By Prof John Lydon and Dr Caroline Healy
Between 16 - 18 June 2025, St Mary’s was delighted to host the Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education (GRACE) colloquium which brought together over 150 scholars, researchers and practitioners of Catholic education to consider the theme Mission and Identity in Catholic Education in the 21st Century: Theory and Practice.
GRACE is an international research-based partnership between scholars in Australian Catholic University; Boston College, United States; Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia; University of Glasgow; Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Republic of Ireland; University of Notre Dame Fremantle, Australia; and St Mary’s University in Twickenham, London. As an emerging international community of practice, GRACE provides an original opportunity for those in Catholic education to affirm, study, collaborate and respond meaningfully to challenges we face in the field.
Since its beginnings in 2017, GRACE has engaged in a range of activities, both in person and online - including throughout the Covid-19 pandemic - involving hundreds of participants globally. The series of webinars organised during the Covid period were especially successful, leading to a series of initiatives beyond the GRACE community, for example the introduction of the St Mary's Shepherding Talent Course for leaders or aspiring leaders to three countries across in Africa.
The inaugural GRACE Colloquium took place in the University of Notre Dame Australia in January 2024, where participants were welcomed by the former Vice Chancellor of St Mary's University, Prof Francis Campbell, now Vice Chancellor at Notre Dame. Just before the 2024 conference, St Mary's - through Prof John Lydon and Dr Caroline Healy, both members of the Catholic Education, Research and Religious Literacy (CERRL) Research Centre in the School of Education, directed by Prof Stephen Parker - took up the baton of hosting the GRACE Colloquium 2025 to form part of special the celebrations to mark the 175th Anniversary of St Mary's University.
Prof Anthony McClaran, Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s, warmly welcomed the 150 delegates registered for the Conference, including considerable numbers of academics and practitioners from the United States and Australia. The University was also pleased to welcome several colleagues from Scotland, in the year when the Scottish Catholic Education Service celebrated the Catholic Schools Festival to mark the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope.
On the opening day, His Grace Archbishop John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool, opened the colloquium with a special Thanksgiving Mass in the University Chapel. This was followed by his keynote address entitled ‘The Complex Ecosystem of a Catholic School’. He began his address:
"I thank Prof Anthony McClaran for inviting me to deliver this address at the opening of this important conference in the 175th anniversary of St Mary’s University. From humble beginnings, I wish to congratulate St Mary’s on their achievements and recognise the countless teachers who have trained and been formed here for service in Catholic Education. I also wish to recognise the contribution to research and the important relationship with the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Mater Ecclesiae College since 2019."
He continued:
“The mission of the Catholic school is to be ‘salt to the earth’ (Mt 5:13) and ‘light of the world’ (Mt 5:14). It must draw out flavour like salt to serve the lives of staff and pupils and bring out their flavour for others. This ‘salt’ must help each towards the fullness of Christian life in an age-appropriate way. The Catholic school is called to shine out into the local community and beyond as a light which witnesses to Jesus Christ and his kingdom. The witness of the Catholic school in the local area will tell others who we are and what we believe. The school is called to witness to being a community of pilgrims of hope, the theme of the Jubilee Year, where each can speak of the hope held in the heart and witness to this reality in life.”
Due to the shifting contextual factors impacting on Catholic school and how they are part of a complex ecosystem of relationships, he concluded that:
“…the Catholic school has an exciting and complex future. I hope that this conference will enrich your understanding of approaches to some of the question of identity, mission and dialogue which will enable every school to assist students to understand their eternal destiny and reach fullness of Christian life.
The second day was opened by world-renowned academic Prof James Arthur, Harvard University and former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, who presented on the theme 'To Fulfil Our Human Promise - The Catholic University and Character Virtue Formation’. His paper suggested that:
Catholic universities should be places that can offer opportunities for students to examine and test their convictions. I see a university education as concerned with the formation of a person through the realisation of certain potentialities that lead to a mature human being. The educational process behind this formation becomes a practical expression of one’s commitments and will influence how we believe, think, learn, act, and treat each other.
Prof James Arthur proposed a framework of overlapping virtues for cultivation by staff and students alike:
- Intellectual virtues relate to the pursuit of truth, knowledge and understanding. They help us think more, not less. These are central to the kinds of higher-level inquiry that characterises university teaching and research and therefore essential for the exercise of critical thinking.
