2024 - the Year of Sincerity

Each year we focus on one of the five Loreto values of Freedom, Justice, Sincerity, Verity and Felicity. In this, the Loreto Year of Sincerity, our focus, in the words of Mary Ward, is ‘to be such as we appear and appear such as we are’.

Sincerity is concerned with our personal honesty and the way in which we hold ourselves in our communications and relationships. Mary Ward’s ideal was that we examine our interior life and know ourselves as God knows us. Sincerity calls us to live authentically, giving expression to our individual personality.

In the Senior School, our student leaders have created Sincerideth, the life-sized mascot who throughout the year will become a symbol of the life of the school. Our Junior School mascot is Scarlett the Sincerity Swan. This year’s Sincerity prayer was written by the Student Leaders from six Loreto schools from across Australia.

SINCERITY PRAYER

Loving God,
Lead us as we journey to know our true selves;
to have the courage to act from love and not fear, to ensure our words match our actions, and to celebrate our unique gifts.
Inspired by Mary Ward, may we recognise the divine in ourselves and in others.
May we support each other to be people of authenticity and integrity,
who genuinely try to make the world better for others.
May we strive to develop our God-given potential,
as we build a community strengthened by our differences and united by our sincerity.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, in unity with the Holy Spirit,
Amen

“WITHOUT WAX”

Father Sacha Bermudez-Goldman SJ, who celebrated Mass for our staff at the beginning of the year, told us an interesting story about the origins of the word ‘sincerity’.

“It comes from the Latin words ‘sin’ meaning without, and ‘ cere ’ meaning wax. The ancient Roman sculptors and quarrymen would hide imperfections in their marble using wax to hide the cracks. Thus marble 'sincerus ' was known to be pure, whole, sound, natural and genuine.”