Sister Breda Shares Story of Vocation
Sister Breda is probably a name you’ve heard before.
If you haven’t, it is certainly one to remember!Â
Sister Breda has lived an incredible life, full of faith, compassion, and solidarity. At the age of sixteen, she made the brave decision to relocate across the world, from Ireland to Australia, and become a Sister of Mercy.Â
Sister Breda holds a very special place in our hearts, having been a Sister of Mercy here at the College many years ago. She often talks to staff and students about her story of vocation.
In light of National Reconciliation Week, Sister Breda paid a visit to our Year 10 Reach Religious Education students, to share stories about her many years of experience teaching wonderful Aboriginal students at the University of Notre Dame’s Broome Campus.Â
Sister Breda also spoke about her work with asylum seekers and refugees, in which she taught them how to speak English, and shared reasons why living a life of service and becoming a Sister of Mercy has been so fulfilling.Â
She even managed to squeeze in a Tai Chi session, teaching students the basics and told some classic stories about her time in the Santa Maria Convent.
Fun fact: given that there were so many sisters at the time and Breda was one of the youngest, she had to sleep out on one of the verandas of the McAuley Building. In the wintertime, she would push her bed alongside the wall and grab a few extra blankets (if she was lucky)!
Sister Breda also mentioned that she was an avid golfer back in her day, but had to retire the clubs due to a bad shoulder and knee!
On a Thursday, you’ll find her sitting in the staffroom, talking up a storm and making the most of the sweeping views.
We would like to thank Sister Breda, for taking the time to share her life journey with our students.Â
What better person for our students to look up to and learn from, than Sister Breda herself!Â
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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.
