Chapel Matters

This week at school we celebrated International Women’s Day all week! The themes of this year’s IWD are Choose to Challenge and Choose to Celebrate Women’s Achievements.

In chapel we looked at the inspiring story of Sisters Geraldine and Etheleen whose achievement in setting up St Hilda’s is definitely something worth celebrating! They also faced many challenges from things such as not having much money to start up a school, through to people who rejected the idea of a high school education for girls or who were biased against the idea of an Anglican school being set up in a Presbyterian city.

The Sisters were able to succeed because Bishop Nevill had faith in them to make his vision – and their vision – a reality, and also because of their faith in God. At one point they wrote to their community in London (The Sisters of the Church), saying, ““Despite the hardships we have faced, we are sustained by a vision of the Eternal and by faith in the One who has called us to leave all and follow him.”

So we can join with people all over the world this week, and celebrate the achievements of women, and in particular Sisters Geraldine and Etheleen. And we can also choose to challenge inequality, call out bias, question stereotypes, and help forge an inclusive world. And we do this, knowing that God Herself has a vision for the Eternal, a vision for an inclusive world – for all people, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, culture, or any other aspect of our identity.