- Civic virtues concern the engagement of institutions and individual students in their local, national, and global contexts. These include service, civility, hospitality, citizenship, and charity. It involves the promotion of the common good.
- Moral virtues relate to the need for students to have a clear ethical awareness in their academic work and wider life, as well as a sense of purpose. They are also essential for a flourishing and communal life. These include justice, courage, honesty, humility, and compassion. These virtues help us navigate the complexities of life and serve as our compass, guiding us toward the right choices. For instance, consider the courage it takes to stand up for what is right, even when it’s unpopular. This courage is not innate; it is cultivated through practice and reflection.
He concluded:
'It is why formation in virtue ought to be a key feature of Catholic higher education. It is not simply about ‘What ought I to do?’ but also ‘What ought I to be and become?’ Catholic identity has serious implications for the education Catholic universities offer. Therefore, developing a Christian anthropology I believe is a good foundation to working out what the identity of a Catholic university should be. It will help us discover our human purpose.’
On the final day of the conference the keynote speaker, introduced by Associate Prof Mary Mihovilovic, St Mary’s University, was Josephine Shamwana-Lungu who spoke on the topic of ‘Contemporary Challenges of Blooming the Mission and Identity of Catholic Education in Lusaka Archdiocese, Zambia’ from her experience at policy and school levels. From her perspective, she outlined some of the factors affecting the fidelity to mission and identity of Catholic Schools in Lusaka Archdiocese, including:
- the nature of the educational partnership between the Catholic Church and the government;
- the institutional leadership and management of the schools; and
- the disappearing sense of community.
Link to videos of the keynote speakers
An impressive 64 parallel papers were presented alongside eight roundtable discussions across two days. The themes of the parallel papers were grouped around the five key themes:
- Formation and Vocation
- Mission and Leadership
- Spiritual Development and Religious Education
- Practice and Formation
The eight roundtable papers included the following topics:
- ensuring authenticity in Catholic school
- Lumen accreditation for American Catholic schools
- growing deep Catholic identity and mission
- nurturing spiritual leadership and the power of system-level communities of practice
- Catholic schools and mission to the poor
- navigating the complex landscape of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Catholic schools
- mission and identity in Catholic education in the 21st Century: forward in partnership - utilising synodal methodology of ‘conversations in the Spirit’
- AI and the globalisation of superficiality.
A panel conversation on formative education as the foundation of Catholic Education was also led by delegates from Boston College.
Other notable delegates present were:
- His Grace Bishop Paul Connell, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Ireland;
- Right Rev. Fr James Gerard Briody, SDB, Provincial of the Salesian of Don Bosco
- Prof Emeritus John Sullivan, Province of Great Britain and former St Mary’s academic, distinguished in research on Catholic education.
A special edition of the Colloquium proceedings will be published in the International Studies in Catholic Education Journal which is edited by Prof John Lydon and hosted by St Mary's University.
The next GRACE Colloquium will take place 28 - 30 June 2026 at Boston College.
Delegates remarked on the excellent choice and quality of papers to engage with and the convening of the Colloquium:
"Hearty congratulations on organising an excellent GRACE Colloquium which you did with such grace! The detail, thoughtfulness and professionalism you brought to your convening was superb."
- Prof Br David Hall, Director La Salle Academy, Australian Catholic University
"Thank you for a remarkable conference. It was an honour and a joy to participate in this enriching colloquium. The wisdom and knowledge shared by each of the speakers gives me much upon which to reflect this summer."
- Dr Pamela Patnode, Director of the Catholic School Leadership Graduate Program at The Saint Paul Seminary, Loretto, Minnesota, USA.
"Such a gift to be with each of you, and thank you, John and Caroline, for your incredible leadership! It was a beautiful convening, and the depth of conversations and friendships that have emerged are a true reflection of this leadership. Rest well, good and faithful servants!"
- Dr Melodie Wyttenbach, Executive Director, Roche Centre for Catholic Education, Boston College
"A word of sincere thanks for the wonderful conference you hosted. It was a pleasure to participate in it. I hope you have had time to yourselves to recover and wish you all the best until we meet again."
- Rev. Professor Eammon Conway, Professor of Integral Human Development, University of Notre Dame, Australia
"I just wanted to share my gratitude for an amazing GRACE colloquium. Your planning and hospitality were excellent, and the gathering of practitioners and researchers led to some great conversations and important reminders about our mission as Catholic educators."
