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Teachers reflect on their foundations at St Angela’s

01/02/2012

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From left: Sr Patty Andrew osu; Tony Calabria; Sr Anne Cougle osu; Sr Venera Nicolosi osu

Sr Anne Cougle osu, donated the statue of St Angela to the school from the Ursuline Convent in Armidale

On Friday 27 January, teachers from St Angela’s Primary, Castle Hill, as part of their staff development day, took time to learn more about their school’s namesake, St Angela Merici.

Province leader, Sr Anne Cougle osu, Sr Patty Andrew osu and Sr Venera Nicolosi osu, from the Ursuline Sisters, the founders of St Angela’s Castle Hill, ran the prayer and information session for teachers.

‘Learning about St Angela nurtures our own formation with the view of touching the lives and minds of our students in the spirit of St Angela,’ said Sr Patty. ‘It is her spirit that binds us together as a school community.’

The Ursuline Sisters have always had a strong connection with education. Their foundress, St Angela Merici who died in 1540, was greatly influenced by a vision she received in her early life to call together a group of women of prayer and virtue with the purpose of educating young women in Italy. The Ursulines spread across the world and eventually established a convent in Armidale in 1882.

This year, after 130 years in Armidale, the Ursuline Convent has closed but the Sisters felt it would be significant to donate a statue of St Angela from the convent to the school.

‘The students, families and staff at St Angela’s, Castle Hill are members of our Ursuline family,’ said Sr Anne. ‘That’s why certain treasures that we hold dear, like this statue, are shared with the school.’

St Angela’s principal, Tony Calabria, said that the day provided a great opportunity for teachers to reflect on the work they do and to learn about their spiritual foundations.

‘We are blessed in our Ursuline history and very grateful that we were thought of to receive this beautiful donation,’ said Tony. ‘It will be put in a visible place in the school as a reminder of our foundation.’

Sr Venera was the foundation principal at St Angela’s when it opened in 2001 and she led the school until 2009; Tony Calabria is the first lay principal at St Angela’s.