The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose members are commonly known as the Loreto Sisters, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women dedicated to education founded in Saint-Omer by an Englishwoman, Mary Ward, in 1609. The congregation takes its name from the Marian shrine at Loreto in Italy where Ward used to pray. Ward was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 December 2009. The Loreto Sisters use the initials I.B.V.M. after their names.
Ararat is a town in south-west Victoria, Australia, about 198 kilometres (120 mi) west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera. Its urban population according to 2021 census is 8,500 and services the region of 11,880 residents across the Rural City's boundaries. It is also the home of the 2018/19 GMGA Golf Championship Final.
Kilbreda College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone, Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1904 by the Brigidine Sisters and is governed by Kildare Ministries.
Damascus College is Ballarat’s only Catholic co-educational secondary college. It was established in 1995 after three separate Catholic colleges, St Martin's in the Pines, Sacred Heart College and St Paul's College amalgamated. The college is located on a treed 20 hectare campus in Mount Clear, 7 km from Ballarat's central business district. Damascus College is a day school for secondary students in years 7 to 12.
Brigidine College is an independent Catholic secondary day school for girls located in St Ives, on the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Clonard College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in Herne Hill, a suburb of Geelong, in Victoria, Australia. Founded and owned by the Brigidine Sisters in 1956, Clonard College follows the traditions of the Brigidine order and Kildare Ministries. Luci Quinn is the College Principal.
Daniel Delany DD was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. Educated at the Irish College in Paris, he taught at the English Boys College of St Omer, 265 kilometres north of Paris.
Killester College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in the Melbourne suburb of Springvale, Victoria, Australia. Killester was founded by the Brigidine Sisters. Today, Killester College works under the governance of the Kildare Ministries following Brigidine tradition. The school was established in 1955 and in 2020 had a staff of 139 made up of 99 teachers and 40 support staff.
Kildare College is a Catholic secondary day college for girls in Years 7–12, located in the Adelaide suburb of Holden Hill, South Australia, Australia. The school works under the governance of Kildare Education Ministries and was established, based on an invitation by the Archbishop of Adelaide, in 1966.
Marian College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in the outer Melbourne suburb of Sunshine West, Victoria, Australia. The school was established in 1957 by the Brigidine Sisters and since 2014 now works under the governance of the Kildare Ministries. Marian College is one of seven Kildare Ministries secondary schools in Victoria and South Australia and continues to hold the Brigidine Tradition as a valuable and significant part of its heritage.
St Joseph's College is an independent Roman Catholic co-educational secondary day school, located in Echuca, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1886, St. Joseph's works under the governance of the Brigidine Sisters.
Lavalla Catholic College is a dual-campus independent Roman Catholic co-educational secondary day school, located in the towns of Traralgon and Newborough in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Currently, the school has approximately 1,200 students enrolled across all campuses.
The Brigidine Sisters are a global Roman Catholic congregation, founded by Bishop Daniel Delany in Tullow, Ireland on 1 February 1807. The sisters' apostolate is education.
Brigidine College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for girls, located in the suburb of Indooroopilly less than 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1929 by the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Brigid and continues in their tradition of Strength and Gentleness today.
James Moore was a Bishop of Ballarat, Victoria (Australia).
Sacred Heart College was a Roman Catholic all girls' school in Ballarat, Victoria. The school was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1881 and closed in 1994 preceding the amalgamation of the College with St Martin's in the Pines and St Paul's Technical College to form Damascus College Ballarat.
Brigid Arthur, csb, also known as Marie Brigid Arthur, and Marie Therese/a Arthur, is an Australian Brigidine sister, educator, refugee advocate and activist on social issues.
Eileen Healy was an Australian Sister of Mercy, better known as Mother Bonaventure. Her roles as school principal at Sacred Heart College and as an educationalist at the Aquinas Training College for Teachers in Ballarat, resulted in her contributing to the training of hundreds of future Australian teachers. She also managed multiple building projects throughout her career, contributing greatly to the educational landscape of regional Victoria. Building projects included the construction of hostels, convents, primary and secondary school buildings and facilities, both in Ballarat and other country towns in Victoria. Her desire to contribute to the social needs of Ballarat saw her also inaugurate the Mercy Home Care and Nursing Service.
Johanna Barron was an Australian Brigidine sister known as Mother Paul. She created organisation in the convents in Victoria and New South Wales taking the position of Mother Provincial.
