Loreto Australia & South East Asia

14/09/2026

The Exaltation of the Cross | 14 September

As we keep memory of this Feast, it is natural to wonder again about the contradiction of exalting and holding high an instrument of torture. But for the follower of Christ, the Cross is an essential core belief of not only its barbaric use but also its saving action in the Christian story.

Each of us suffers, some seemingly more than others and we all see the suffering of others, if we choose to look. In our day of instant transmission of scenes of suffering, from earthquakes to war to stories of abuse and humiliation, there might be a temptation to turn away. Not only to ignore what is happening, but also to ‘harden our hearts’ and make no response.

But the paradox continues: as followers of Jesus we are called to be people of joy.

Victor Frankl, author of ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ and one who saw and experienced more than enough suffering in a German concentration camp, says we can choose to be more loving and generous because of our suffering, not in spite of it. The choice is ours: to recognise personal crosses and the sufferings of society and also to claim the promise that God’s unconditional love is always there for us in the challenges of our days.

13/09/2026

Safeguarding Sunday | Love Protects 💙

Today we join communities across Australia in marking Safeguarding Sunday and reflecting on this year’s theme, ‘Love Protects’.

For Loreto, safeguarding is an expression of our Gospel call to care for one another. Love is shown through listening, acting with courage and ensuring that children, young people and vulnerable adults are treated with dignity, respect and care.

‘Love Protects’ reminds us that creating safe communities is something we all share responsibility for. It calls us to be attentive, accountable and committed to ensuring every person can participate in the life of our communities safely and with confidence.

This Safeguarding Sunday, we give thanks for all those who work to build cultures of safety, trust and care across our Loreto communities.

Love protects when we listen.
Love protects when we act.
Love protects when we put the wellbeing of others at the centre of what we do.

Artwork: SUSAN DAILY ART

10/09/2026

Recently, Mrs Nandini Bhattacharjee, Director of the Loreto Education Board for South Asia, and Sr Mable Pramila Rudum CJ, Principal of Loreto Convent Shillong, spent time in Melbourne during a visit to Loreto Ministries.

The visit gave Nandini and Sr Mable an opportunity to learn more about the Australian Loreto context and how our shared Mary Ward tradition is expressed through education, governance and mission here.

Their program included time at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, where they met students and staff, joined Prep students for afternoon prayer and participated in a Chapel Assembly with Year 7 students. At the Loreto Office, they also heard about school governance, formation, the Mary Ward Compass and approaches to supporting the financial sustainability of Loreto schools.

For the Loreto Sisters in Australia and South East Asia, it was lovely to have members of our wider CJ family from India spending time within the Australian Loreto network.

We thank Maureen Ryan and the Loreto Ministries team for their hospitality and for providing such a valuable opportunity for learning and exchange.

Opportunities like this help keep our international connections active and meaningful, bringing different experiences and perspectives to our shared Mary Ward mission.

We wish Nandini and Sr Mable well as they take their experiences and reflections from Australia back to their communities in India.

09/09/2026

Our prayers are with the people of Nepal

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Nepal following the devastating floods and landslides that have caused immense loss of life, displaced communities and left many families waiting for news of loved ones.

We hold especially close our CJ Sisters in Nepal, their school communities and all those affected by this tragedy. We are grateful that all our Sisters are safe, although some are still awaiting news of family members.

Amid the devastation, we have been moved by the response of our Sisters and the wider St Mary’s community in Nepal. Beginning in prayer, they have turned their concern into practical action, providing food and essential supplies and contributing resources to the national relief effort, while working alongside others to support families affected by the disaster.

Their response is a powerful expression of solidarity and of our shared call to stand alongside those who are suffering. As the Sisters in Nepal remind us, recovery will continue long after the immediate crisis has passed.

We join them in praying for those who have lost their lives, for those who remain missing, for families who are grieving and for all those beginning the long task of rebuilding their lives.

In support of our Sisters and the people of Nepal, the CJ Loreto Sisters in Australia and South East Asia have made a donation to the relief effort.

For those who would like to offer practical support, donations can be made through Caritas Australia or Jesuit Mission Australia.

https://www.caritas.org.au/donate/emergency-appeals/nepal-floods

https://jesuitmission.org.au/news/responding-swiftly-as-floods-leave-hundreds-dead-and-thousands-missing

May our prayer and practical compassion be a source of comfort and hope for all those suffering through this tragedy.

