Students Follow in the Steps of Ursula Frayne
Each year, the Year 9 Reflection Day is conducted as a pilgrimage from Fremantle to Perth, retracing the footsteps of Ursula Frayne and the Sisters of Mercy’s arrival in Western Australia. This year, the pilgrimage was held in the form of The Amazing Race, where girls were given clues and challenges to help identify significant locations in the story of the Sisters of Mercy.
After arriving at Bathers Beach and solving some clues, the girls caught the ferry to Perth where they continued on their pilgrimage. It was a pleasure to see the enthusiasm amongst the girls and the awe in finding that Ursula Frayne and the Sisters of Mercy were commemorated around the city. The pilgrimage concluded at Mercedes College where students had the opportunity to see the statue of Ursula Frayne.
Thank you to the staff and past students who participated, your support and assistance were much appreciated, especially in the hot weather!
My favourite part of the Year 9 Reflection Day was learning about Ursula Frayne through the audio clips and clues we were given on the race. I also loved following the footsteps of Ursula Frayne, seeing where she would have walked and imagining what she would have seen, heard and experienced. Another aspect I also really enjoyed was the ferry ride from Fremantle to Perth. It was really nice to look out and see the shores of Fremantle from a different angle. We learnt about the hardships Ursula and the other Sisters of Mercy experienced as they reached the shores of Fremantle and began their journey and missionary work helping others. Overall, it was a very enjoyable day and we all learnt more about the history of our school and all the good Ursula Frayne and the other Sisters of Mercy have done. Claudia Cirocco
I really enjoyed The Amazing Race of Mercy we completed for our Year 9 Reflection Day. It was a fun and engaging activity that allowed us to follow in the footsteps of Ursula Frayne and learn about her journey through the clues and audio tracks. The race prompted me to reflect on the challenges the Sisters of Mercy would have faced when they arrived in Australia over 170 years ago. I now have a greater appreciation for the amazing work they did to establish Mercy Education in Australia. Abby Young
I thought that the Year 9 Reflection Day was a great experience and definitely something I will remember. I really liked the fact that we were given free rein to follow the steps of Ursula Frayne in our own way. The teachers didn’t control the whole day and we were left to make decisions as a group. I learnt about how important teamwork was when Ursula Frayne arrived in Western Australia and how important it is today. Without the sisters of Mercy that came with her, Ursula Frayne would not have been able to make as big a contribution to Western Australia as she did, and without my group, I wouldn’t have been able to complete all of the tasks. April Lea
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
