Mission and Identity

From the Mission and Identity Team

Social Justice Sunday 2025 – A Call to Compassion and a Call to Action as Mary Ward People

This year, Social Justice Sunday will be marked on 31 August, a special day in the Church’s calendar when we pause to reflect on the call to justice and compassion in our world. Each year, the Australian Catholic Bishops release a Social Justice Statement that invites us to consider how we, as a Church and as individuals, can respond to those most in need.

The theme for the 2025–2026 Social Justice Statement is “Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving People Living in Homelessness and Mental Ill-Health.” It challenges us to recognise the growing crisis of homelessness in Australia and the close connection it has with mental ill-health. Every year, thousands of Australians experience housing insecurity, and many face the added burden of navigating life with mental health challenges. These are not just statistics, but real people with names, families, hopes and dreams. You can read the statement here: https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2025/08/06/signs-of-hope-on-the-edge-social-justice-statement-2025-2026/

We are reminded that Jesus calls us not to walk by on the other side, but to notice, to listen, and to walk alongside those who may be struggling. In his message, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe invites us to move from discomfort or indifference to loving friendship, encouraging us to “pay attention to their plight, listen to their stories, and serve them with the love we learn from Jesus.”

This year’s statement also shares powerful personal stories, where people have journeyed from homelessness and addiction to hope and renewal through the support of caring people. These stories remind us that everyone deserves dignity, respect and a place to call home.

As a school community in the Mary Ward tradition, we are called to respond with courage, justice and compassion. Mary Ward believed in the dignity of every person and urged her followers to “do good and do it well.” Living this out today means using our voices for those who are silenced, standing in solidarity with those on the margins, and ensuring that no one is excluded or forgotten. Our actions, whether through prayer, advocacy, volunteering or simply offering kindness, honour both the message of the Gospel and the values that shape our identity as a Loreto school.

Seeds of Grace: Loreto Schools Nurturing Changemakers

Our College was featured in the special edition of The Loreto Networker, highlighting our Senior School students’ social justice tour to Vietnam and Cambodia: https://www.loreto.org.au/seeds-of-grace-loreto-schools-nurturing-changemakers/

This year, the magazine – published by Loreto Ministries – has been renamed Eucalyptus Blossoms to mark the 150th anniversary of Loreto education in Australia and to pay tribute to the first Loreto publication, one of the nation’s earliest school magazines.

To subscribe to the magazine, click here: https://www.loreto.org.au/news/subscribe/

Martina O’Connell 

Assistant Principal Mission & Identity 

Loreto Peace and Justice Group 

Nancy Rodi 

Leader of Religious Education