"There is one body and one spirit... one God and Father of all."

Ephesians 4:4,6

This is a beautiful piece of scripture and one that comes to mind on days like Loreto Day. Last Friday, it was magnificent for the community to come together as one, to celebrate and to raise awareness about Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya. During the term, Year 11 have raised awareness of this sensitive issue and educated our community about its effects, while understanding the cultural norms where FGM is practiced. FGM is a global issue and one that requires our attention. Mary Ward International Australia focuses attention on Kenya and it has been through our collective community efforts that we have strived to educate and raise much-needed funds for further advocacy and education programs in Kenya. Loreto Day is about building hope and optimism in many people’s lives and is an incredible opportunity for Year 11 students to take ownership of social justice initiatives. 

The day commenced with a keynote presentation by Dr Ngatho Mugo. Ngatho is an Australian-South Sudanese woman, born in a village in South Sudan. She migrated to Australia with a humanitarian visa because of the ongoing civil war in South Sudan. She completed a Masters degree in International Public Health and a Bachelor of Medical Sciences from the University of New South Wales. In 2018, she was the first person from South Sudan to be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at the University of Sydney, from the School of Public Health. Ngatho is a passionate maternal and child health epidemiologist. She has worked for over 3 years in global health at the University of Sydney and recently joined the New South Wales Education Program on Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting. She works with affected communities through an integrated community engagement approach that aims to promote the prevention and elimination of Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting in NSW. Following Ngatho’s presentation, the Year 11 students lead a discussion about FGM and showed a short video called “Think Again.” It highlighted the struggles of a young girl, torn between her life in the UK and her mother, who was drawn to their home country and the cultural practice of FGM. 

The day continued with a beautiful liturgy which was a time to pause and reflect on the importance of caring for others and showing love to all, while celebrating our school and its values. The music and singing filled the gymnasium and reminded us of Mary Ward’s call to: “Acknowledge vulnerability and fragility and turn to Jesus knowing that all we need we will find in him.” The Mass was a time of reflection, contemplation and anticipation of the day ahead.

From here, the day moved into an array of vibrant House stalls. Staff and students were joined by our friends from St Lucy’s. The stalls were jam packed with food, games, dancing and much laughter and cheer. The famous Loreto Day concert was the perfect way to end Loreto Day. We were joined by so many talented students and it had the perfect blend of comedy, dance and song across all years and was very entertaining.

Loreto Day is a success because Year 11 works together to engender a sense of connection, hope and camaraderie in everyone. Be proud of your daughters because it is through days such as this that we see the magic of a Loreto education, one that shapes their social conscience and calls them to service and social justice. 

Mr Justin Madigan and Mrs Marysa Boland

Deans of Pastoral Care

Loreto Day Raffle Winners