Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Lent at Santa Sabina: a season of renewal, courage and community

As we step into the sacred season of Lent, our Santa Sabina community embraces this time as an invitation to reflect, renew and return to God with open hearts. Lent calls each of us – students, staff and families – to make space for what truly matters, to deepen our compassion and to walk together in faith.

This year, our journey began with our Ash Wednesday Liturgies, beautifully led by our student leaders across Houses and in Grade groups at Del Monte. Through Scripture, prayer and the ritual marking of ashes, we were reminded that Lent is not simply about giving things up, but about ‘beginning again’ – seeking honesty, courage and hope as we prepare for Easter.

Praying the Angelus in Community Time

A significant practice we have re‑introduced this year is the praying of the Angelus during Community Time each Tuesday. This simple yet profound prayer helps us pause, remember God’s presence in our ordinary moments and reflect on Mary’s courageous ‘yes.’

Taking just a minute or two, the Angelus centres us as a Dominican community – rooted in contemplation before action. 

40 Days of Renewal: a whole‑school Lenten journey

This Lent, Our Faith and Mission Prefect Olivia Santangelo launched a new College‑wide initiative: 40 Days of Renewal – a weekly invitation for students and staff to take up one intentional practice inspired by Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.

Each week of Lent focuses on a different spiritual discipline:

• Week of Quiet – stepping back from noise and screens to create space for prayer and rest.
• Week of Thanks – noticing God’s blessings in the ordinary and practising daily gratitude.
• Week of Prayer – building a rhythm of morning and evening prayer, with opportunities for meditation, Rosary and Scripture.
• Week of Service – embracing almsgiving by saving, simplifying and giving generously, especially to Caritas.
• Week of Forgiveness – letting go of resentment and embracing the grace of reconciliation.
• Week of Kindness – choosing empathy, intentional kindness and gentleness in our relationships.
• Week of Sacrifice – making small but meaningful choices that draw us closer to God and others.

Together, these practices encourage our students not only to ‘give something up,’ but also to grow in character, compassion and awareness of the world beyond themselves.

Caritas Australia: love in action

As a Dominican school committed to justice, we once again stand alongside Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion.

Our students are encouraged to practise true almsgiving by donating not simply their spare coins, but the money saved by choosing simplicity – one of the key invitations of our Week of Service.

Caritas reminds us that even the smallest acts of generosity can help create a more just future for communities experiencing poverty, displacement and inequality. This year we also participate in the Carry for Caritas initiative – a symbolic act of solidarity where students ‘carry’ something to represent the burdens borne by so many across our global family.

By giving up unnecessary purchases, simplifying habits or completing practical acts of service, our students contribute meaningful donations that support Caritas’s mission of hope.

A season of hope and courage

Lent asks each of us to consider:
What do I need to let go of? What do I need to take seriously? What kind of person do I want to be?

As a community, we are embracing this season with sincerity and joy. Through prayer, service and intentional renewal, our College continues to grow as a place where young people are encouraged to be courageous, compassionate and grounded in faith.

May this season of Lent draw us closer to God and to one another, as together we seek to be ‘the women God calls us to be.’

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care