St Joseph's College Pays Tribute to Pope Francis

Flags at St Joseph’s College Echuca have flown at half-mast this week to honour the life of Pope Francis who died on Easter Monday.

As people around the world mourn the passing of the Pope, St Joseph’s College students, staff and the wider school community paused to reflect on the life and legacy of a leader who brought compassion, humility and courage to the heart of the Catholic Church.

College Principal Anne Marie Cairns described Pope Francis as a leader who called us all to walk more gently, listen more deeply and live more justly.

From the very beginning of his papacy, she said he captivated hearts with his humility and courage.

“For those of us in Catholic education Pope Francis offered more than inspiration, he gave us a mission,” said Ms Cairns.

“He often spoke of education as an act of hope, reminding the world that every encounter in a classroom is a chance to shape a more compassionate, inclusive future.

He believed that education was not simply about the transfer of knowledge, but about the transformation of hearts. This vision is one we hold dearly at St Joseph’s, where our Brigidine tradition calls us to live with Strength and Kindliness.”

Ms Cairns said Pope Francis was especially beloved by young people. Through his warm presence, humble witness, and tireless advocacy for the poor and for our planet, she said he showed a generation that faith is alive, courageous and urgently needed.

“He called them to be ‘protagonists of change’,” Ms Cairns said. “His encouragement resonates with our own call at St Joseph’s for students to be leaders, to step forward with courage, to build community, and to care for all creation.”

Ms Cairns said his encyclical Laudato Si’ called for an ecological conversion – a shift in how we relate to the Earth and to one another.

“This aligns deeply with the Brigidine legacy entrusted to us,” she said.

“At St Joseph’s, we continue to plant seeds of hope in our learning, in our service, and in our collective efforts to be people who heal and include. We carry forward his legacy, not in monuments, but in the everyday moments we create – in the classroom, in the community and in the world beyond our gates.

“May Pope Francis rest in the peace of Christ, and may we honour his memory by living out the hope he entrusted to us.”