A Message from Mrs Catherine O'Kane
Extending the Gift of an All Hallows’ Education
Next week, our All Hallows’ community will come together for Giving Day, an annual moment that calls us to pause and reflect on generosity, access and the power of education to change lives. Our Giving Day is shaped by the theme Holding the Door Open for Her, a reflection of our shared commitment to welcome and provide opportunity and care for young women. This year, our community hopes to raise $237,380 to support two Catherine McAuley Bursaries, continuing our commitment to our Mercy ethos.
Giving Day is not simply about fundraising. Through the Catherine McAuley Bursary Fund, we continue a tradition that reaches back to Catherine McAuley herself, who understood that opening doors to education was one of the most powerful acts of mercy and justice.
Each gift is both an act of generosity and an expression of trust in the power of education to create opportunity where it may not seem possible. It is also a sign of gratitude for all that has been entrusted to us through the vision and sacrifice of the Sisters of Mercy over more than 165 years in Brisbane. I thank our community in advance for the generosity with which you always respond, and for the many ways you continue to hold the door open for others.
Reconciliation: A Shared Responsibility
As we mark National Reconciliation Week, guided this year by the theme “All In”, we are reminded that reconciliation is both a national priority and a shared responsibility. The work of our Reconciliation Committee continues to guide and strengthen our commitment to learning, listening and action as we progress our Reconciliation Action Plan goals.
This work is integral to creating culturally safe and respectful environments for all, and directly supports our wider commitment to the Universal Principle and to child safety and wellbeing within our community.
Leadership Through Service
Applications for the Dr Lee‑Anne Perry AM Leadership and Service Award, our annual award for past pupils, close on 30 June 2026. Supported through the generosity of our Past Pupils’ Association, this award recognises past pupils who are living the Mercy ethos through leadership in service and making a meaningful difference in their communities.
I warmly encourage eligible past pupils (graduated between 2016 – 2025), or anyone who would like to nominate a past pupil from these years whose leadership reflects our shared values, to explore this opportunity and continue the strong tradition of Mercy leadership it represents.
Looking Ahead
In the coming weeks, I will represent All Hallows’ at the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools Board meeting and Global Forum in Toronto where I am also presenting a break out session with our Dean of Student Learning and Data, Christine Beckmann, host Past Pupils’ Association reunions in both New York and London and accompany our school tour during their days at Baggot Street and as they follow in Catherine McAuley’s footsteps in Dublin.
The ICGS meetings and Global Forum are important opportunities that allow us to remain connected to the global conversation around girls’ education and to honour the enduring relationships that continue to shape our community. Being able to accompany our students during their days at the House of Mercy, Coolock House and the many sites of significance to Catherine McAuley’s life in Dublin, together with the opportunity to meet with past pupils living overseas, will provide outstanding opportunities for engagement, learning and joy.
I will be away from Friday, 12 June and return at the start of Term 3. During this time, I am very grateful that Carolyn Liddy will be Acting Principal, leaving our school in wise and capable hands, and I thank you for the support you extend during this period.
As we move toward the end of the term, I hope the weeks of the school holidays, when they arrive, offer space for rest, renewal and time together for our families. I look forward to sharing the events of my travels across our many channels, and I look forward to returning at the start of Term 3.
May God bless our All Hallows’ School community in the weeks ahead.
Mrs Catherine O’Kane (Principal)
