Courageous pathways for girls and women
It was 19th July 1875 when the story of Loreto began on Australian soil. It had taken 59 days by ship from Ireland for Mother Gonzaga Barry and her companions to arrive in Victoria, Australia. Since then, the Australian communities have grown.
These days, their seven schools across the continent are mainly staffed by wonderful lay women and men; however, many of the Sisters are still involved through membership of Boards, participation in celebrations, conducting staff formation sessions and retreats, and past-pupil associations …
Sisters can be found in a range of ministries, including justice, development, education, spirituality, board membership, prison chaplaincy, canon law, creative arts, physiotherapy, and parish pastoral work, supporting all people to participate in society with dignity and equality.
Once a total of almost 300, they now number 80 active and retired Sisters who work in partnership with colleagues to create a more just world. They are spread thinly across four countries – Australia, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines.
For more information on the Loreto Sisters in Australia and South East Asia, visit their website.
We are an international multicultural congregation of around 1,800 sisters present in more than 40 countries around the globe. Founded in 1609 by the Venerable Mary Ward, we are a group of unenclosed apostolic religious women, rooted in the Ignatian Spirituality.
We are working in different areas and projects – not out of ourselves, but because we allow ourselves to be sent by God. We form our sisters to be mobile and available, willing to go wherever they are sent. We expect them to strive, like Mary Ward, to have that inner freedom to respond to the call to leave all and follow Christ with passion and compassion.
“Vocation” – a word that tastes of MORE, of what Saint Ignatius of Loyola called “THE MAGIS”: Longing, meaning, fullness of life, a task and the experience of being needed. It sounds like someone who is calling me personally and with whom I can give my life a unique shape.
People all over the world are inspired and enthusiastic about Mary Ward and her way of following Jesus. There are different ways to join our network and become part of the wider Mary Ward Family.
Mary Ward once said: “I listened to God’s deep dream for me and felt a longing to respond.”
In this spirit, we invite you to pray with us. We offer a variety of prayers and material for reflection.
