pope: miserando et eligendo. The quotation speaks of a God who has mercy on us as sinners and chooses us as friends in his service. Familiarity can make these words sound everyday. When they shape a person’s life, however, they can be freeing and life changing. They certainly lie at the heart of Pope Francis’ faith and way of living. They have made him bold: he has made no claim to virtue and reputation that needed to be defended. Neither did he see his election as Pope to be a burden that he needed to live up to, nor is he anxious that his program should survive beyond him. 

 

A sinner gifted and called by God, Francis is free to acknowledge his mistakes without fuss and does not fear failure. He can also mix with simple people and disreputable people without fear of stain and finds delight and compassion in the encounter.

Jorge Bergoglio has seen himself as an unprofitable and joyful servant. And for that we may one day welcome him as a saint. But we shall remember him as our brother.