Most first-time principals might expect to have the Christmas holidays to settle in before being introduced to a new school community, but Lila McInerney, the new principal at Mercy College in Coburg, thought she’d set a new trend. On the second day of Term 3, 18 July 2017, she was commissioned as the new principal at a Mass with over 600 staff, students, special guests and friends of the College in attendance.

College co-captains Vikaye Sithole and Alana Barber opened the Mass with words of welcome, encouragement and blessing for Lila; before Fr Shane Hoctor, the President of Mercy’s canonical administrators, led the ceremony in her honour, alongside local parish priests Fr Tomy Mathew of St Matthew’s Parish in Fawkner and Fr Anthony Quang SDB of St Margaret Mary’s Parish in Brunswick North.

We caught up with Lila prior to the Mass to hear her thoughts on the future of Mercy College and the benefits of an all-girls education in the Catholic context.