Let your light shine before others

Let your light shine before others

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020 Celebrating 20 years of outstanding leadership of Mater Christi College

Let your light shine before others Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

Acknowledgements We are most grateful for the work of all contributors to this publication.

We especially thank Ann Rennie, a gifted writer whose feature piece encapsulated her discussions with Mary and many others to articulate this story of authentic leadership.

When the authors of the other six pieces were invited to write a tribute for Mary, each said thank you. We appreciate their generosity and work.

The College also acknowledges the highly professional support provided with editing and design by Suzanne Willcock from imageseven and Sandro Maio from Eastern Press.

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Trusted Guide You are our Mentor, our Inspiration, our Home of good choices and decisions.

You help us to search with confidence as we find our way to inner peace and truth.

Gather your wisdom around us.

Guide us carefully as we make choices about how to use our energy positively.

Place your discerning touch on our minds so that we will think clearly.

Place your loving fingers on our hearts so, we will be more fully attentive to what is really of value.

Teach us how to hear your voice, to be aware of what is in our minds and hearts, to attend to your wisdom in those around us, to acknowledge our intuitions and ponder our dreams, to listen to the earth and all of life, for in each piece of our existence you are guiding us.

Guide of our life, thank you for all you have given to us.

Reveal our spiritual pathway and direct us in the living of it.

Lead us to inner peace and oneness with you and the whole of creation.

Prayer from Thomas Merton (adapted)

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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A Visionary Leader As Mary Fitz-Gerald leaves Mater Christi College after 20 years of exemplary leadership, it is fitting that the wider College community pays tribute to this inspirational woman of faith and vision. We now have the opportunity to honour her legacy and look to it as a model for those who aspire to lead, and more particularly, those who aspire to lead in the Catholic Education system in Victoria.

All leadership is shaped differently and depends on a multitude of components and the personality and aptitude of the leader in their particular circumstances or institutional position.

We see leadership around us every day and we know when it is good and when it is less so. We are able to see those whose leadership is based on the common good and those whose leadership is about personal selfaggrandisement. The more aware we are of the world around us the more we seek those models of leadership which ring out with authenticity and integrity; models that chime with compassion and engage empathy and seek to empower others. We look to leadership that can create change and challenge paradigms. We look to leadership that can grow the best in those who follow that leader and nurture those who will, in their turn, pass the baton onto the next generation.

I have had the privilege of speaking with Mary and a number of her colleagues and friends who have provided an 4

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overview of her achievements and her educational philosophy. This philosophy is lived out daily in the exercise of her leadership of the College. I was struck with Mary’s warmth and candour and this is something that was mentioned by all those with whom I came in contact. Mary likes people and is herself personable and accessible and good-humoured – qualities that are essential in the education of young people. School students are quick to see through attitudes and behaviours that are false or hypocritical or unjust.

They respond to those leaders whose words and actions are congruent; those who walk the talk. They respect those teachers who love their subject and really know their students. They are alert to discrimination or inequity or a climate that disavows their experience. Mary’s first concern, always, is the students in her care and the opportunities they are given to develop their potential and to find joy in their accomplishments and purpose in their effort.

Leadership, for Mary, is not about aloofness, executive privilege or the closed door. It is about visibility and availability and a responsiveness to the ideas, innovations and imagination of those with whom she works. It is about managing that fine balance between honouring the traditional and opening up the possible. It is also about enabling staff to be the best professionals they can be. Thus, the learning and teaching relationship is enriched and expert.

And, of course, a school is all about relationships and how they thrive in the right environment. Respect, affirmation and participation, as well as being named and known, whether student or staff member, is at the core of the relational qualities that can define a school as welcoming and inclusive – or not.

Mater Christi is a school that welcomes all.

“Benedictine spirituality, after all, is life lived to the hilt. It is a life of concentration on life’s ordinary dimensions. It is an attempt to do the ordinary things of life extraordinarily well.”

Joan Chittister OSB

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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Mary is adamant that the top-down model of leadership is antithetical to institutional health and wellbeing.

