Strong Courageous Women Making a Difference

March 24, 2025

‘Strong courageous women who can make a difference’, is what Sister Mary Moloney, Principal of the Academy of Mary Immaculate (the Academy), hopes of her students as they walk out the Nicholson Street gates after they have completed their education.

“When you walk into the Academy, at the entrance there is a sculpture of a woman. One of her arms is raised, welcoming you into the College. In the other arm she holds fire. Her leg is also raised, all pointing to the fact that she is a woman of action, ready to change the world”, said Sister Mary.

“Like the sculpture, after they complete their education with us, we want our students to be strong courageous women who are able to go out into our world and make a difference.”

While very humble and, most likely without even recognising it, in conducting this interview it is obvious that Sister Mary through her leadership is providing a fine example to her students of what it means to be a strong, courageous woman of Mercy. She cares deeply for them and sees it as her mission to provide every opportunity for them to succeed. It is not surprising that when Sister Mary made her final profession as a Sister of Mercy in 1988, she chose as her motto, I have come that you may have life, life to the full.

“I chose this motto because life is precious and what I seek to do through my teaching and principalship is to support and encourage our students and staff. I hope that by supporting others they can live their lives to the full and they in turn can ‘life’ others.”

Becoming a Sister of Mercy 

Sister Mary’s journey to becoming a Sister of Mercy is one that is perhaps unorthodox, given that she was raised in Elwood in Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay area which she describes as ‘not Mercy territory’.

“I was educated by the Presentation Sisters at St Columba’s, Elwood and Star of the Sea, Gardenvale. I really had no idea of life beyond these boundaries.”

Upon finishing school, Sister Mary completed a Bachelor of Arts with majors in History, Biblical Studies and a sub major in English. On completing her undergraduate degree, she enrolled in a Graduate Diploma of Education at Mercy Teachers’ College. It was here that she met the Sisters of Mercy. In time, Sister Mary began to discern whether she was called to religious life and began to confront an even more challenging question of whether she was being called to the Presentations or the Mercies.

“While I always had great admiration and affection for the Presentation Sisters, during my time at teachers’ college I started to feel at home with the Mercies and their charism.

“Sister Gabriel Perversi, who died recently, was one of the Mercy women who particularly had a profound impact on me and my choice.”

After finishing her educational studies, Sister Mary taught for a couple of years and then in 1980 entered the Sisters of Mercy novitiate in Rosanna.

“I was fortunate to have so many inspiring sisters at Rosanna from whom I learned so much. I remember particularly the late Sister Mercedes Hogan – a very steadfast woman, level-headed with a great sense of humour.”

Early teaching career and arrival at the Academy

After finishing her novitiate, Sister Mary taught at Sacred Heart Geelong, St Joseph’s Mildura and Sacred Heart Kyneton, where she stayed for 18 years including 13 years as Principal.

On leaving Kyneton, Sister Mary became the Principal of the Academy. When asked to reflect on how Victoria’s oldest girls’ school has changed since she first walked in the gates as Principal in 2006, she says that while technology and social media has obviously had a huge impact on all aspects of our lives, in many ways, much hadn’t changed.

“If you reflect on the spirit of the College, there is still the same palpable sense of Mercy that has been a constant, not only during the past 20 years, but since the College opened in 1857.

“I like to celebrate milestones and I could not believe my good fortune that in my second year at the Academy we celebrated our 150th anniversary.

“The late Archbishop Frank Little’s mother was a former student, and he generously participated in some of the celebrations. I always remember that Archbishop Little once spoke of a dream he had where he was looking down and saw the Academy’s chapel moving. He said that he finally realised his dream was symbolising ‘the pulsating heart of Mercy’.

“I am certain the pulsating heart of Mercy he referred to, beats as strongly today as it has in the past. I hope it can be said that I have played a part in encouraging, supporting and enabling the heart of Mercy to continue beating strongly.”

Pulsating heart of Mercy

Sister Mary remarked that she sees daily expressions of Mercy in Academy staff and students.

“Our students are always organising projects aimed at addressing some of the many injustices in our world. I remember at the end of last year when I saw my diary entries for this year, the first entry was an appointment with our Justice students to discuss their justice projects and activities for the year to come.

“Their lived expression of Mercy is strong. Everywhere you look they are coming up with new ideas. It is so inspiring.”

Sister Mary continues to be impressed by the calibre of the students. Last year, the Academy had an impressive 27% of its VCE students gain an ATAR of 90 or above.

“Our students don’t just excel academically, music is a strength of the College and our student leaders are able to engage their fellow students with their speeches at assembly.

“Often when I hear one of the girls deliver a speech, I think to myself ‘that was such a good speech’. You leave and reflect on your own speech and ponder ‘was mine as good?’.”

A particular area of delight for Sister Mary has been the evolution of a stronger connection in recent years with Young Mercy Links, a group of young people between the ages of 18-30 who have a passion for Mercy.

“We have girls from our graduating classes who have joined Young Mercy Links and there are many girls from this year’s group who are expressing a desire to join. It is wonderful that they wish to continue their Mercy journey in this way.”

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Sister Mary said the current students and staff are conscious of the Mercy journey they encounter each day as they walk through the grounds of the Academy.

“We all recognise that we are walking on hallowed paths where many great women have walked, including Ursula Frayne who was the leader of the first Sisters of Mercy who arrived in Melbourne from Perth in 1857.

“The 140th anniversary of Ursula’s death will be commemorated in June. It is comforting to know that Ursula and others walked these paths and that their spirit is still with us.

“We all recognise that we are standing on the shoulders of giants and of the responsibility that comes with that.”

When asked whether she thinks Ursula Frayne would be proud of what the Academy has become, Sister Mary takes a pause, smiles and says: “I think Ursula would have been quite a formidable woman, perhaps even more so than Catherine McAuley. If she was alive today, I think she would say, ‘Yes, you are doing well but don’t rest on your laurels, keep going!’.”

 

Interview conducted by John Rochester, Communications Manager ISMAPNG.

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