For nearly 120 years the presence of the sisters, living in the convent in the very heart of the school, has been a powerful, vibrant and steadying reminder of a conviction which is the foundation on which this college rests: that God exists, that God matters, that God’s love can fill a life completely, and that the God who is made known in Jesus Christ can bring meaning and hope to every person.
That was the message delivered by Archbishop Timothy Costello SDB during the special Mass he celebrated with the Iona Presentation College community that marked the end of a very significant era – the farewell for the Presentation Sisters convent.
Addressing the community in his homily, Archbishop Costelloe said, “…you have lived this history and are part of this history, and this college and its history are a part of you.”
“The groups to which we belong,” he continued, “the institutions of which we are a part, and in particular, of course, the people with whom we share our lives form us and shape us in profound ways.
“This is surely true of the many thousands of women who spent some of their formative years as students here in the college. It is equally true of all those who as teachers or support staff have spent so much of their lives here…and it is true of the families who chose this school for their daughters and who have supported the school in so many different ways.
“But it seems to me that in a very particular and unique way, it is true for those women who as members of the Presentation Sisters have lived and worked, hoped and prayed, laughed and cried, as they have served the God they have loved by serving the children and young people who were and are so loved by God.
“You, sisters, have been formed and shaped by your own community and Congregation, by the vibrant life of this college, and in a very particular way also by your convent and chapel within the college walls which has been the home for so many of you for such a long time.
“There is something very beautiful and very powerful about a group of women who, with great courage and great steadfastness, would set themselves the task of creating a community which would be a shining example of both the beauty and the challenge of the Christian life,” he added.
A lasting legacy
Iona’s story has its foundations in 18th century Ireland when the Presentation Sisters were founded by Nano Nagle under the mission of educating the poor and marginalised.
The Sister’s connection to Western Australian dates back to July 1891 when a small group arrived in Geraldton. Nine years later in 1900, a second group of Sisters arrived at Southern Cross in the WA Goldfields on the request of Bishop Matthew Gibney.
On 11 September 1907, the Presentation Sisters established what was to become Iona Presentation College. A key part of that foundation was the purchase and conversion of a substantial Mosman Park residence that would serve as both a convent and school.
The establishment of the convent and chapel within the school grounds was one of the most distinctive features of the Iona Presentation era and a daily reminder to students and families that the school was born from religious life.
As enrolments grew, the campus expanded. In 1914 a school hall was built, followed by a two-storey boarding house between 1936 and 1937. This reflected the sisters’ objective of creating a school that fostered pastoral, spiritual, and community formation.
In 1975, the original convent building was demolished and replaced with a new one. Elements of the original building, namely the front door and stained glass, were intentionally incorporated into the new building to symbolically signify both continuity and change.
In 2017, the year of their 110-year anniversary, the Presentation Sisters transferred governance of Iona Presentation College to the Archbishop of Perth. Importantly, their residence remained onsite in recognition that, “Iona will remain the sisters’ home, and they will remain part of the community.”
While the Mass was not a farewell to the sisters entirely (some continue to live in close proximity to the college), Archbishop Costelloe said it was an opportunity for the broader community to join with them as they farewelled the convent which had been their home, and the chapel which had been at the very heart of their faithful religious life.
He also said the celebration confirmed “our very deep affection and our profound gratitude for the gift that your presence, your witness as faithful women of the gospel, has been for all of those people who have been and are a part of the community which is Iona Presentation College.”
As the college community now assumes responsibility for the care of the convent, Archbishop Costelloe said he hoped there was a way of reminding the students and staff that they are walking on sacred ground whenever they pass through the space.
“Thank you, sisters, for creating this sacred space, this sacred place, in our midst and in especially our hearts,” he added.