She is always keen to listen to and acknowledge other viewpoints in wide-ranging discussions. Deep consultation with stakeholders is important and the best outcome for the student learning community is always at the core of this process.

Mary noted that sometimes the hard decisions have to be made by her alone, even after advice had been sought and multiple scenarios discussed. For Mary, leadership is never a one-woman show, but a team effort. However, as principal, on some issues it is imperative that she makes the final decision.

In offering her own reflection on her teaching career, and particularly her time at Mater Christi College, Mary kept returning to the notion of discernment as a means of coming to decision or satisfying that sense of thorough and honest completion of the task with which she was faced. Curriculum innovation,

board meetings, student concerns, staff reviews, pastoral issues, community crises, facility planning, the challenges facing the Catholic Church; the myriad complexities of leading a school were all met with the process of discernment.

Mary is fulsome in her praise of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and their support of her during her principalship. They were wonderful mentors in the areas of formation, reflection and discernment and were the daily inspiration for her endeavours. Their charism infused every aspect of her leadership. The guiding values of the Benedictine framework are enveloped primarily through the love of Christ and neighbour. This is lived out through values that prioritise the importance of community, the action of justice for peace, excellence in all things, the primacy of prayer, hospitality, stewardship, humility, discipline, obedience and stability.

“My dear young people, the Church needs you, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you.”

Pope Francis

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The Benedictine framework of right relationship was ever present in Mary’s mind and she marvelled at the wisdom of The Rule, written by the monastic Saint Benedict in the 5th century, and its prescience in reading the signs of the times.

Listening … with the ear of your heart was key to the discernment process where deliberation and prayer are essential to informed and fruitful decision-making. With this active and heartfelt listening comes the humility of understanding that many have something useful to contribute in the way of their own giftedness.

The good leader acknowledges that they do not know everything. They are not afraid of others who offer expert advice or alternative options.

This Benedictine value of humility was apparent in all Mary’s actions.

Thus, the best decisions encompass a wide and thoughtful consultation, sometimes brewed over a period of time, and not slavishly immediate as some decisions are in this era of instant update and improvised urgency. The ancient wisdom offered in the discernment process enables a new depth to be reached, often with it a spiritual renewal and regeneration that can add to the individual and collective sense of agency in a good or a God cause.

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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Mary has energy and buzzes with ideas. Many people noted her cando attitude and creative outlook, her desire to actively find common ground through connecting and collaborating with staff, parents and other educational agencies and groups. This resonated deeply with staff as they saw her as a ‘doer’ who was practical and prepared to experiment with innovation and technology. Mary is not afraid of uncharted terrain or daunting challenges and she has introduced new programs to the College so that the students can be educated for the future.

Mary is always looking ahead and seeking out new and improved ways of doing things.

She looks outside the box and dreams.

Then, she takes action.

Underpinning this is Mary’s belief in explaining the ‘why’ of change or innovation and inviting others to accompany her on the journey.

She invites others to build their own capacity for leadership or innovation or a new way to engage the students that is authentic and integral to the students’ world and their future in it.

Mary’s outlook is always progressive and imaginative. This was most recently seen in the adoption of the Canvas Learning Management System which aided the seamless transition to remote learning that has arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mary always leads by example and is enthusiastic about using the latest technology herself and encourages and supports staff to do the same.

As an educational leader, Mary is proactive, not reactive and it is this model of energy, agency and forward thinking that has been behind the success of the College. Mary actively promotes the student-centred culture of Mater Christi College and the manifest benefits of an all-girls education where the students are encouraged to be active participants in both Church and society. They are encouraged to build the future with ‘informed, compassionate and creative’ values, attitudes and actions.

Over the course of her 20 years at Mater Christi College, Mary had to deal with a number of issues quite beyond the educational template and this is where real leadership is tested and forged. She began at the school in 2001, just as the new master plan permit for the upgrading of facilities came through with the inclusion of new

specialist areas and modern staff workplaces. School leaders have to wear many hats and sometimes this includes hard hats. Mary took this in her stride. In subsequent building programs, she was always keen for the quality of design and functionality of learning spaces to complement the educational programs at the College.

