LORETO CHRONICLE VOLUME 37 / JULY 2019 THE YEAR OF SINCERITY INAUGURAL IWD MOTHER- P&F EVENTS Sincerity Address delivered by College DAUGHTER BREAKFAST Welcome Morning Tea & Barbeque, The start of a new Loreto Coorparoo tradition Captains, Maddison Bell & Sarah Stockley Student Dance, Music Trivia Night TIME AFTER TIME LORETO PAST PUPILS’ FROM THE PRINCIPAL A record of this year’s moving Drama ASSOCIATION Sincerity Reflections on a Mary Ward pilgrimage production Past pupil news and PPA events LORETO CHRONICLE CELEBRATE AUTHENTICITY, AND BE THE REAL YOU. | 1 | JULY / 2019 THE YEAR OF SINCERITY MADDISON BELL & SARAH STOCKLEY This is an edited version of the Sincerity Address, delivered by College Captains, Maddison Bell & Sarah Stockley, at the Inaugural Mass in February 2019. We thank you for joining us to celebrate a new year, one we hope will bring new opportunities and relationships. We welcome Father Wayne Stanhope who will celebrate our Inaugural Mass today. Every year Loreto schools across Australia focus on one Mary Ward virtue; in 2019, that virtue is Sincerity. Sincerity is the absence of pretence, deceit or hypocrisy. It is to delight in our diversity, embrace our uniqueness and remain transparent in times of hardship. Being sincere means living our lives in a manner that we know is right and being courageous enough to stand for our values no matter what the world around us says. Such courage is difficult in our teenage lives, where we strive to fit in, often at the expense of being our true selves. Corinth in Ancient Greece was famous for its fine pottery. However, if a vessel were cracked, some deceitful potters melted wax and carefully wedged it between the cracks. They then skillfully painted over the flaw so it couldn’t be noticed by an unsuspecting customer. Careful shoppers found they could expose the cracks by holding the pottery up to bright sunlight, revealing the flaws under the paint in much the same way as an X-ray device. We can draw an analogy from this simple account that applies to every Christian’s life. A man or woman of God is sometimes referred to as “a vessel for honour, prepared for every good work” (2 Tim 2:21). God has formed us into God’s vessels, pure and sincere. In a world that too often tells us that, as young women, we are not enough - not smart enough, not pretty enough, not good enough - living authentically increasingly becomes a challenge. Temptations bombard us to embody a fake persona, to portray characteristics that might somehow be more ‘accepted’ by society. Yet in this Year of Sincerity, our hope is that you realise this is not necessary in living a peaceful, true and ultimately happy life. In fact, it is our belief that once you unlock the freedoms hidden behind the word Sincerity, you will feel more like yourself than you may ever have before. As we embark on our Year of Sincerity, acknowledge that God has formed you into a vessel – beautiful, unique and talented. Be true to this creation and let your real selves shine. Mary Ward encourages us to ‘be such as we appear and appear such as we are’. We now invite you to have the courage to ‘Celebrate authenticity, and be the real you.’ | 2 | LORETO CHRONICLE FROM THE PRINCIPAL MRS KIM WICKHAM TRACING MARY WARD’S FOOTSTEPS At the start of Term 2, I A later addition to the Convent is a hidden chapel with commenced a pilgrimage just one entrance, but eight exits and a hiding hole for where we traced Mary Ward’s the priest in the event of a raid. As I sat in the Chapel, I footsteps. Our party of 20 reflected again on the bravery of both Mary Ward and included Loreto Coorparoo her followers. I imagined Mary Ward travelling in disguise Board Chair, Diane Bukowski, across the English Channel in a small boat at a time where sisters from the Institute of the the government was determined to arrest and execute her. Blessed Virgin Mary, principals, I wondered at her courage to resist yielding in the face of staff from Loreto Ministries public vilification as she promoted her innovative vision for Limited and Mary Ward a new order, challenging stereotypes for women religious. International as well as other Her courage, as she travelled on foot through areas of great senior leaders from Loreto schools across Australia. political instability, often gravely ill and facing extreme poverty, seemed to sustain her as she established schools The pilgrimage commenced in York, moving then to the throughout Northern Europe. surrounds of Yorkshire, to London, across the channel to St Omer, Liege, Augsburg and ending in Munich. As we While Mary Ward’s context is clearly different to our own, explored York and Yorkshire, it quickly became clear that there are also great similarities. Her world was marked English Catholics at the turn of the 17th Century exhibited by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, just extraordinary