Governance

Mercy College is a school which operates with the consent of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne and is operated and governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS).

Because the good work of educating the young is a co-responsible task led by every member of the Catholic school community, School Advisory Councils provide connection between the wider school community and school leaders. This governance model was designed to ease administrative burden on schools and parishes, allow parish priests to focus on mission, enable collaboration, and ensure consistency in policies.

More information about MACS is available at www.macs.vic.edu.au.

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Parish Priests from Constituent Parishes

• St. Bernard's, East Coburg - Fr. L. De Marzi
• St. Gabriel's, Reservoir (and St Stephen of Hungary, East Reservoir) - Fr. Gregory Pritchard              
• St. Joseph the Worker, North Reservoir - Fr. M. Bonello
• St. Margaret Mary's, North Brunswick - Fr. A. Nguyen SDB                                                                       
• St. Mark's, Fawkner - Fr. C. Xavier                                                                                                                          
• St. Matthew's, North Fawkner - Fr. F. Galdo                                                                                                  
• St. Oliver's, Pascoe Vale - Fr. J. Puppady                                                                                                          
• St. Paul's, Coburg - Fr. J. Puppady

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School Advisory Council

School Advisory Councils are an essential component of governing and operating Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. They provide a forum for consultation and participation for parish and school communities, ensuring that schools are accountable for the decisions they make.

Each council is designed for, and works within, the context of its specific school.

They are advisory bodies which form an important expression of the educational partnership that exists between parents, schools, parishes and the wider community to support all students.

The School Advisory Council at Mercy College provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where parent voice and community perspective are available to influence and support the decisions made by the principal and parish priests for the good of the school where students’ wellbeing and outcomes are paramount.

The Mercy College School Advisory Council has the following membership:

• Executive Officers - Parish Priest (Custodian of Mission) and Principal
• Parents – up to 2 current parents
• Alumnae – up to one past Mercy College student
• Parishioner – up to 1 parishioner  
• Co-Opted members – up to 1 co-opted members with particular areas of expertise
• Staff Member
• Member of Mercy Finance Team
• Student Representative – 2 College Captains
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2026 School Advisory Council members are:

Fr Colin Xavier– Parish Priest (Custodian of Mission) / Executive Officer
Ms Lila McInerney – Principal / Executive Officer
Mrs Silvana Mirabelli – Council Chair
Ms Elissa Andreacchio – Alumnae Representative
Mrs Jenni Hickey – Staff Member
Miss Michaella Hauszler and Miss Dana Issa– Student Representatives, College Co-Captains

For more information about the School Advisory Council please visit https://www.macs.vic.edu.au/Our-Schools/School-Advisory-Councils.aspx

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How families can engage

Members and friends of the Mercy community wishing to enquire about membership of the School Advisory Council should contact principal@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au

Acknowledgement

Mercy College acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, the Traditional Owners who have walked upon and cared for this land for thousands of years.