Later that year, the world tilted when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 destroyed the World Trade Center in New York, damaged the Pentagon in Washington and led to the deaths of passengers on Flight 93 when it crashed in rural Pennsylvania. This is when many leaders had to gather their communities, pray and counsel their young who had been exposed to the footage multiple times and whose sense of security was shaken.

“For life to be life, I must do one thing a day for my soul, one thing a day for my heart and one thing a day for my mind.”

Joan Chittister OSB

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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Sometimes, especially in a faith community, the leader is also the good shepherd, checking on their flock, making sure all are counted, tending to those who are fragile, encouraging solidarity in community or for a cause.

Mary, too, with the compassion so many have spoken of, was able to provide that steadiness needed when the certainties of the world suddenly disappeared. Such pastoral leadership is about rising to the challenge and responding in a way that guides and supports and stabilises those who look to the leader for a way ahead when times are tumultuous and normality is suddenly and savagely wrenched awry.

In 2003, Mater Christi celebrated its 40th anniversary with a parade down Main Street, Belgrave, and a chance for the community to be joyful and jubilant. Again, we are reminded that schools are not just education factories, but humming hubs of humanity; places where good things happen, discoveries are made, lifelong friendship built, faith strengthened and a climate of encouragement

and possibility exists for all. In 2007, the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate was introduced. The second stage of the master plan was also undertaken to provide a 21st century environment for 21st century learners.

In 2009, the Victorian bushfires ravaged the outskirts of Melbourne and many lost their lives. Mater Christi’s location in the foothills of the Dandenongs means that there is always the risk of fire and in this tragic year for the state, there were two outbreaks within the College region. Mary notes the huge commitment of staff who stayed at the College to support students whose parents were unable to collect them.

Again, a good leader acknowledges the effort of her staff and serves them by providing the strength and courage that the hour demands. With the physical situation of Mater Christi, the natural environment and issues of stewardship and sustainability have also been at the forefront of Mary’s efforts as the students have become ever more aware and active about their

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

John Quincy Adams

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responsibility for caring for creation.

They are the generation who are advocating for thoughtful and timely ecological conversion and intervention for the longevity of this planet and its peoples.

In 2013, for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the College’s founding, the Good Samaritan sculpture and the coloured glass window project was installed. Together with a memorial garden and a number of artworks, these are gifts to be enjoyed by the next generation of students at the College.

During her tenure, Mary has always championed the Benedictine charism and the work of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. The parable told by Jesus in answer to the question from the lawyer in the gospel of Luke, Who is my neighbour? reverberates throughout all endeavours at Mater Christi.

As a leader, Mary is also a realist and not afraid to take risks or deal with challenges. In response to changing local demographics, Mary implemented a radical reboot of fees, marketing and promotion in 2016. The College continues to offer an holistic education, wide co-curricular and community involvement and opportunities for the development of young women ready to take on the world and find their place in it. This is underpinned by an invitational environment of inclusivity and welcome to those from all faiths and none. The Benedictine value of hospitality to all is at the core of a Mater Christi education.

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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In the past few years, there have been plans afoot for a virtual learning hub and currently a refurbishment of the Science labs is underway.

Mary has had to deal with the ups and downs of community demand and input, as well as governance, financial oversight, OHS issues and compliance and national, state and Catholic obligations. The leader in today’s school, and more especially in a Catholic school, in an increasingly secular, pluralist and digital world needs to be across so many issues.

Mary has consistently brought her calm manner and thoughtful influence to bear when considering many of these issues and asking for community input and discernment as the best way forward for the College to honour its past and to secure its future. And now, as the world falters in response to the coronavirus pandemic, she has been called upon again to exercise that compassionate, confident and courageous leadership in steering Mater Christi through this crisis, curfew and lockdown here in Victoria. Her first consideration is the wellbeing of students and the support of staff as they deliver their curriculum content digitally.

