Take Fresh Courage

On 17 October 2010, Australians everywhere celebrated the Canonisation of our First Saint. For the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, it was a particularly special moment. At the time of the Canonisation, many students and staff from MSJ joined the celebrations in Rome. Since the Canonisation, Mary MacKillop would easily be described as a household name for Australians. Her spirituality is uniquely Australian, her grit, resilience, determination and steadfast faith is inspiring and can provide such strength to our students and staff at MSJ.

This year, to celebrate the 10 Year anniversary of this significant event, the Sisters have created various events and resources for their extended supporters to join in the celebration. The theme selected for the celebration is taken from the words of Mary MacKillop, ‘Take Fresh Courage’ (Mary MacKillop, 21 May 1877). Courage is a core value celebrated at Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College. Our students, in all their endeavours and challenges, are encouraged to look to Mary as a role model of courage. I witness the courage of our students when they;

• Challenge themselves in their learning.
• Face an obstacle in their learning or life and seek out the support of others to get through it.
• Throughout the entire remote learning phase, where they demonstrated not just their courage but resilience in such a difficult time.
• When they advocate for issues they are passionate about.
• When they question and engage in critical discussion about life.

This year, my hope for our school community as we move towards celebrating the 10-year Anniversary of Mary’s Canonisation is that we ‘Take Fresh Courage’ in these difficult times and reflect on the blessings and graces of God present in our life. Mary faced the challenges in her life with great courage due to her deep faith in Christ and the hope that comes from the Cross of Christ. May this October our school community be renewed by the holy spirit and deepen our courageous faith.

Join in the celebrations:

Save the Date – Courage Hour

16 October 2020, 8pm your local time

Join us for a global Vigil to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mary’s canonisation. This special event will be an hour of deep peace, prayer and reflection on Mary’s courage. You can host your own celebration or participate online via the Sisters of Saint Joseph website. Together, we can all follow Mary’s lead and #TakeFreshCourage.

Read a reflection of the theme here.

To watch weekly video reflections related to the Canonisation anniversary, watch here.

Danielle Fairthorne - Director of Catholic Identity