Gaudete Trust Inaugural Schools’ Conference

By way of an official launch to our schools, the 5 congregations that have put their schools into the new Gaudete Trust for Catholic Religious Order Schools invited key staff and governors from all 17 associated schools, with trustees and members to come together for the first time in October. We gathered as a new family of Religious Order schools to rejoice in our new Trust, to learn about its function and creation and most importantly to imagine together, its future. Any concerns about loss of agency were soon dispelled through conversation and an open willingness to be able to share in one another’s heritage and to find strength and renewed purpose of mission that this opportunity affords the schools. Participants on the day heard were reassured through learning about the experience of the Le Cheile Trust in Ireland, how their Catholic Religious Order schools work together by means of their Charter and how it operates. One comment that sticks with me and sums up the day, that was pinned to our sharing board by a member of staff was this: “Great hope for the future.”