The year 2020 will mark the beginning of change in the educational landscape, but for those students doing the VCE and VCAL at this time, they need the consistent and kind support of their peers, teachers and families. This is something Mary thinks of every day

as the challenges of the year impact on assessment and examinations.

She is also aware that success comes in many different ways and that accomplishment is not always about an ATAR score. Recently, Mary thanked her staff for their prodigious efforts in creating and holding together, online, the community of students as they adapted to this distant learning model and found within themselves new agency, resilience and independence.

Many have spoken of Mary’s ease with staff and her enjoyment of their company. She would laugh and cry with them, share a meal in the staffroom, tell a good story and remember details about families that demonstrated warmth and interest in those around her. She could be self-deprecatory and amusing and, as the best leaders do, also knew when to let others shine. This generosity of spirit was seen in her encouragement of staff to do other things, to test themselves and their capacities in other ways that could

bring personal and community benefit. She maintained equanimity and flexibility that enabled staff to feel supported in their choices of further study, temporary change or decisions about their careers and future paths.

The staff, too, knew Mary and her predilection for the wise words of that forthright American Benedictine nun, Joan Chittister, or ‘Good old Chitty’ as she was more informally known. This relational reciprocity is at the heart of a staff who know and trust their leader – and Mary is a leader who knows and trusts her staff.

As a leader in a Catholic school, Mary is a woman of witness. The vibrancy and meaning of liturgical celebrations for the College and its honouring of tradition is of utmost importance. This is combined with an understanding that the journeys to faith of all people, especially the young, are many and varied. This is especially so in a world where respect for religious institutions and consequent faith affiliation have declined. With its open entry policy,

“Arrange everything so that the strong have something to yearn for and the weak nothing to run from.”

RB 64:19

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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Mater Christi prioritises its Catholic/ Christian worldview in a way that dignifies and seeks to learn from other faiths. Mary understands the recontextualisation needed to keep the Church relevant for students by supporting avenues where their capacity for advocacy and change and enterprise can best be harnessed.

Dialogue and inclusivity and the inculcation of values that prioritise charity and the common good are what matter in an education that looks beyond self to community.

Mary believes in an education in faith that asks questions about the role of religion in a student’s life and an education that enriches the lives of those baptised into the Catholic faith tradition. As a woman of enduring faith, Mary believes that the Church needs to look at the participation and promotion of women so that the institution reflects more readily the reality of the people of God. The feminine genius about which Pope John Paul II spoke is needed more than ever for the healing of the Catholic Church. Mary is keen that students understand that they have an active, ongoing and transformative part to play now and in the future. She has an unshakeable belief in the goodness of the young women who graduate from Mater Christi College. Mary is optimistic that this goodness takes seed in society and blooms when the time is right.

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Mary actively seeks counsel from mentors and experts whilst examining the life and leadership lessons which come her way. She epitomises the model of servant leadership, looking to empower others and build community, understanding that everyone has their unique gifts to share in the creation of this responsive, flourishing and future-focused educational enterprise. Her generous, trusting, creative and committed leadership has been in evidence in everything she has done for Mater Christi College. She leaves the College loved and admired. Her legacy will live on in the stories shared by friends and colleagues, students and parents and those in the wider community who have seen her leadership in action.

May you enjoy this new chapter in your life, hold dear your memories of teaching and leadership and continue to be enriched by the inspiration of the Gospel and the example of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of Saint Benedict.

Ann Rennie Melbourne Teacher and Writer

Mary, the community of Mater Christi College thanks you for your two decades of devoted, visionary and selfless leadership. We know you will not retire quietly, but will remain vitally interested in all aspects of education in the Catholic and wider education sectors and will be a mentor of faith, wisdom and insight.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:21

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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– TRIBUTE –

An Innovative and Enthusiastic Leader During my time at Mater Christi College I was able to observe Mary Fitz-Gerald’s stewardship of the College over a 14 year period, both from the perspective of classroom teacher and several leadership positions, including College Chaplain. My summation of Mary’s performance is that she is an outstanding Principal on many fronts.

