A Life of Grace, Creativity and Quiet Leadership.
Sister Kathleen Monica Slattery RSM, a much-loved Sister of Mercy and founding principal of St Peter’s Primary School in North Bendigo, passed away peacefully on April 11, 2025, at the age of 94. Her funeral Mass was held on Tuesday, April 29, at St Kilian’s Church, where her life of service and faith was celebrated by family, former students, colleagues and friends.
Born in Diggora in March 1931, Kathleen was one of many children in a close-knit farming family. She was the only one in her family to win a scholarship to St Mary’s College, Bendigo, where she boarded from 1944 to 1948. It was there that she first felt the call to become both a teacher and a Sister of Mercy.
Sr Kathleen began teaching in 1951 and, over the decades that followed, she became known not just for her dedication to education, but for the creativity and care she brought to it. When she was appointed the founding principal of St Peter’s Primary School in 1971, before the school had even opened, she found herself in a paddock-turned-building site with big dreams and very few resources.
The school opened in 1972 with 72 students. At first, Kathleen was the only teacher. She led the fledgling school with the support of Christine Gardiner, a young woman who brought energy, commitment, and heart to those early days. Together, they built more than a school – they built a community. “It was a little dust bowl and nothing else,” Sr Kathleen later recalled. “We didn’t have any money.” But what Sr Kathleen and her colleagues did have was a strong vision and belief in the children they served.
Sr Kathleen’s dream was simple and powerful: to help children see their own value and learn to take responsibility for their lives. The school’s current co-principal, Jenny Roberts, says the core values still taught at St Peter’s today – care for self, care for others, care for learning, and care for the environment – are a direct expression of that original vision.
Beyond her work in schools, Sr Kathleen remained deeply involved in the life of her community. She was a passionate supporter of Catherine McAuley College and a familiar face at reunions, school Masses, and through the iGEN program, which connected her with today’s students, with whom she delighted in sharing stories.
She also brought beauty into the world in quiet ways: through her artwork, her deep faith, and the relationships she nurtured. At her 90th birthday celebration, Fr Rom Hayes spoke simply but profoundly when he said the word that best described her was “beauty” – not only in her presence, but in how she lived.
Sr Kathleen leaves a legacy woven into classrooms, chapels and hearts. For over 70 years, she gave her gifts generously, and her gentle strength continues to shape the lives of many. She will be dearly missed.