Earlier this week, we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Mass in our College chapel. The Assumption is one of the most significant feast days in the Catholic church calendar and is celebrated each year on 15 August. It signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. There is little described of Mary in the Scriptures. What we do know, however, is that she was a woman of deep faith, trust and service.

On Tuesday staff and students gathered for our Term 3 College Assembly which was another wonderful celebration of the various key components of our school, including our identity and mission and student learning and growth through the curricular and co-curricular program. Stephanie Smyth shares a reflection on the assembly and her presentation on her recent experience of walking the well-known Catholic pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, in this newsletter.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the assembly myself, as I was at the annual conference for Principals of Victorian Catholic secondary schools, the first time we have been able to gather in person since 2019.  The theme of the conference was ‘Church renewal’ and we were led through keynote addresses by Emeritus Professor John Warhurst, who most recently has been a member of the Second Assembly of the Plenary Council. John shared with us insights of the wrestle shared by many Catholics to hold on to all that is good about the faith tradition whilst facing up to the challenges that he describes around ‘belonging, belief and confidence’. 

The voice for renewal is seeking to take inspiration from Pope Francis who is calling the universal Church to be more inclusive, to shift to the image of a field hospital and not a fortress, a Church that is synodal. Synodality is a source of hope and possibility for Church renewal. At its heart, synodality requires deep, mutual listening and engages all the people of God in a journey of communion, participation and mission.  Pope Francis believes that synodality will allow us ‘to move forward together, to listen to one another and discern our times, in solidarity with the struggles and aspirations of all humanity’.  I believe that Catholic school communities, such as Kilbreda College, who for many students is their experience of ‘Church’, have a key role to play in achieving Pope Francis’ vision for a more inclusive, synodal Church.  

Kilbreda College goes “STEM MAD”

Congratulations to all students involved in the STEM MAD competition and Ms Adrienne Donoghue for her leadership of our involvement in the program. Five of our teams made it through to the Victorian showcase on Thursday 4 August with three teams receiving an award on the day and three also being chosen to progress to the National Awards!

The STEM MAD competition is centred around using STEM to ‘make a difference’ and it was wonderful to see our students embodying our core value and theme for 2022 Compassion – Walking with and having empathy for all in their projects.  Their designs included a Translation App for recent arrivals to Australia, a communication device for the elderly and a Pronunciation App for people with dyslexia.  All of their projects were inspired by people they know and set out to make life that little bit easier for them!  Well done to all involved!

As we journey together over the four weeks remaining in Term 3, we very much look forward to Brigidine Day where we come together as a community to celebrate our Catholic and Brigidine identity and through active participation, raise funds for Wellsprings for Women, which is one of the three community works in Kildare Ministries. Our fundraising target is $10,000 and along with other activities, we will once again be having a Strava Challenge in which I hope to see many students, staff and families involved!

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom,
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Nicole Mangelsdorf
Principal