From the Principal

We speak of John XXIII College having a very rich ethos: of being Catholic, of Ignatius of Loyola, Mary Ward and Pope John XXIII. At times we may even risk being seen as having a patchwork of ideas, a complex tradition. However, there is tremendous synergy between the Catholic tradition as lived by our three founders. This is particularly evident in the College Motto: Seek Justice.

At the centre or our Ignatian spirituality is the idea of being contemplative in action. The idea is echoed in our call to be people for others: to be present with the lonely, the sick, the abandoned, the forgotten, the poor, the oppressed. 

Loreto schools in Australia share the values: freedom, justice, sincerity, verity, and felicity, with 2023 being designated as the Year of Justice. For Mary Ward, justice is grounded in a harmonious and open relationship with God, with other people and with the whole of creation. Justice is evident in right relationship, in the search for equality, the protection of human rights and our valuing of human dignity.

Be seekers of truth and doers of justice. (Mary Ward)

The life of Pope John XXIII epitomises both Mary Ward’s call and the Ignatian value to be people for others. His humanitarian actions supporting Jews during the Holocaust are well documented and his time as Pope saw the restoration of relationships between Jews (and other religions) and Catholics. In 1958, he took the unprecedented step for a Pope and left the Vatican to visit Regina Coeli Prison. While there, he admitted to inmates that he had a cousin who had been in that prison for poaching and he embraced a murderer. 'You couldn’t come to me, so I came to you.' The Pope's compassion and commitment to human rights is further demonstrated in his statement: 'The amount a worker receives must . . . allow him and his family a standard of living consistent with human dignity.'

The call to seek justice was important to St Ignatius in the Sixteenth Century, to Mary Ward in the Seventeen Century and to Pope John XXIII in the Twentieth Century. How blessed we are in the choice of the name John XXIII College, and the beautiful harmony that exists between our three founders and the College Motto.

In March 2023, together let us all strive to seek justice.

Kathleen Negus

Principal

John XXIII College Bursary 2024

John XXIII College has a strong and proud tradition of providing education to students who otherwise couldn’t attend the College. Thanks to the generosity of the John XXIII community, the Foundation is offering a Bursary to commence in 2024 for a student in Year 7 or above.  The Bursary will cover the student’s standard fees and charges for the duration of their schooling at John XXIII College.  

The Bursary is available to current and future families. Applications close 3pm Friday 28 April 2023. Please contact Kate Murphy for further information on 0403 345 662 or foundation@johnxxiii.edu.au 

Applications and more information are available at https://foundation.johnxxiii.edu.au/bursary

To gift the gift of education by donating to the Bursary Fund go to 

https://foundation.johnxxiii.edu.au/donate

The College Fees and Charges for 2023 are available here.