Education Makes A Difference

The Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane Congregation contribute financially each year to the Clemente program conducted out of Australian Catholic University (ACU) McAuley Campus Banyo. The programme offers a pathway to people, who for different reasons have been unable to engage in further studies. Some Sisters also volunteer as Learning Partners, working with students to explore the content of the lectures and assist with assessment.

Education has been an integral part of the mission and ministry of the Sisters of Mercy since the foundation of the Congregation. We believe that education is a powerful tool in assisting people in overcoming poverty and oppression and of engaging with society in meaningful ways. It can help give meaning to people’s lives and contribute to their sense of self-worth in their relationships with others.

There have been many success stories during the ten years of the Clemente programme in Brisbane. One student has completed a Bachelor Degree in Politics and is currently undertaking a Masters in Economics. His ambition is to do a PhD in the future. Another who was an alcoholic has not had a drink since the night before he began Clemente, because he saw the programme offering him a better quality of life. A woman says that the Clemente programme has given her the confidence to make some decisions in her own right and to express her opinions about issues concerning the family and society.

Education makes a difference in people’s lives and in society, and Clemente is a valuable programme in making this become a reality for many people in Brisbane.

Messages to: Anne O’Farrell rsm