What a wonderful start to the 120^th anniversary year for Kilbreda College it has been! In these first two weeks we have had multiple community gatherings and celebrations including a College Assembly where we celebrated the wonderful achievements of VCE students in 2023 and inducted Student Leaders, our Year 7 Welcome Mass where each of our 174 students were called forward and presented with their first Kilbreda College badge, the Year 12 Formal which was a wonderful way for our students to mark the commencement of their final year of secondary school and our Commencement Mass and Unveiling and Blessing of our St Brigid sculpture.

These events have brought together students, staff, parents and members of the wider school community to celebrate our Catholic and Brigidine tradition, welcome new students and families into the Kilbreda community and celebrate the gift of education and achievements of our students.

2024 Commencement Eucharist and Unveiling and Blessing of
Bríd: Bean an Cheartais, Bean na Síocháin (Irish),
Brigid: Woman of Justice, Woman of Peace

Yesterday, Thursday 15 February, was a particularly significant celebration for our school community as we celebrated the commencement of our 120^th anniversary year and unveiled our life size bronze sculpture of St Brigid. Our Eucharist was celebrated by Bishop Tony Ireland DD STD and our Chaplain, Father Peter Matheson and we were blessed to have many Brigidine Sisters, representatives of Kildare Ministries, past Principals and other special guests with us.

Following Mass, we held our Unveiling and Blessing Ceremony, with Sr Louise Cleary, Congregational Leader and Rosemary Copeland, Co-Chair of Kildare Ministries Trustees unveiling our sculpture which was then blessed by Bishop Tony Ireland. Artist Christine Sage was engaged to create the sculpture for the College in recognition and celebration of 120 years of education in the Brigidine tradition here in Mentone.

Brigid of Kildare, patroness of the Brigidine Sisters and one of Ireland’s most revered saints, was a woman of deep faith, a spiritual leader, a woman of the land, an advocate for the poor, a peacemaker and a woman of legendary hospitality.

From an early age Brigid showed compassion and a strong inclination towards helping others. Raised in a pagan family, she converted to Christianity and dedicated her life to serving God and humanity. She established her church and monastery, for men and women, under an oak tree in Kildare and other monastic communities where she provided shelter, food, and education.

Brigid was not only a woman of great compassion and hospitality, she was also a trailblazer for gender equality and empowerment. She defied societal norms by founding monastic communities where she encouraged women to play active roles as leaders, scholars, and artisans.

Despite encountering numerous obstacles in her life, Brigid remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice and compassion. Her life is a testament to the power of determination and the ability to effect positive change, even in the most challenging of circumstances.

The sculpture stands in our main courtyard, which is a central point of the College. She stands on the ground rather than raised on a pedestal, in amongst the people just as she was in her life. She looks out to our oak tree, just as she would have looked upon the oak tree under which she built her church and monastery in Kildare and the College chapel named after her.

She presents as a strong compassionate figure, witnessed by her gentle face. Her hair symbolises her Irish roots, the wildish strands bound with grass braids.

Her hands are outstretched, welcoming all. One hand is turned toward the earth to remind us of our own sacred duty to the ground we walk on and to our own calling in the now. Her other hand is tilted up in prayer and a reminder to us of our own spiritual journey.

Though the daughter of a wealthy Chieftain, Brigid cast aside wealth to work with the poor. Her bare feet give witness to her detachment from earthly possessions and align her to the ground.

Her garments are simple with hand woven bands made out of flax. The boddice reminds of female Celtic warriors, symbolising the courage of Brigid to spread her faith and advocate for the poor and marginalised.

The cloak itself, holds so much meaning. Besides the well-known story of Brigid asking for land to build her monastery and being told that she could have as much land as her cloak could cover, it is also a symbol of Faith and trust in God’s intentions for each of us.

Carved into her cloak, are symbols that tell the story of Brigid’s life, inviting those who encounter her to learn about this courageous and compassionate woman, whose life and legacy has and continues to inspire people around the world.

It is my hope that students today, and in the years ahead, will look upon Brigid as a woman of great strength and kindliness and be both comforted and empowered by her presence among them. She will also stand as a constant reminder of the courageous, faith filled, Brigidine Sisters, who dedicated their life to the service of others and established the College.

The Season of Lent

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a period of 40 days in which Christians reflect on Jesus’ words and example and prepare to celebrate his death and resurrection at Easter time.  As a school community we celebrated Ash Wednesday with a liturgy during morning Homeroom which was led by Student Leaders and Homeroom teachers. Fasting, along with prayer and helping the poor, is one of the three spiritual disciplines of Lent. Traditionally, fasting relates to giving up certain foods, such as meat. Pope Francis provides us with a much broader example of how we can fast this Lent:

DO YOU WANT TO FAST THIS LENT?

Fast from hurting words and say kind words
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worried and have trust in God.
Fast from complaints; contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful
Fast from bitterness; fill your hearts with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be. Compassionate.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled
Fast from words; be silent and listen

Nicole Mangelsdorf
Principal