“to transform the Church and world particularly by empowering women to seek truth and do justice”

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Mission in Australia Today

In 2023 the IBVM established the canonical MPJP Loreto Ministries.

Loreto Ministries Mission Statement:

Continuing the mission of Jesus as seekers of truth and doers of justice:

We offer excellent Catholic education within the Mary Ward tradition.
We provide leadership for vibrant and flourishing ministries.
We collaborate with others to build a just and sustainable world.

In a spirit of discernment we act with freedom and integrity and we are people of joy.

Six Schools in Australia 2025

Loreto College Ballarat (Vic)

Loreto College Coorparoo (QLD)

Loreto Kirribilli (NSW)

Loreto College Marryatville (SA)

Loreto Normanhurst (NSW)

Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak (Vic)

One associate school: John XXIII College (Perth, WA)

Loreto Foundations

Mary Ward (venerable) founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose members are commonly known as the Loreto Sisters, in England in 1609

The first Australian Foundation was in Ballarat, Victoria, in 1875.

First pupils at Mary’s Mount, Ballarat 1876

Founding Vision

Mary Ward’s dream was to begin a new kind of community of women religious who could seek truth and do justice; an independent self-governing congregation patterned after that of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), free of the confines of the cloister, and responding to the urgent needs of her time.

Spirituality

Ignatian

Charism

A great love of God, and desire to do good, an attitude of openness to all good works, a freedom to refer all to God, and a readiness to follow the way of justice and sincerity in lightness of spirit: this is the charism that Mary Ward desired to shine through all our words and works.

IBVM Constitutions 1.11

Looking ahead…

Loreto Ministries Vision: Our vision is for an inclusive, flourishing Circle of Friends collaborating to steward our Loreto story of excellence in education into the future.