Of all Mary’s wonderful qualities, the first that comes to mind is her energy, a very important, perhaps underrated, trait in a leader. Regardless of the time or day, whether presenting ideas and information to staff, or in smaller meetings in her office, across a spectrum of daily encounters both formal and informal, Mary projected boundless energy. She never ‘looked’ tired or indicated that she was. Mary had energy to ‘do’ things, to ‘think’ things, to ‘speak’ of what needed to be spoken to, and to ‘read’ the plethora of documents, letters, memos and submissions which crossed her desk on a daily basis. Projecting this energy was infectious and motivating to all at the College.

Mary is the most innovative Principal I have encountered. She is always exploring new ways of organising the College or investigating new and better teaching and learning facilities and materials. During my time at the College, a complete transformation occurred, especially with the expansion of teaching areas. One year, new and attractive signs appeared around the College, whilst new playing and sporting areas were built shortly after Mary’s tenure began. There was an information technology revolution at Mater Christi during Mary’s time and this was certainly an area she ‘drove’ with tremendous enthusiasm. Indeed, few schools could match Mater Christi in this area.

As a person, Mary is both humble and approachable. She enjoys a laugh, even at her own expense sometimes. She is unpretentious and mixes comfortably with both teachers and parents. She can be assertive when required but never intimidating. Teachers like Mary and align themselves with her values and work ethic, always with the one overarching aim, namely to provide the best possible education for every Mater Christi student.

Mary has faith in abundance! Faith in the Benedictine tradition and the College Mission Statement (which she reminds the students of often); faith in her staff whom she trusts implicitly to ‘deliver’ good teaching; faith in the students whom she challenges to believe in themselves and in their capacity to make a difference; and, finally, faith in herself – she is very conscious of the importance of her role as leader and possesses the selfconfidence which all good leaders need to have.

Peter Cahill MCC Teacher (1987 – 2014)

Over 43 years in various secondary schools, and having worked with and for nine Principals and Acting Principals, Mary is among the very best. In her wake, she leaves a profoundly excellent legacy.

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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– TRIBUTE –

A Compassionate Leader I feel honoured to write a few words about Mary Fitz-Gerald, as she has been such an important part of my life for over 15 years. I was fortunate to get my first job at Mater Christi College, a compassionate, motivating and inclusive environment. As time went on, I realised that this had so much to do with Mary’s leadership.

Mary has a presence like all great leaders, and she also has a compassionate side which I have been blessed to experience many times.

She takes the time to get to know her staff and cares about them as people. I loved sitting on her comfy couch and having a chat. It was never daunting and I always felt supported, both personally and professionally.

Mary’s compassion never weakened her leadership and I admire her for that. She demonstrates great conviction and isn’t afraid to implement changes when needed.

The College has always been ahead of its time especially with technology and state-of-the-art facilities. Mary has great foresight in these areas which has allowed Mater Christi to be ahead of the game. The College has experienced much change during Mary’s tenure as Principal and she has always seemed to be in control – it was rare to see her flustered. From my perspective problems were dealt with fairly and with a lot of care, which is very difficult to do in a school environment.

Mary is also lots of fun. I recall her doing some crazy things like the Harlem Shake video which the students loved.

We had so many ongoing jokes about her love (or lack thereof) for sport, especially football. Mary’s personal interests didn’t stop her from allowing the students to have access to strong programs where their opportunities were endless. Mary trusts her staff to implement what is best for the College and provides many professional development opportunities. This made for some amazing opportunities for students and staff alike.

Mary also joined the staff for lunch in the staffroom. This in itself sounds simple, but it allowed us to make a real human connection with her. I believe this is something that lacks in many workplaces and would be easy to avoid in her busy role. It is the people at Mater Christi that make it a special place to work, and this filtered down from the top.

I have no doubt Mary will be greatly missed at the College. Her legacy will live on through the amazing programs, facilities and the culture that she has created.

Melissa Phillips MCC Teacher (2006 – current)

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Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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– TRIBUTE –

A Strong Leader “We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational and so rational they can be free.”

