"As a college community, we gather here today in St Paul’s Parish Church around the altar of God at the beginning of a new academic year. This annual celebratory Act of Dedication of our studies not only marks the beginning of another academic year in which we invoke the blessings of the Holy Spirit on all who are gathered here, but it also speaks of our shared identity as a faith-based community engaged in the common pursuit of human and intellectual development.

The language of ‘mission’ is integral to the life and work of St Mary’s. Mission calls for creativity and vision, for entrepreneurship and courage. Ultimately, mission is about having a sense of identity and living out that identity with purpose in the service of others. Mission therefore involves community outreach, strengthened by the values of citizenship in the quest towards the common good."