Principal’s Welcome

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” Welcome to the Winter edition of Always Aloysius.

In September 1859 six courageous Sisters of Mercy left Liverpool Docks on the ship “Ocean Chief”, eventually arriving in Geelong in early December 1859. Throughout 1859, almost 30 years prior to the establishment of St Aloysius College, Charles Dickens, the great Victorian era novelist, wrote A Tale of Two Cities. During this last school term, the opening paragraph of this novel has perhaps never been so vivid or so relevant to our everyday lives:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

As I write this Winter Edition introduction, I do so in lockdown. During the last few weeks, the community of St Aloysius College, like indeed the rest of the country and in fact most of the world, have faced incredible difficulties and challenges presented by the insidious spread of Covid-19. Our challenges have been met as one, with teachers, staff, parents and students embracing remote learning to not only ensure the continuity of learning and teaching, but indeed to ensure it remains of the highest quality. Our challenges have been real and evolving, but others both in Australia and most notably in the USA and Europe have suffered the tragic loss of loved ones and the fear of contracting and sharing the virus with those most vulnerable within our society. The global economic shock has been the most severe since the Great Depression, and time will only tell when we will resume our normal existence. Indeed, these past few months have been the worst of times and the season of darkness.

Nevertheless, these past few months have also been the best of times in the sense of Australians, and the world, coming together whilst physically remaining apart. We have caught up with colleagues and loved ones via teleconferencing technologies like never before. These days have also seen so many essential health workers caring for the sick and risking their own lives. We have also seen the season of light with so many brilliant scientists across the globe working on a common goal, a vaccine and a cure.

Of course, this reminds us of the way St Aloysius himself tended to the plague sick.

This Winter Edition of Always Aloysius is therefore, in one sense, like no other, but in another sense it’s like every other – the same sense of community, the same good news and the same commitment to our students, past and present.

In the footsteps of Catherine McAuley

Mary Farah

Principal