Introducing the Kildare Ministries Crossing New Seas Oration
Following the profound experience of the Kildare Ministries 10-Year Anniversary Conference ‘Crossing New Seas’ in 2024, the Trustees of Kildare Ministries are delighted to introduce the Kildare Ministries Crossing New Seas Oration, an annual event that will continue the spirit of encounter, exploration and action that defined our historic gathering.
The conference brought together, for the first time in the history of Kildare Ministries, all staff across our community works and schools. Across five hubs in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Geelong, and Adelaide, those gathered not only celebrated the first 10 years of Kildare Ministries but also charted the course for the next decade of our mission. Under the theme “Crossing New Seas: Encounter, Dream, Do,” we embraced the courage to navigate new and uncharted waters, drawing from the wisdom of our First Nations people, the rich heritage of our founding congregations – the Brigidine and Presentation Sisters – and the enduring inspiration of Jesus’ mission.
The Crossing New Seas Oration will serve as an ongoing forum for connection, dialogue, and inspiration. Each year, this oration will invite distinguished speakers – both from within and beyond our ministries -to address pressing issues at the intersection of faith, social justice, education, and contemporary global challenges. It will be an opportunity to deepen our mission, and to ignite the call to action for justice and peace in our world.
We are extremely honoured that Emeritus Professor Gillian Triggs AC has accepted our invitation to return to the Kildare Ministries community to deliver our inaugural oration on the evening of Tuesday 18 March at Star of the Sea College, Brighton. Emeritus Professor Triggs was one of the keynote speakers at our Conference in 2024, sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience in international human rights. Aligning with our core value and theme for 2025, ‘Hospitality – Welcoming All’, Gillian will speak on the topic of ‘Hospitality: A Shared Responsibility to Welcome and Protect’.
We hope that this annual event will bring people together from across the wider Kildare Ministries community to deepen our connection and our commitment to be enablers of peace and justice in our world.
Nicole Mangelsdorf
Acting Executive Director
Kildare Ministries
