Our Mission

In Australia we are part of a rapidly changing global culture which offers us both challenges and opportunities. Mary Ward strove to educate in and for society not apart from it. Her desire was that we should always discern our times by “referring all things to God” so that we might sift what is truly good from what diminishes and thus make a difference for good in our world. As “a place for women” we have a vigorous belief in the capacity and responsibility of women to contribute significantly to society and to the church. This belief underpins the entire emphasis of our educational program at Loreto and it is fundamental to our vision that “women in time to come will do much”. Mary Ward

When Mary Ward founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM) in 1609, she recognized the critical difference that the education of women could make to her troubled world, especially through the care and development of faith. To that end she articulated five essential elements in the education of women. These critical aspects of a Loreto education are the unique inheritance or our rich tradition and heritage. We proudly proclaim them to be the hallmarks of a Loreto education.

This is our vision: that Loreto schools offer a Catholic education which liberates, empowers and motivates students to use their individual gifts with confidence, creativity and generosity in loving and responsible service.

A vigorous belief in the capacity and responsibility of women to contribute significantly to society and to the church underlines the emphasis in our tradition of the education of girls.

The qualities of freedom, justice and sincerity are at the core of Mary Ward's spirit. Her most profound understanding of freedom was grounded in her sense of personal relationship with God, her belief that each one of us, in our ordinary experience of life, has access to God's loving care. This is the truth that set us free. It is an inner freedom, accepting of self, open to others and trusting of life.

Justice, as Mary Ward describes it, involves personal integrity based on harmonious relationship with God, with other people and with whole of creation. It is expressed in "works of justice", in active participation in the struggle to bring about such harmony. We are challenged "to be seekers of truth and doers of justice".

Sincerity is our communication and relationship with others is essential characteristic of the personal integrity Mary Ward envisaged. Her ideal was that "we should be such as we appear and appear such as we are."

Closely linked to sincerity is Mary Ward's concept of verity. For her it means integrity and truth, particularly the profound truth of who we are and what gives meaning to our lives, a truth that centres fundamentally on the gift of life and mystery of God.

Felicity is an attitude of mind, a disposition of the heart which manifests itself in cheerfulness, good humour, joy, happiness, hope, optimism, friendliness, courtesy, positive thinking, inner peace, self acceptance and courage.