Message from Mrs. Catherine O'Kane
International Women’s Day
This year, on International Women’s Day (Saturday, 8 March), we are called to Accelerate Action for gender equality. This year’s theme urges us to move beyond reflection and take bold, decisive steps toward a world where all women and girls can thrive. Making this progress demands urgency, commitment, and collective effort.
Catherine McAuley understood the power of action. In 1827, she founded the House of Mercy to shelter, educate, and uplift women in need—laying the foundation for the Sisters of Mercy’s enduring mission. For nearly two centuries, the Sisters have driven change in education, healthcare, and social services, breaking barriers and empowering those most vulnerable. Their legacy continues to inspire our work at All Hallows’.
Our commitment to empowering young women remains unwavering. Girls' schools play a critical role in equipping students with the confidence, skills, and resilience to advocate for gender equality. Through our extensive range of holistic programs across Mercy Action, pastoral care, wellbeing and leadership, academics, culture, and sport, we work purposefully to empower our AHSisters to be courageous changemakers.
This International Women’s Day, let us envision a more just world and actively accelerate the actions needed to achieve it. Together, we can drive meaningful change today and in the future.
I look forward to joining our community to celebrate International Women’s Day at our Past Pupils’ Association annual IWD Breakfast on Friday, 7 March. This is an event for our whole community and tickets can be purchased here.
School Board Annual Retreat
On Saturday, 15 February, our School Board and Leadership Team gathered for a full-day retreat, a valuable and important time for reflection and discernment focused this year on developing our new five-year strategic plan for 2026–2030. This dedicated time allowed us to engage deeply with our school’s mission and Catholic Mercy ethos and to consider future direction across all aspects of our school, ensuring that our future direction remains aligned with the needs of our students, staff and community. We are blessed to have a Board comprised of dedicated professionals who generously share their expertise to support and strengthen our school.
In late March, the School Board will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM), attended by Board Directors from our canonical sponsor, Mercy Partners. Additionally, our Foundation Board will hold its AGM in March, continuing its vital work in advancing the school’s mission and supporting the future of All Hallows’ School through fundraising for our Catherine McAuley Bursary Fund and the Foundation’s Building Fund. I am always so grateful for the dedicated service of our Board Directors and the members of the Board’s committees for their selfless service and dedication for the betterment of our school.
Ash Wednesday
On Wednesday, 5 March, our school community begins its Lenten journey, with staff and students participating in Ash Wednesday liturgies. Lent is a time for us to reflect on our faith, a time for self-denial and a time to continue to Ignite Hope with Compassionate Hearts through prayer.
I also ask that you keep His Holiness Pope Francis in your prayers as he recovers from a serious illness in the hospital. The prayer below is adapted from a prayer by Caritas Jerusalem
Loving and Merciful God,
We come before You in prayer, lifting up Your servant, Pope Francis, in his time of need.
You are the Source of all healing, and we ask You to surround him with Your loving presence, granting him strength and recovery.
May Your divine grace rest upon him, restoring his health and filling him with renewed vigour to continue leading Your Church with compassion and wisdom.
Amen
May God bless you and your family this Lenten season,
Mrs. Catherine O’Kane (Principal)
