The College by the Harbour - St Aloysius

St. Aloysius’ College
47 UPPER PITT STREET • MILSONS POINT NSW 2061 • TELEPHONE 9922 1177 • FACSIMILE 9929 6414
22 February 2002
Dear Members of the College Community
It gives me great pleasure to pass on to you the news that the Provincial of the Society of Jesus in Australia, Rev Fr Daven
Day SJ has made his decision concerning the replacements in running the College. From Easter of 2003, the College
will be governed by Rev Fr Ross Jones SJ and Rev Fr Chris Middleton SJ. Both are well known to the St. Aloysius’
College community – if not recently!
As “Head of the Jesuit Mission”, a term more familiar to Jesuits than to our associates, Rev Fr Ross Jones SJ former
teacher in the College and local North Sydneysider, will assume the role which, in an American setting, would be
described as the President of the College. Rev Fr Jones SJ joined the Society of Jesus from his teaching post at St
Aloysius’. He was the inaugural head of Loyola College, Mt Druitt and relinquished that post to take up the position of
Socius to the Provincial. He has faithfully carried out that role for the last six years. Ross retires from that position at
the end of this year (as will Rev Fr Day SJ as Provincial). Rev Fr Jones SJ will spend the first couple of months in 2003
inducting the new Socius into his role.
As “Head of School”, Rev Fr Middleton brings to this office at St Aloysius’ College, professional qualifications in
educational administration gained at the Fordham University in New York and the experience of Deputy Headmaster at
St Ignatius’ College, South Australia. He also has spent time in the Jesuit University College’s administration. So he is
conversant with both the secondary and tertiary spheres of education. He has spent more than three years on the staff
here at St Aloysius’ College.
It is a bold move (considering the declining Jesuit manpower) on the part of the Provincial to assign two Jesuits to
the College and is obviously a sign of his high regard for the College. It ensures that the transition from my governance
to that of the new team will be an easy one. St Aloysius’ College is the winner in this transfusion of Jesuit leaders.
As for me, there is no word. In our Jesuit way of doing things this is no surprise. Such postings are usually done in
the second part of the year (which makes this announcement more courageous). I will remain at the reins of the College
until Easter 2003. As far as I am concerned, it will be business as usual. Let me assure you that my role over the next
year will not be that of a caretaker. There is a lot to be accomplished. I am confident that the review will be launched,
teaching will be done, students will be examined, the Aloysian community will be ignatianised – life as "normal", full of
challenge.
Yours sincerely,
Rev Fr Anthony V Smith SJ
Headmaster
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