courage in the face of persecution. We visited as ours is today. Her call for her followers to act “without sites where St Margaret Clitherow, the “Pearl of York” had fear... in quiet confidence that God will do his will in the been tortured and executed. Her brutal treatment must confusion,” reminded me that Mary Ward’s inner courage have been known by Catholics in York and certainly by the stemmed from her deep faith. She was indeed a visionary Ward family. Despite this knowledge, families such as the for her own times and remains an inspiration for today. Wards continued to practise their faith. We visited buildings with ingenious “hiding places”, created for use during raids. One such place was Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire where Mary Ward had spent some of her adolescence. At the time, the Castle had belonged to her cousins, the Ingilby Family, some of who were regarded as “dangerous papists.” In fact, nine of the eleven known conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot were relations or associates of that family. Our pilgrimage also included a stay at the Bar Convent in York, England’s oldest surviving convent, which is still home to members of the Congregation of Jesus. The Convent was founded in 1686 by Frances Bedingfeld, an early member of Mary Ward’s Institute. Again, I reflected on the concept of courage, so evident amongst Mary Ward’s followers. Mother Frances and her niece were jailed briefly in 1694. After their release, protests by angry mobs near the Convent ensued. An engraving of St Michael over the front door of the Convent commemorates their release. Local legend has it that St Michael had appeared over the house riding a horse, York Cathedral resulting in the terrified mob fleeing the scene. | 3 | JULY / 2019 Commemorating the birthplace The priest’s ‘hiding hole’ at Mary Ward’s headstone The hidden chapel at the of Mary Ward Ripley Castle Bar Convent View of Yorkshire from the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Grace | 4 | LORETO CHRONICLE SINCERITY ORATION The focus for this year’s Board Oration was the value of Sincerity. Board members as well as current and past staff, students and parents were fascinated by the stories of special guest Gemma Sisia, founder of St Jude’s School in Tanzania. Her sincerity in living a life that translates her values into reality and her belief in the power of education were inspiring. 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 Mrs Diane Bukowski, Chair of the College Board, with guest speakers Gemma Sisia and Godwin from St Jude’s School, Tanzania. 2 Mrs Andreia Wigan (far left) and Mrs Di Hansen (far right) with Gemma Sisia 7 and Godwin. 3 Student volunteers provided wonderful hospitality 4 (L-R) Staff members Ms Therese Begley, Mr Chris Jones, Ms Nyree Wood & Mrs Barb Davies with past student and staff member and current parent, Mrs Kelly Murfett. 5 (L-R) Mrs Diane Bukowski with Sr Zita O’Donohue & Sr Helen Salter. 6 (L-R) Current students Emily Baxter, Joanna Sondergeld, Stefania Tesolin, Ella Underwood & Trinity Murfett 7 Ms Bridget Clarke (2004), Mrs Mary Clarke (1969) and past staff member Mr Kevin McAlinden 8 Staff members were acknowledged and thanked for their years of service to Loreto: (L-R) Mrs Chris Cuskelly (20 years), Mrs Deb van den Brink (an amazing 40 years) & Ms Louise Tilly (20 years). Mrs Anne Herft was also acknowledged for her 20 years of service. 8 | 5 | JULY / 2019 LoretoINAUGURAL College Coorparoo INTERNATIONAL International WOMEN’SWomen's Day DAY MOTHER-DAUGHTER BREAKFAST Friday 8 March 2019 BREAKFASTKathryn Greiner’s professional contribution spans a broad 6.30am for a 7.00am start range of leadership positions across public and private companies, not for profit organisations and government Loreto College Coorparoo, Mary Ward Centre bodies. Following her education at Loreto Kirribilli, A new Loreto tradition was firmly established withKathryn our wentinaugural on to study Social Work and Early Childhood RSVP via [email protected] by Development. Throughout her career, Kathryn has been a InternationalWednesday Women’s 27 February Day 2019 Mother-Daughter Breakfast.media presenter, Guest corporate speaker, Board member and Advisory Committee member. She is the recipient of an Order of Kathryn Greiner AO, both challenged and inspired herAustralia audience (AO). as she #BalanceforBetter spoke Menu of the – scrambled need eggs, for wilted women baby spinach, to herbscontribute to and help shape society with bacon, chargrilledfruit and mushroomshot and cold (gf) beverages. w toasted sourdough, in the future. For any enquires contact the Community Engagement office via [email protected] or on 3394 9999 9 10 11 12 9 (L-R) College Principal Mrs Kim Wickham, Maddison Bell (College Captain), Guest Speaker Mrs Kathryn Greiner, Sarah Stockley (College Captain).