Kavita Ramdas (Globally recognised advocate for gender equity and justice, Senior Advisor to the Ford Foundation President) In 2006 I moved from my position as Director of Students at a prestigious inner-city girls’ school to take up the role of Deputy Principal Welfare at Mater Christi College. Though widely experienced in girls’ education, I had never worked at a Catholic school, so this was to be a very new experience for me. From the moment I met Mary Fitz-Gerald I knew the experience was going to be a positive one. From day one Mary was warm and generous with her support as I settled into the new environment. She was obviously a Good Samaritan in action, not just in name.

The College grew quickly at this time and significant structural and program changes were needed.

Mary was open to the many ideas we discussed but absolutely passionate about keeping a firm focus on the needs of the girls and the Good Samaritan ethos of the College while we sought the best educational outcomes. She was fierce but rational and disciplined in her thinking – a sign of a strong leader.

Mary is a big thinker and as her Deputy I frequently had to bring her back to the detail! This she cheerfully allowed me to do amid many spirited discussions.

Mary listened; always. She was strong in discussions, but gentle when she needed to be and always guided by her exceptional experience and knowledge in education.

A tireless worker, always chasing new ideas, her pace was sometimes hard to follow but always good to follow because I knew that if Mary was chasing something so hard then it must be worth the chase. Equally, she was gracious and humble when shown that another way might be a better way.

I can say without hesitation that Mary is an exceptional leader and is an exceptional person. In her 20 years at Mater Christi, she has shown those of us in her care how to be free to pursue our own destinies and dreams. We will miss her daily presence but we will always be glad she was with us … and, no doubt, will continue to be with us in ways yet to be discovered!

Thank you, Mary.

Mary Close Deputy Principal (2006 – 2013) Board Director and Deputy Chair (May 2018 – current)

A school principal has many diverse individuals and groups to lead and mould into a community. There were times when, as her Deputy, I could see her frustration at not being able to achieve a goal but never did that frustration darken her love or optimism for her role and for the College. She was always approachable, wise and honest in her actions and with her opinions and always demonstrated her integrity and commitment to the Good Samaritan ethos.

“A pack of blessings light upon thy back.”

Romeo and Juliet

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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– TRIBUTE –

A Courageous Leader In the opening couplet of On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer, John Keats writes, “Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen.”

Keats is referring to the extraordinary vistas and stimuli to the imagination revealed through Chapman’s translation of Homer’s Iliad. This is the story of the adventures, trials and tribulations of Odysseus as he travelled from Ithaca to Troy and back. Through his poem, Keats is also saying that it is through literature that the windows to the universe are flung open.

When schools do their job properly, they take both student and teacher on a journey into the ‘realms of gold’. It is the duty of a Principal, like Odysseus, to chart a course through calm and turbulence, beyond the sirens, cyclops, sycophants or potential calamity.

Odysseus journeyed for 10 years.

Mary Fitz-Gerald has been travelling with grace and dignity for 20 years in her stewardship of Mater Christi College.

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In between the extraordinary bookends of 9/11 and a global pandemic lies an amazing leadership journey tempered by events outside and inside the College. The changing Australian political landscape, crisis in humanity man-made and natural, social change and cultural shifts are never overlooked at staff morning briefings or in countless, well-crafted speeches delivered to students at assemblies.

Within the microcosm of the College so much also happened — a massive transition following the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Curriculum for the Middle Years, a major restructuring of Good Samaritan Education and school governance, huge investments in technology to enhance student learning, restructuring of College leadership teams, a rethinking of the pastoral program to bind learning and wellbeing, managing course changes and staffing while balancing the increasingly pluralist nature of the College’s demography with the spiritual needs of upholding Catholic identity and Christian values filtered through the Benedictine tradition.

When Odysseus fought the Cyclops or listened to the tune of the Sirens it was all a myth. Mary’s journey has been a real one pursued with courage and unflinching conviction.

