Good Samaritan Education

The Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct at North Parramatta is a significant part of the story of the early years of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, having run the Roman Catholic Orphan School from 1859 til its closing in 1886.
The Friends of Parramatta Female Factory are seeking support to protect the precinct, calling on both State and Federal Governments to:
 continue the World Heritage pathway
 protect the site and its setting into the future
 fund its conservation and interpretation and
 establish expert heritage and museum-style custodianship.

The Petition is to be presented on Wednesday, June 17, 2026

"Since 1821, this extraordinary landscape has held stories of punishment, labour, child removal, welfare control, mental health care, resilience, survival and reform. For manydescendants and survivors, it is sacred ground. For all Australians, it is a place of truth,memory and national conscience.The convict women and children of Parramatta and those that came after, were too oftensilenced in life. They must not be silenced in history." Parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au, June

Petition organised by Parramatta Female Factory Friends Inc.
Please consider signing https://bit.ly/PFFIP4WorldHeritage

As we mark National Reconciliation Week, we share this prayer by Steph Evans, a proud Wiradjuri woman — an invitation to come before God with honesty, humility and hope.

Read the full version: https://www.commongrace.org.au/prayer_for_national_reconciliation_week

GSE Sydney Pilgrimage

The GSE Sydney Pilgrimage is more than a walk through Sydney; it is a journey into the story that shapes our Good Samaritan Benedictine community.

Today, participants spent a day exploring the lives of Archbishop John Bede Polding OSB and Scholastica Gibbons RSC, whose vision continues to guide our shared way of life.

A day of good conversation, shared learning and reflection.

This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, All In for Reconciliation, calls each of us to move beyond words and commit to meaningful action in our everyday lives.

At Good Samaritan Education, we remain committed to walk with and listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, advancing reconciliation across our schools, and upholding truth-telling in the education of young people.

In GSE's year of Living Discernment we are called more deeply to listen, and live with a deeper awareness of our neighbour. May we each be “All In for Reconciliation” every day as we continue working towards a more just and reconciled Australia.

2026 National Reconciliation Week Artwork: Gaagal, Otis Hope Carey

| 27 May – 3 June 2026

Marking the 135th anniversary of Rerum novarum, Pope Leo XIV releases his first encyclical, entitled ‘Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.’ He appeals for the safeguarding of humanity, promotion of truth, dignity of work, social justice, and peace.

Magnifica humanitas Pope Leo XIV signs his first encyclical, "Magnifica humanitas"

Today, we acknowledge the strength and resilience of the Stolen Generations, and honour the stories, cultures and communities impacted by the policies of forced removal.

This year’s theme, From Sorry to Action, reminds us that truth-telling must be accompanied by meaningful and measurable change within the lifetimes of survivors.

National Sorry Day calls each of us to reflect honestly on our shared history and recommit ourselves to healing, justice and reconciliation.

2026 GSE Mission Leaders Conference

In the final days of Laudato Si’ Week 2026, Mission Leaders from across our Good Samaritan Education schools gathered at St Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre, Kincumber, for three days of reflection, renewal and shared wisdom as we explored this year’s call to move from hope to action, aligning with our formation theme of Living Discernment.

Guided by Jacqui Remond, we reflected on integral ecology and our relationship with creation, connecting with the earth through the experience of walking the labyrinth.

We were enriched by the wisdom of Sister Christine Manning sgs, who led sessions exploring the story of Benedict in St Gregory’s Dialogues and Benedict’s wisdom in the Prologue to the Rule.

A heartfelt thank you to our school communities and colleagues whose support made this time of gathering, learning and renewal possible.

MISSION | As a school of Good Samaritan Education we recognise that young people bring goodness to their communities. As Sr Clare Condon SGS, former Congregational Leader wrote in 2014, ‘they want to be involved and they want their voices to be heard.’ The recent Social Justice Forum at Brigidine College St Ives brought together students from schools across Sydney and facilitated important conversations which empower young people to make a real difference in their communities. The 2026 keynote speaker, Hana Assafiri is founder of Moroccan Soup Bar. She is a fierce social justice advocate and a powerful voice for change and women's empowerment and has written a memoir called The Audacity to Be Free. Our students were inspired by her energy and commitment to being a force for change. They are grateful for this opportunity to learn from the social justice activities that are happening in other schools, and to share the initiatives that they have been part of here at the College.

Today, staff from across Good Samaritan Education schools gathered for the Term 2 Sydney Pilgrimage. Walking together through story, place and tradition, while deepening our shared mission and identity.