Grace in Governance: How Mary Ward’s Values Guide Loreto Leadership

In this 150th year of Loreto life in Australia and South East Asia, the Steward Directors of Loreto Ministries – the body responsible for the governance of Loreto schools in Australia – continue to draw inspiration from the legacy of Mother Gonzaga Barry, the lessons of Mary Ward and the tradition of excellence in education that has flourished for over 400 years.

Earlier this year, the inaugural Steward Directors shared some of their personal reflections on Mary Ward’s values of verity, justice, sincerity, freedom, and felicity. In the video below, we gain insight into how these values shape the work of the Loreto Ministries Board. We also learn how these values inspire Loreto Ministries Steward Directors to dream – for our schools, for the young people within them, and for a future characterised by justice and the truth of God’s love for us.

Just as “A Mary Ward school today joyfully accepts responsibility for evolving and unfolding in our time the God-given charism that Mary Ward channelled in her time” as summarized in the Mary Ward Schools’ Compass), the Loreto Ministries Steward Directors continue to discern what this charism asks of us in the here and now, “in creative and innovative ways congruent to the times.”

Reflecting on the 2025 Mary Ward Value: Verity

Each year, Loreto schools across our network are invited to focus on a Mary Ward Value that shapes our learning, leadership and community life. As we come to the close of the Year of Verity, we pause to reflect on what this value has meant for the Loreto community.

We invite you to watch this reflection from Margaret Kennedy, Steward Director and Chair of Loreto Ministries, on how Mary Ward’s charism continues to guide the stewardship of Loreto Ministries.

Photo caption: Inaugural Loreto Ministries Steward Directors gathered around the Mary Ward statue at Loreto College Ballarat – Left to right: Nicki Patten, Sr Anne Kelly ibvm, Rachel Grimes AM, Dr Caroline Thompson, Chris Dodd, Margaret Kennedy, and Dr Michael McDonald.