Making change and going beyond the boundaries of the dominant paradigm requires both courage and a degree of calculated risk. There are risks involved when you turn curriculum on its head, when you gradually eliminate all but the most essential textbooks, when you take away students’ hard diaries, when you allow two ear piercings instead of one, when you make subtle changes to school uniform, when you festoon the façade of the College with a banner in support of the plight of refugee children in detention against the policies of the government of the time, when you do your utmost to support the careers of young mothers as they juggle motherhood and return to career, when you make sure that in this institution there is no such thing as a glass ceiling, when you recognise that all students are not amorphous well before this is widely accepted, when you acknowledge that staff are equally many and varied, in values, lifestyles and beliefs or when you encourage students to stand up publicly for what is right. Some risks cause large waves, others barely a ripple. Both require great skill to negotiate and stay the course.

That courage and unflinching conviction underpinned by the humanity to understand and nurture the many lives that make up the fabric of the College, and to weave everything cohesively, is what has given Mater Christi a much-lauded position as a place of welcome, of innovative and accessible learning and care for all levels of the human condition. All of that can only stem from its driving force and the ability to foster a shared vision and a recognition of common goals.

Just as Odysseus had a clear vision of where his journey would end so too, has Mary Fitz-Gerald a staunch view of what it takes to make and nurture a good school. The exception being, that when the latter has been done well, the journey is continuous.

To have been a passenger for part of this journey has been an absolute privilege and to see the realms of gold and the fierce polish to remove any hints of tarnish.

Con Sarris MCC Teacher (2008 – current)

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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– TRIBUTE –

A Welcoming Leader I have worked at schools where the Principal was as remote as English aristocracy smiling with benevolence on the serfdom slaving away in the classroom.

Over many years of teaching I have witnessed a variety of leadership styles, and have worked with some very efficient principals but none quite so effective as Mary Fitz-Gerald. My first exchange with Mary was at the lunch bench in the staffroom when she asked me if I had received her invitation to come to her office for a welcome to the College chat.

This characterises one of the most open and accepting school principals I have had the pleasure of working with. From the beginning of my time at Mater Christi College, I have witnessed a most accessible, friendly and genuinely caring Principal, who sincerely seeks staff input to important policy and curriculum matters, and who inspires staff with real trust and confidence in seeking her out for a chat, or a formal conversation.

Someone once told me that at Mater Christi, it was not whether or not one was Catholic that made an appointment to the College possible, it was one’s values. And it seems to me that the values a school holds dear comes from a range of factors, but one of the most significant influences on a school’s values is the Principal.

I have never seen more positive evidence of this than at Mater Christi

under Mary’s leadership. It is clear to me that Mary values thinking people, as well as thinking people of faith, but not just the one type or brand of faith, as Mater Christi, inspired by Mary, welcomes all. Everyone contributes to the College’s diversity.

Mary’s generosity, frankness and her acceptance of others has always been a signature of her leadership style, and I have admired it many times. However, this was impressed upon me most significantly during an interfaith panel that we both participated in some years ago, where she unstintingly shared her own faith journey with other teachers and a room full of Year 11 students. In doing this, she not only inspired the young listeners with her candid reflections on her own spiritual path, but she inspired the staff on the panel to be equally open. This signifies a special kind of leadership.

Judith Simpson Teacher (2012 – current)

“The Lord often reveals what is better to the younger.”

Benedict 3.3

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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– TRIBUTE –

A True Benedictine Leader As I reflect on Mary Fitz-Gerald’s fine qualities and gifts I think of a feminine image of the Good Samaritan on a very modern-day mountain ‘Jericho’ road responding to the needs of the Mater Christi College community with genuine hospitality and compassion.

Mary is a true Benedictine woman who has epitomised values of peace, stability and perseverance in creating the inclusive, welcoming and vibrant learning community that Mater Christi is today. She regularly acknowledges through her writing and teaching the guidance offered by St Benedict. She believes that his advice to “arrange everything so that the strong have something to yearn for and the weak nothing to run from” provides a daily challenge for all at Mater Christi.

