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Feast Day Celebrations & Mass
Commissioning of our Principal
Loreto Toorak’s beloved and muchmissed annual tradition of Feast Day returned in the Loreto Year of Freedom. Together we celebrated our School spirit with gratitude and generosity, filling the day with fun, felicity and a real sense of freedom!
Feast Day Mass was held in St Patrick’s Cathedral, graciously led by Archbishop Peter Comensoli. This celebration of the Eucharist was an expression of our collective faith, in both word and song. The glorious music that filled both the Cathedral and our spirits moved those present and once again we felt the strength that emanates from the Loreto community.
Central to our Mass was the Commissioning of Angela O’Dywer as Principal of Loreto Toorak. During the solemn and moving ceremony, Angela was recognised as one who stands proudly in the tradition of Mary Ward, Gonzaga Barry, the Loreto Sisters and other educators who have sought to serve God faithfully through the role of Principal. Angela’s six daughters—Stephanie, Georgina, Annabel, Elizabeth, Camilla and Madeleine, each past pupils and all in attendance—were acknowledged and thanked for their ongoing support of their mother’s special vocation. It was an honour for those present to witness Angela’s commitment to leadership and service in the context of her faith.
CLICK FOR MORE Each student and staff member were gifted a buddleia plant to commemorate the significance of Angela’s commissioning and to highlight her love for the environment. The plants also symbolise new beginnings, as well as reflect the School’s part in an Australia-wide ecological justice project to honour the
FEAST DAY MASS
bicentennial anniversary of the Irish foundation of Loreto in 1821.
Feast Day continued at School in the afternoon with the traditional fete, led by students at each year level. Stalls ranged from fairy floss to popcorn, from Yucky Dip to book sales, from a Crescent Theatre rave to the ever-popular Choc Toss. The Stage Band entertained the crowd with a magnificent set. Year 12 students dressed in the theme of “F for Freedom” which delighted our Preparatory to Year 2 students, who relied on them as guides for the afternoon.
Importantly, our Feast Day celebrations raised over $40,000 for Mary Ward International Australia’s (MWIA) support of the Brickfields Schools Project in Kolkata, India. We were so proud of this expression of generosity and solidarity within our School to our Mary Ward sisters and brothers from afar.
We thank all School families for their generosity in supporting the fete, in making extra donations to MWIA and to those who so kindly donated prizes and goods. Congratulations and thanks also to Captains of School, Elena Chiam and Isabel Duggan, along with the 2022 Year 12 Councillors for their leadership of this most beloved day of School life.
Read more about the Brickfields Schools Project, and make a donation to any MWIA projects, including their Christmas appeal on page 42-43 in this issue of the Mandevillian.
