Dear Parents & Caregivers,
This Monday I returned to the College after a 7-day Mercy Pilgrimage in Dublin. I learnt about our faith filled, inspiring and innovative founder, Catherine McAuley. A woman before her time. It was moving and quite surreal to enter her home, sit in her bedroom in the Callaghan’s residence, Coolock House, and experience all the works of our globally connected Mercy Ministries. The schools, hospitals, aged care, social work, and justice advocation, started as ideas which germinated in her mind and heart through prayer, during the liminal space of caring for the elderly couple in Coolock House. Catherine was a big believer in God’s providence and had an active and personal relationship with God. Her deep faith guided her decision making and allowed her to trust that the unfolding of life, was all part of God’s greater plan.
The pilgrims were based in Baggot Street in the House of Mercy, where the first mission began. Catherine’s ability to navigate between worlds is a key point that has stayed with me. She was an impressive shape shifter who moved between the rich and the poor, the Catholics and Protestants, politicians and religious, and the men and women of her time. She navigated successfully, maintaining both understandable and unlikely friendships and companions in pursuit of her mission. Catherine worked within the reality of the social constructs of her day to impact real and lasting change on those constructs, from the ground up. In short, she was an active liberator; of women, girls, the uneducated, the poor and needy, injustices, and was seen as a great collaborator across many spheres. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be immersed in her world, to enter her story and to have a living understanding of the foundational stories and values of our wonderful Mercedes community. I will work with marketing in the coming weeks to put together a picture collage video to share the experience with the community via our social pages.
Mercy international Centre, Baggot Street
Pilgrims – Glendalough, and Education Pilgrims Coolock House – Callaghan’s Residence
Catherine’s Grave. Mercy International Centre Back Garden, and Catherine’s Bedroom Coolock House
Mothers’ Day – Sunday 12 May
A very Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday to all those mother and mother figures in our lives, both today and days gone by.
Events that have happened in the past two weeks
Inspired by the practical example of Catherine McAuley, our students have been busy contributing to the life of the College Community by actively supporting those less fortunate than us.
The Ponytail Project, supporting those impacted by cancer, encompassed two events, the Ponytail Bake Sale where they sold delicious treats during recess and lunch and over 30 students cut off their ponytails to be donated to the Sustainable Salons Department. Donations are currently being counted but we are expecting the total to be in the region of an amazing $25,000!.
Street Soccer saw our Young Mercy students providing a sausage sizzle for The Big Issue Australia Street Soccer game. This marks the 14th consecutive year that our College has proudly supported this initiative.
Another significant act of service saw our Year 7 STEM class, in partnership with The University of Western Australia, embark on a mission to address the pressing issue of marine plastic pollution. Students immersed themselves in a hands-on learning activity that educated them on the detrimental effects of plastic waste on marine ecosystems, and they collected over 3 kilograms of waste.
I am immensely proud of our students who continue to represent the College in a manner that upholds our Mercy values, ethos and reputation.
DR LUCIE MCCRORY
Principal