Mary has been strong in maintaining Mater Christi’s ancestral story and at the same time looking to the future.

She has a deep respect for the legacy of the Good Sams. She often speaks with great admiration for Sr Mary Ronayne’s humility and courage in sharing her prophetic vision and wisdom. No matter how challenging

the times have been for her in the life of the College, Mary has shown genuine interest in all things Good Samaritan and has committed the College to support key educational projects in congregational ministries.

Mary is very well respected for her professional acumen among Good Samaritan Education principals and assembly members who have expressed to me how much they appreciate her perspective and experience. She is a natural mentor.

Mater Christi staff have been encouraged by Mary to take up their leadership roles with confidence and with her implicit trust in their professional skills and initiatives.

She has always collaborated with the Board and members in a spirit of co-responsibility and collegiality.

Christmas cheer for the Board and members would arrive every year with heartfelt and humble appreciation for our contribution to and support for the Mater Christi community.

“Listen with the ear of your heart.”

St Benedict

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Let your light shine before others

Mary is a woman of great strength, integrity and courage. She can always name the heart of a matter in truth and with pastoral concern and respect for the wellbeing of individuals whether they be Good Samaritan Sisters, Board members, staff, students or families. She also has a wonderful sense of humour and can hold things lightly even at those times that I know she found very challenging.

In friendship Mary is genuinely eager to hear about my various roles in the congregation and the wider church for which I am most grateful.

Her vision for education in a contemporary and challenging world, her deep commitment to her pastoral responsibility and through nurturing her own spirit in the Benedictine tradition and Good Samaritan story will be her legacy.

Mary has been a true leader in the Benedictine tradition as servant … visionary … with a discerning spirit and faithfulness to Mater Christi’s motto: Informed … Compassionate … Creative!

Veronica Hoey SGS Assembly Member – Good Samaritan Education (2012 – current) MCC Company Member (2012 – current) Board Director (1990 – 2012)

Enjoying the wisdom of visionary leader of the Good Sams, the late Sr Mary Ronayne at the College 50th anniversary celebrations.

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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– TRIBUTE –

Student Voice “Thank you for being such a supportive Principal.

Your bubbly, happy personality has penetrated throughout the School. As soon as I walked into Mater Christi College at the start of Year 7, I felt welcomed and I thank you for your warm, comforting nature.

“Thank you, Mrs Fitz-Gerald. Since starting in Year 7 I have always been inspired by your leadership – for you truly do shine your light on Mater Christi. Your words of wisdom and loving presence will be missed by all!

Jasmine Andrews, Year 10 2020

Layla Gould, Year 7 2020

“Thank you for being such a supportive Principal.

I remember when I first came in for a meeting. I was quite nervous but once I started talking to you, I felt comfortable and knew that there was nothing to worry about. I hope the rest of your life treats you well. We will all miss you at Mater Christi.

“Thank you for your incredible service in fostering the growth and development of countless young women. The mark you have left on Mater Christi itself and the lives of so many families, including my own, is indelible. Your efforts for the community will continue to resonate for years to come. Wishing you the absolute best in the future.”

Emma Gerber, Year 11 2020

Sienna O’Connor, Year 8 2020

“You have been such an amazing Principal for my time here at School. I hope that whatever you are doing next you will bring joy to that situation like you have done to the girls here at Mater. You will forever have a home in our hearts. Thank you for your hard work and encouraging messages that have boosted our spirits throughout this confusing and hard time. I will forever be thankful I met you. Wishing you a happy life and many blessings.

“Thank you for your ongoing service to the Mater Christi community, especially over the last six years. We have all been so lucky to experience the leadership of a strong, inspirational woman and will cherish the support and opportunity you have provided us with for the rest of our lives. We wish you all the best with your future endeavours as you, along with us, move into the next exciting phase of our lives. Stay safe and healthy, and don’t forget to be informed, compassionate and creative!

Charli Petersen, Year 9 2020

Emily White, Year 12 2020

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Let your light shine before others

Irish Blessing May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Mary Fitz-Gerald Principal 2001 – 2020

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