Today I drove to Echuca in preparation for attending the biannual Kildare Ministries conference. It was a form of home coming, after living in Echuca for 27 years before coming to Clonard and returning for my last Kildare Ministries gathering before finishing my time at Clonard at the end of the term. 

Echuca has a special significance for the Brigidine Sisters as this was the first place they arrived in Victoria 140 years ago. Celebrations were held in Echuca earlier this year to commemorate this milestone. 

The sisters reflected on 140 years in Victoria – Brigidine Sisters: 

In 1886, in response to Bishop Martin Crane’s request, four Sisters left Tullow, Ireland and crossed the seas “with unwavering faith, open hearts and courage.” 

Sisters Borgia Hayden, Benedict Moore, Thomas Healy and Vincent Brennan arrived in Echuca on 27 February 1886. 

Thus began both the school that became St Joseph’s College and the Brigidine Story that has unfolded in Victoria, Australia. 

We commemorate: 

• the generous spirit of the four women who responded to the call in 1886, to leave behind the familiar to travel into the unknown…. 
• the gift of the Tullow sisters who encouraged and farewelled them, 
• the hospitality of the people who companioned their journey 
• and the people who welcomed them to Echuca.  

On Friday evening we will celebrate our 70th anniversary milestone with over 150 people gathering to mark this special occasion. I was moved recently by the reflection of Sr Chanel Sugden csb in the latest edition of the Brigidine’s newsletter ‘Weavings’ where she wrote about the spirituality of storytelling and how this is the time for the sisters to be telling and retelling the stories. She writes: ‘recalling the stories uncovers feelings of relationship with people with whom we have shared times and places; we realise we are not alone. Hearing a story nudges us to connect; we are moved by beauty to celebrate; we are moved by suffering to console.’ Throughout the whole of 2026 we have committed to finding ways to continue to tell the story of the Brigidines, of Clonard, of Kildare Ministries, even though it is a relatively new story it is ultimately grounded in a 2000 year old gospel story. 

Throughout the next three days we will continue to not just share but shape the next part of the story of Kildare Ministries with some of the sister accompanying us as we listen, dialogue, reflect and discern, allowing the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our way forward. The conference opens with those who imagined Kildare Ministries into life and will continue responding to the question of how we continue to steward the mission entrusted to us, responsive to the signs of the times. 

In the last fortnight we received the 2026 Thriving Schools Index survey results. Parents, students and staff completed the survey back in Term 2. As we celebrate 70 years, it is heartening to see that our community continues to affirm the values and spirit that have shaped our College. The 2026 Thriving Schools Index report highlights strong levels of pride, belonging and connection across our community. Parents report a strong belief in the values of the College and high levels of pride in being part of the Clonard community, while students demonstrate growing pride in the school and belief in its values. Staff responses were particularly affirming, with outstanding results for pride in the College community, belief in the College’s values and a sense of belonging. Our Catholic identity also remains a significant strength, with parents, students and staff recognising opportunities for spiritual development, justice-focused action and the daily living of the Kildare Ministries values of compassion, courage, hope, hospitality, justice and wonder. These results affirm that, 70 years on, Clonard remains a vibrant, values-centred learning community where faith, belonging and purpose continue to flourish. 

Greatest areas of growth: 

• Student engagement with justice increased by 11 points. This was the largest improvement among the student indicators and is particularly significant for Clonard’s Catholic identity and commitment to Living Justice, Living Peace. Staff recognition that students are empowered to explore and act on issues of justice also rose, reinforcing the student data and indicating that justice is becoming more visible across College life. 

• The student rating for “I am proud to be part of the School community” rose by 6 points and their belief in the values of the College also increased by 4 points, contributing to an overall improvement in Connection and Belonging.   

• Catholic identity strengthened among students. Alongside the growth in justice engagement, students’ recognition that Religious Education helps them consider life’s big questions increased by 6 points.  

• Parent perceptions of safety, connection and belonging grew strongly. Parents’ rating of a safe and supportive learning environment increased by 12 points, their sense of belonging rose by 11 points and their perception of strong social connections between students increased by 10 points.  

We are grateful to all those who took the time to share their perceptions. We look forward to continuing to share other data from this survey in various forums over the coming months.  This data will be used by the Leadership Team as they shape the future implementation of our current school improvement plan ‘One Pace Beyond.’  

A final reminder to all our father figures of our breakfast next Friday morning. Details included in this newsletter. 

Blessings 

Luci