Mother Teresa Ball

1821 was a significant year in the history of the Loreto Order when Mother Teresa Ball returned to Ireland with her vision to establish schools to educate young women.

Loreto secondary and primary schools were subsequently established in the Abbey, Rathfarnham and over the next 200 years, many other Loreto schools were established across the country. There are now 18 secondary schools and a number of associated community schools comprising the Loreto Network on the island of Ireland. Loreto Balbriggan was founded in 1857.

These flourishing and dynamic schools have their ethos rooted in the values of our foundress Venerable Mary Ward and her desire for educational opportunities for young women.

But this year belongs to Teresa Ball and during the course of the year we will continue celebrating this significant anniversary and you will hear and see the name Teresa Ball in many school activities. But the best way to honour and remember her is by living her words in our daily interactions when she says “Judge one another kindly, loving and trusting each other loyally in thought and deed”.

On Thursday, to celebrate 200 years there were some special activities organised. ‘Drop Everything and Reflect’ occurred at 11.20am where the whole achool stopped what they were doing and reflected on the life and work of Mother Teresa Ball in Ireland. All students were presented with a pin of Mother Teresa Ball that they can wear as well as a small treat to mark the occasion.

At 12.20 the 6th year JPIC captains organised a beautiful prayer service to honour the integrity of creation. The letters J-P-I-C stand for Justice, Peace and Integrity of creation and the group is very active within the school. The service was attended by the prefects and vice-prefects of every class thereby representing the whole student body. It was very fitting that the ceremony took place while  the COP 26, United Nations Climate Change Conference is being held in Scotland. During the service students were reminded how fragile our beautiful planet is at this moment in time and to become active in what Pope Francis refers to as ‘ ‘caring for our common home’.  Each girl brought a piece of nature with them, a symbol of their common home, a reminder of the beauty of creation. Bulbs were planted in pots and placed in the school biodiversity garden, something to look forward to in the springtime when they bloom. Throughout the ceremony, students read beautiful prayers and reflections such as ‘Beginners’  by Denise Levertov and  concluded with a short meditation by Hildegard of Bingen.

                                                        Glance at the sun. See the moon and stars.

                                                        Gaze at the beauty of Earth’s greenings.

                                                       Now think of what delight God gives to humankind.

                                                       But we are to work with it.

                                                       For Without it we cannot survive.

Student Council

Congratulations to all the students who were recently elected to the student council. The student voice is very important in Loreto Balbriggan and we value the important work carried out by the council. Their most recent success has been the development of our new student charter which promotes the values of diversity, equality and inclusion in Loreto Balbriggan.

Student Leadership

Congratulations to all our 1st year prefects and vice prefects who were recently elected. We wish them well with their role for the coming year.

Senior Cycle Politics and Society