- Rev. Patrick Tiernan, President, St Mark’s High School, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
"Honoured to be speaking at the 2025 ‘International Grace Colloquium’ held at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Asking the question how academic researchers can critically engage with the totality of the school as a dynamic organisation. Joining researchers and practitioners in Catholic education to discuss contemporary mission and identity in Catholic education at St Mary’s University during its 175th anniversary year. The event celebrates St Mary’s distinction as the UK’s leading Catholic university"
- Dr Simon Uttley, Visiting Professor, St Mary’s University
"A big thank you to you both for your amazing work at the GRACE Colloquium."
Dr John Topliss, Director Catholic Institute of Western Australia
"Thank you so much Caroline and John for all your efforts. The conference experience was wonderful. I look forward to being with you again in the future."
- Dr Antonella Poncini, Catholic Education Office of Western Australia.
"Thank you so much for hosting us this week. The colloquium was well planned and I learned a great deal from the speakers and participants. Blessings on your ministry in Catholic education."
- Dr Daryl Hagan, Director, Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
"Many congratulations on putting together such a stimulating and successful conference. The quality and variety of the presentations was excellent and offered participants a wide range of options. Many thanks for an enjoyable three days."
- Dr Chris Richardson, MA in Catholic School Leadership Programme, St Mary’s University.
"What an absolutely and positively-wonderful experience and so valued. Blessings."
- Prof William Sultmann, Australian Catholic University.
"A huge, big thank you and congratulations! Well done on organising this GRACE event, it was wonderful to see and meet so many people, with such expertise and passion for Catholic education. And it was great to meet the team in person."
- Dr Daniel O’Connell, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland
"I just wanted to send a short message to let you know just how much I enjoyed my three days in Twickenham. I am not long into the role of Diocesan Advisor, but I found the programme - and the many connections made - to be both extremely valuable and indeed affirming. I have a lot of ‘homework’ to do to follow up diligently on what I have heard so that I - and through me our schools - can benefit fully. Without being corny, they were indeed days of ‘grace’."
- Finbar Madden, Diocesan Advisor for Post-Primary Schools, Diocese of Derry, Northern Ireland
John and Caroline, on behalf of the Derry delegates at the GRACE Colloquium may I pass on our heartfelt thanks for the excellent conference. It was such a rich experience for us all. The standard of speakers, the research shared, and conversations facilitated were of the highest standard. As ever the hospitality and help of the University staff was second to none. We know what it takes to organise such an event, and we were all very impressed by how everything ran to time. You both must have done an incredible amount of work and deserve great credit. Please pass on our thanks to all the committee members for their work and their obvious passion to improve Catholic Education globally. God bless.
- Thérèse Ferry, Diocesan Advisor, Primary Schools, Diocese of Derry, Northern Ireland
A wonderful few days at St Mary’s University, Twickenham attending the GRACE. Colloquium 2025. Honoured to have been invited to chair a panel of parallel papers with fantastic academics from Australia, America and England. Feeling reenergised after being a part of such an amazing group of people discussing challenges and opportunities in Catholic education.
- Julie-Anne Tallon, Director, Catholic Primary Partnership, UK.
"It was an incredible honour and privilege to attend GRACE Colloquium, hosted this year at St Mary’s University, Twickenham as part of the team representing the University of Glasgow’s St Andrew’s Foundation. This conference offered compelling insights and fruitful discussions around mission and identity within Catholic education. It was truly inspiring to connect with researchers and practitioners from around the world, all of whom are united by their dedication to exploring Catholic education across diverse cultural and educational contexts…This event affirmed my vocation within Catholic education and offered a profound sense of hope for its future globally."
- Madeleine Flanigan, Masters of Education student, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Special thanks to colleagues at St Mary’s who assisted with making the conference such a success including Laura Bryde and Conferencing Colleagues, Nik Santos and Catering Service Colleagues, Duncan Bowles and Colleagues in Audio-Visual Services, Sarah McKenna-Ayres for photography, Security Services Colleagues, Grazia Romano-Hazell, Canon Peter Newby and Mgr Roderick Strange in the Chaplaincy.
Further thanks to our CERRL colleagues who introduced speakers, chaired parallel sessions. Finally, current or past students of ours at St Mary’s that supported the conference in many different ways, especially Sarah Breen, Thanuja Michael, Julie-Anne Tallon, Declan Linnane and Dr Paul Bryant.