Our local Jesuit partners are working closely with local authorities to assist communities in their moment of crisis.

08/09/2026

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | 8 September

On this day, the church keeps memory of the Birthday of Mary, Mother of God. Scriptures are silent about her birth and early years. The first account of the person we know as Mary is the angelic encounter recorded in Luke’s Gospel, where the perplexing greeting startles her.

One has the feeling that she may not have been sitting around at home awaiting a holy revelation. While the story until this moment lacks detail, one can surmise from the personality we meet as a young mother and later older apostle, her parents, Ann and Joachim, raised her with a faithful devotion for honouring the Lord God.

Along with this was that second great commandment – to attend to others with a loving and merciful engagement.

Mary intercedes for us as we place our requests with her and ask: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of death”. As you move about your daily routine, be assured that we have Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, interceding for us. We celebrate her faithfulness on this her day of birth.

🎨 Artwork credit: ‘Nativity of Mary’ oil painting attributed to Diego Velázquez, 17th century.

04/09/2026

🌏 Student voices for justice across the Loreto network 🌏

Earlier this year, students from Loreto schools across Australia came together for ‘The Girl I Am; The Change I Lead’ webinar, sharing the social justice initiatives they are leading in their communities.

From refugee tutoring and ecological initiatives to women’s education and inclusion, students shared ideas, celebrated one another’s work and explored the many ways they can contribute to a more just and sustainable world.

Their enthusiasm and thoughtful engagement reflect an important part of a Loreto education: encouraging young people to understand the causes of injustice and inequality, recognise their responsibility to others and to our common home, and put their values into action.

Carolyn Young, Loreto Ministries Director, Mission & Identity, reflects on the webinar and the commitment to justice being demonstrated by students across the Loreto network in the latest issue of Eucalyptus Blossoms.

📖 Read the full story:
https://www.loreto.org.au/student-voices-for-justice-across-the-loreto-network/

📸 Photography credit: Loreto Kirribilli

02/09/2026

September’s Words of Wisdom from Mary Ward

‘Cherish God’s vocation in you. Let it be constant, efficacious and loving.’

SUSAN DAILY ART

01/09/2026

🌊 Season of Creation 2026 | Living Water

Today we begin the Season of Creation, a time of prayer, reflection and renewed commitment to caring for our common home.

This year’s theme, Living Water, invites us to be transformed by the gift of water and to recognise our shared responsibility for the renewal of creation.

We give thanks for the work of the IBVM/CJ UN Office, which recently supported young people from Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Germany and Australia to share their lived experiences at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Their voices highlighted the realities of access to clean water and clean energy, and offered hope for a more just and sustainable future.

As Mary Ward people, may we listen deeply, act with courage, and join with the next generation in caring for God’s creation.

The IBVM/CJ UN Office is actively engaged in advocacy programs and initiatives to create a more sustainable world. Learn more about their impact and discover resources here:
https://ibvmunngo.org/tag/environment/

Artwork by SUSAN DAILY ART

30/08/2026

Social Justice Sunday | 30 August

Today, on Social Justice Sunday, we invite you to join us in thoughtful reflection and prayer during this time of social division.

Loreto Australia & South East Asia is committed to working for justice across five Province Justice Priorities through awareness raising, advocacy and action, underpinned by our spiritual tools of reflection and discernment: https://www.loreto.org.au/justice/justice/loreto-justice-network/

We also encourage you to read the second 2026 Social Justice Statement released by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference entitled ‘Living the Gospel in Times of Social Division’:
https://acbcwebsite.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/Articles/Documents/ACBC/ACBC+Social+Justice+Statement+-+August+2026.pdf

26/08/2026

❄️🍲 Winter warmers from the Loreto archives 🍲❄️

This winter, we're taking inspiration from Sr Sylvester O'Malley's treasured recipe book. Perhaps a bowl of hearty stew with freshly baked Loreto Brown Bread is just what's needed to warm a winter's day.

Born Mary Kathleen O'Malley in 1912, she was educated at Loreto Convent Dawson Street, Ballarat, and Loreto Abbey Mary's Mount before entering the Loreto order in 1932 as Sr Sylvester O’Malley. After completing her teacher training and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, she dedicated much of her life to education, primarily teaching across Victoria, with brief stints in Adelaide and Coorparoo.

Sr Sylvester's well-loved recipe book, preserved in the Loreto Province Archives, offers a delightful glimpse into the comforting recipes that nourished Loreto communities through the winter months of years gone by.