At the beginning of Term 3, our staff came together for our annual Faith Formation Day — a valuable time in the life of our school to step away from the everyday and reconnect with the heart of who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

This year’s theme, 'Pilgrims of Hope,' invited us to reflect on our own journeys: the things we carry or choose to set down, the people who accompany us or are accompanied by us, and the sacred moments that can appear when we pause and pay attention.

One of the central symbols of the day was a handmade replica of the Door of Mercy, crafted by one of our staff especially for the occasion. It was inspired by the original red doorway at Baggot Street in Dublin — the first House of Mercy established by Catherine McAuley. That door became a threshold of compassion: where the poor and vulnerable came seeking help, and where the Sisters stepped out each day to serve the community. In that same spirit, our Mercy Door reminded us of our invitation to open our hearts and carry Mercy into our daily relationships and work.

Several other meaningful symbols helped shape the day. A Mercy Cross reminded us of Christ’s love at the centre of our mission. Interestingly, there is no corpus on the Mercy Cross which differentiates it from other cruciform. Catherine, who designed the cross, believed that each Sister of Mercy, places herself on the cross, sharing in the suffering of Christ and those to whom the Sisters ministered. We had a teacup and saucer, echoing Catherine’s request that the Sisters have “a good cup of tea” after her death, reflecting our core value of hospitality — the simple and sacred act of making space for one another. A soft shawl recalled the story of Catherine carrying home an orphaned baby wrapped in her own during a cholera outbreak. Sr Mary Sullivan RSM reflects: “To share one’s shawl is to reach out, side by side, and embrace the shoulders and life and needs of another.” Finally, a pair of well-worn boots reminded us of the Sisters of Mercy’s legacy as the “walking nuns” — women who went out daily to meet people where they were, bringing education, compassion, and presence to the streets. Each of these symbols connected us to our rich Mercy heritage and the sacredness of the everyday.

Throughout the day, we were guided by the stories of faith-filled pilgrims such as St Paul, whose dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus reminds us that the spiritual journey is rarely straightforward. At times, like Paul, we feel uncertain, weary, or resistant — yet we are met by grace and invited to see again with new eyes. We also drew inspiration from Ursula Frayne, one of the founding Sisters of Mercy in Australia, who journeyed from Ireland to Western Australia in the 1840s. She faced unfamiliar terrain and deep challenge with courage, compassion, and steadfast hope in God.

In our final session, we embraced the tradition of letter writing and crafted messages in the spirit of Paul and Ursula. These weren’t just reflections, but personal responses to the day’s pilgrimage: naming the hopes, values, and commitments we felt called to carry forward.

To close the day, we gathered in the sacred space of our College Chapel where for more than a century, students, staff, and Sisters of Mercy have gathered in faith and prayer. From there, we passed together through the Mercy Door, symbolically sent forth to live what we had received.