The Australasian Mercy Secondary School Association AMSSA Conference was an amazing experience. Representatives from Mercy schools from across Australia and Papua New Guinea came together to celebrate Mercy from 22-26 September.
This year we stayed at Santa Maria College, in Attadale, overlooking the Swan River and Perth CBD. There were many guest speakers, activities and exciting experiences in store for us in Perth. We met so many incredible people and learned many new things. We learned about how the Sisters of Mercy set up schools and charities in Australia, and how that even though they started with nothing they were able to transform it into such an impacting legacy. Our guest speakers taught us how to use Mercy in our everyday lives, and how we can use our talents for the good of others.
We also had a version of The Amazing Race in Perth’s CBD, stopping by some historical monuments and learning new things with our clues to our final destination. Another activity was painting tapping sticks, and performing as a big group that then separated into seven mini performances. This was to represent the Mercy Sisters’ journey to Australia, and what impact they had on those around them. We visited Mercedes College, the oldest Mercy school in Australia. We also went to Fremantle Prison for a torchlight tour. On the day of The Amazing Race we followed in Mother Ursula Frayne’s footsteps, going to the very places she stood, after travelling up the Swan River by boat — just as she did all those years ago — all while listening to the podcast of her story.
We feel very privileged to have been a part of something so rewarding and exciting. It was also incredible to see how much we have done as a Mercy community throughout the world and what it really means to be united in Mercy spirit, and now we have the opportunity to share that with our community. We learned how to bring the values of Mercy and hospitality back to our own schools after building relationships with other Mercy schools, and how our own actions can really shape the lives of others.
