Campus connections
Print Friendly
Conference inspires young women

A Good Samaritan Leadership Conference has provided 33 students with the opportunity to be immersed in the congregation’s spiritual tradition, history and charism.

The young leaders from Good Sam colleges in Melbourne and Sydney learned about St Benedict, the monk who founded the Benedictine tradition 1500 years ago, Archbishop John Bede Polding OSB, a Benedictine and the first Catholic Bishop in Australia’s early penal colony who founded the congregation and the Good Samaritan Sisters themselves.

The journey and stories of the Sisters’ vision and work was further developed when the students spent time at Toxteth House, Glebe Point, speaking to the Sisters, looking through the archives and visiting the chapel. 

The conversations that took place, were cherished by the students, as they led to a deeper connection and understanding of the challenges that the Sisters faced in the early days and how their ministry of caring for the needy women and education of children was carried out and developed over the years.

While learning about some of the Benedictine values, the students took time to reflect on how to apply them to their day to day lives and continue making them visible in their college communities.

One of the highlights that the student leaders mentioned in their evaluations was the opportunity they were given to meet with three Principals. Mrs Sue Lennox (St Patrick’s College, Campbelltown), Mr Frank Pitt (St Mary’s Star of the Sea College, Wollongong) and Mrs Loretto Richardson (St Scholasticas College, Glebe Point) joined them one night to share their journey, experiences and insights about leadership. The students were given an opportunity to ask them questions about varying aspects of their roles.

Each of the young women who attended will hold differing roles of leadership in her respective college.

As a group, they had time to reflect and plan for the year ahead and share their ideas with each other.

The final sessions of the conference enabled students to think about their leadership qualities, areas they wish to develop, the mentors they have in their lives and what  being a leader is all about ... keeping in mind the values and advice of St Benedict.

The conference, January 20-22 at St Scholastica’s College, Glebe Point (Sydney), ended with a commissioning Mass led by Fr Dennis Rochford in the St Scholastica’s chapel.

The conference was coordinated by Marion Zammitt, a member of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Mission Team, from Pennant Hills.