Sister Mary Ronayne sgs
Photo: Honorary Doctor - Mary Ronayne with Vice Chancellor (left) and Chancellor (right)
ACU National honours forward-thinking Catholic educator
Australian Catholic University (ACU National) is proud to have awarded an honorary doctorate to innovative Catholic educator Sister Mary Ronayne at its Education graduation ceremony in Brisbane on Tuesday 27 May.
In an early-career address to the First National Catholic Education Conference, Sister Mary Ronayne's opened up to public scrutiny what she has known for many years: that Catholic education, if it was to move beyond mere survival and was to flourish, would have to make significant changes to the governance and management structures in place at the time.
From this initial insight, Sister Mary Ronayne rose from a secondary school teacher to become a principal and significant leader. She was a member of the Council of Good Samaritan Teachers' College, a member of Polding College Limited and served as a member of the Council of Catholic College of Education in Sydney, a College that became an integral part of ACU National in 1991. Her experience in the governance of Catholic higher education has been instrumental in her wise counsel to Catholic schools and their Boards to this very day.
"The constant interests and commitments that have been to the fore of Sister Mary Ronayne's life are Catholic schooling, governance of Catholic education, social welfare, and the ongoing development of Catholic women. She has been a leader in each of these fields for over four decades, and in each area she has successfully brought many projects to fruition," ACU National Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Craven said.
Sister Mary Ronayne is a member of the NSW State Planning and Finance Committee of the Commonwealth Schools Commission, the Catholic Education Board Sydney, and served as the Superior General of the Good Samaritan Order. She also led a Task Force to review the provision of Catholic education in Western Australia.
Additionally, Sister Mary Ronayne has campaigned for and improved upon the status of women in religious life. She has been the national secretary and later the national president of the Conference of Women Major Superiors and the newly combined Conference of Women and Men Major Superiors, now known as Catholic Religious Australia. At the same time, she was a Councillor for the Oceania conference of the International Union of Major Superiors, representing Australian women religious at international meetings in Manila, Bombay and Rome.
"Sister Mary Ronayne was recognized by her peers in both women's and men's religious orders as a leader with unwavering conviction and foresight, one who was quite unafraid of the challenges facing Catholic education," said Professor Craven.
"Sister Mary Ronayne has remained alert to the needy in our society and has maintained her personal interest in their welfare. In this she has been true to the Gospel of the Good Samaritan, namely, one who sees with the eyes of God and assists those in need, becomes the heart and hands of Christ in this world."
"From her position of experience at the classroom and governance levels, Sister Mary Ronayne has always seen the significance of the past while also acknowledging the challenges facing Catholic education in the future. She believes strong in the importance of the heritage of religious orders, and looks to the future with confidence, continually advocating that issues must be faced with honesty and clear vision."
