Dear Parents and Friends of Holy Cross,

There is no greater feedback and satisfaction that our work as educators makes a difference, than seeing our students highly engaged across aspects of their faith, learning and wellbeing. Check out our “Spotlight on Learning” section of the newsletter, where examples of student voice and leadership in action are highlighted in our SRC’s Friendship and Colour Run day, and classes learning about our faith through their sharing, especially as we celebrated All Saints, of a Saint resource for other classes to use and learn from.  

A Pilgrim in Ireland: Walking in the footsteps of Saints

A significant part of my recent pilgrimage included Ireland, tracing the lives of St. Patrick, St. Brigid, St Kevin and St. Columbkille. This offered me a profound journey into the origins of Irish Christianity and its unique fusion with Celtic culture. As you may recognise, many Catholic schools, including ours in Wollongong, carry the names of these saints!

St. Patrick, the most famous, is credited with bringing the Christian faith to the island in the 5th century, famously using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. We visited many churches built to acknowledge his significant contribution, including the site of his first church at Saul in County Down, Northern Ireland, to St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, and travelling in the shadow of the majestic pilgrimage mountain of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, where he is said to have fasted. 

St. Brigid, a contemporary of Patrick, established one of the first and most influential monasteries in Kildare, embodying the important role of women in early Irish monasticism and often incorporating pre-Christian traditions associated with the goddess Brigid. This period was one of peaceful conversion, where the saints skillfully integrated Christian tenets with existing Celtic spiritual and societal structures, rather than outright replacing them, resulting in a distinct form of Celtic Christianity.

The legacy of St. Columbkille (also known as Colmcille) extends this spiritual tapestry, tying early Irish monasticism directly to one of the country's greatest treasures: the Book of Kells, an amazing manuscript that illustrates a blend of Christian iconography and intricate Celtic knotwork. Born in the late 6th century, Columbkille was a powerful figure who founded critical monastic settlements, including one in Kells, County Meath, and the hugely influential one on the remote island of Iona off the coast of Scotland, a place of pilgrimage I was fortunate to also have visited almost 30 years ago. His communities became centres of unparalleled learning, artistry, and scriptural preservation during the so-called Dark Ages in Europe. It is widely believed that the stunningly illuminated Book of Kells was either started in Iona and moved to Kells for safekeeping from Viking raids or created entirely in the Kells scriptorium. Visiting the Book of Kells, at the Trinity College in Dublin, where the magnificent manuscript is housed today, was a special experience.

These saints established a heritage where faith and art were intertwined, creating a vibrant Christian tradition that would, through Irish and Scottish missionaries, re-evangelise parts of continental Europe. For me, this journey served as a powerful reminder of how these early pilgrims transformed Ireland from a distant island into a "land of saints and scholars."

Inspiration for our world

The stories of the Irish Saints—St. Patrick, St. Brigid, St. Columbkille—offer powerful, universal inspiration for the modern world and for children, emphasizing resilience, compassion and  learning. They provide a rich historical model for tackling contemporary challenges through spiritual action and personal discipline.

The lives of these saints speak directly to several modern struggles and values:

• Resilience and Forgiveness (St. Patrick): Patrick's life is a masterclass in perseverance and overcoming trauma. Kidnapped and enslaved as a teenager, he returned years later not for revenge, but to bring Christianity to the very people who had wronged him. This teaches adults the profound power of forgiveness and how one's deepest wounds can become the source of a compelling, transformative life mission.
• Compassion and Justice (St. Brigid): Brigid is an icon of social justice and hospitality. Her most famous stories involve her incredible generosity to the poor, often giving away her family's or the monastery's resources without hesitation. She challenges modern society's materialism and inequality, inspiring us to champion the vulnerable and to see the sacred in the mundane acts of kindness and service.
• The Value of Knowledge (St. Columbkille): As a patron of scholars and the founder of Iona and Kells, Columbkille highlights the importance of preserving and creating knowledge. His legacy, tied to the Book of Kells, demonstrates that even in times of chaos (like the Dark Ages), intellectual and artistic pursuits are vital. It inspires us today to prioritize education, literacy, and art as pillars of civilization.
  
  

Lessons for our children

The saints' narratives are full of adventure, simple symbols, and clear moral lessons that are highly accessible to children:

Saint	Key Story/Symbol	Lesson for Children
St. Patrick	The Shamrock (explaining the Trinity); escaping slavery and returning to help his captors.	Simplicity in Teaching and Forgiveness. Complex ideas can be explained simply. You can choose kindness even to those who hurt you.
St. Brigid	Her boundless generosity; turning water to ale or giving away a beautiful cloak to cover a vast piece of land.	Generosity and Charity. Sharing what you have, especially with those in need, is the most important thing. She models a love for animals and nature.
St. Columbkille	Founding monastic schools; the beautiful Celtic knots and illuminated letters of the Book of Kells.	Love of Learning and Creativity. Education and reading are treasures. Art is a way to express and honor beautiful ideas.

By focusing on these relatable actions—caring for the poor, forgiving enemies, seeking knowledge, and finding quiet in nature—the Irish saints offer children concrete, heroic models for living a life of purpose and compassion.

STAFFING NEWS

Staffing Announcement

It is with pleasure that I can share recent teacher recruitments:

• Bree-Anna Fogliada has been appointed Middle Leader and class teacher, effective from 2026. This appointment was a rigorous process undertaken last term, in accordance with system contract reappointments after 10 years, which Jeff Body has held.  Mrs Fogliada’s teaching experience has included Kindergarten, Stage 1 and Stage 3 classes, diverse learning, with leadership experiences across a range of school areas including PB4L, Gifted education, environmental initiatives, and curriculum. She has held the role of Middle Leader at St Paul’s Albion Park. She holds a Graduate Certificate RE, Bachelor of Education (Primary) and recently attained the NESA Highly Accomplished teacher accreditation. 
• Mr Jeff Bõdy, whose contract as Middle Leader is completed at the end of 2025, will remain on staff as a full time classroom teacher. We thank Jeff for his service in the Middle Leader role at Holy Cross, over the last 11 years, and the contributions he has made in the space of ICT, learning and other aspects of school life.
• Nadia Bertah has been appointed as a full time class teacher, from 2026. Miss Bertah has teaching experience in two dioceses (Sydney, Wilcannia Forbes), across Years 1,2,3, and recently, in regional NSW, a K-2 composite class, where she has also served as the school’s REC. 

Both new teachers will visit later this term, as part of their orientation and our handover processes, including our “Meet the Teacher” on Monday 8th December..

• Megan Brannon will continue into 2026 at Holy Cross, as full time classroom teacher.
• Danielle Muse will be joining our staff to teach the CAPA curriculum (Music, Dance, Drama) on Fridays, replacing Kasey Maher.

Class teacher and staffing for 2026 is in the process of being finalised, and will be communicated via compass on Monday 8 December. This is also when our students will have their “Meet the Teacher” session. 

TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM

Our school’s Annual Improvement Plan’s impact on improving students’ faith, learning and wellbeing is highly dependent upon the ongoing professional learning and capacity building of our staff. The professional learning opportunities and official events that staff have engaged with the last two weeks: 

May the peace of Christ be with you,

Milena Colussi
Principal