Growing Hearts Podcast

In this episode, we explore the transformative power of truth, honesty, and authenticity in family life and personal growth. Our guest, Sr Mariam, a Dominican Sister of Saint Cecilia and alumni at Tangara School for Girls in Sydney, shares her personal vocation story and her insights into how truth — lived with love — brings freedom, healing, and deeper relationships. 

The conversation reflects on the role of honesty in the home, the importance of authentic relationships between parents and children, and how living in truth shapes character and fosters holiness in everyday life. Sr Mariam explains how even difficult truths, when communicated with love, can become opportunities for growth and trust. 

Drawing from her experience in education and spiritual formation, she highlights the family as a privileged place where children learn sincerity, integrity, and self-gift. The discussion encourages parents to model authenticity, create spaces of trust, and guide children toward a deeper understanding of who they are and who they are called to be. 

 

Key Topics Discussed: 

1. The freedom of living in truth – paths towards healing relationships and a real grow in authenticity and holiness.  

2. Honesty in family life – the primary place where children learn sincerity, trust, and how to relate to others with authenticity. 

3. Forming character through virtue - living truthfully helps shape character, strengthen relationships, and develop personal integrity. 

4. Authenticity in relationships - genuine encounters — marked by openness and trust — create the conditions for growth and deeper connection. 

 
 

Join the Conversation 

Living in truth can sometimes feel challenging, yet it opens the door to freedom, trust, and deeper relationships. This episode invites us to reflect on how honesty shapes our family culture and how authenticity helps children grow in confidence and character. 

How do you create an environment of openness and trust at home?  


What does living authentically look like in your family life?  


In what ways do you model sincerity and integrity for your children? 


How can we communicate difficult truths with love? 


We'd love to hear your insights and experiences. Join the conversation and share how your family nurtures honesty, trust, and authentic relationships. 

 

You can:  

Follow us on Instagram @growingheartspodcast  


Find out more about the Pared Foundation: visit our website  


Discover our schools by visiting: pared.edu.au/openday  


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In this episode of Growing Hearts, Claire and John Wall join us to share their experiences, favorite traditions, and insights on keeping Christ at the center of Christmas while managing the busyness of family life with young children. They offer practical tips for blending Catholic traditions with family celebrations, emphasizing ways to encourage generosity, kindness, and a spirit of gratitude throughout the holiday season. 

We'd love to hear your Christmas traditions! How do you keep your celebrations Christ-centered? Do you have unique ways of helping your family focus on the true meaning of the season? Share with us on social media with #GrowingHeartsPodcast or send us a message! 

Recommended book:
God has Made a Bethlehem
 

You can:  

Follow us on Instagram @growingheartspodcast  

Find out more about the Pared Foundation: visit our website  

Discover our schools by visiting: pared.edu.au/openday  

Remember to hit SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW so you don't miss out on any of our future episodes

In this episode of the Growing Hearts Podcast, host Lucia sits down with Margeaux Valdez, Religion Teacher and Mentor at Tangara School for Girls, to reflect on the powerful lessons from a recent service project in Cebu, Philippines. 

Mags shares how travelling with 14 Year 11 girls to help local schools and communities opened their eyes to the deeper meaning of joy, gratitude, and service. From teaching hygiene lessons in mountain schools to painting murals and visiting orphanages, the trip offered moments of reflection and transformation — both for the students and their teacher. 

Together, Lucia and Mags explore how authentic joy comes from relationships, community, and faith rather than material possessions, and how parents can help their children develop a generous heart and a spirit of gratitude in everyday life. 

 

Key Topics Discussed: 

1. The Power of Service in Education: How hands-on service projects help students grow in empathy, perspective, and gratitude. 

2. Lessons in Joy and Gratitude: Discovering joy among people who have little, and learning how gratitude transforms our mindset. 

3. Faith as the Source of True Happiness: Reflections on how faith and trust in God provide strength and joy, even in hardship. 

4. Rethinking Success and Possessions: Why comfort and material comfort don't necessarily lead to happiness — and how parents can model detachment and simplicity. 

5. Building Gratitude at Home: Practical ways to cultivate daily gratitude and resilience in children, through conversations, reflection, and simple habits. 

6. Teaching the Value of Work and Sacrifice: Encouraging children to appreciate effort and responsibility, and to understand that blessings are meant to be shared. 

7. The Gift of Being Present: How disconnecting from screens during the trip reminded students of the beauty of human connection. 

 
Join the Conversation 

We'd love to hear from you! How do you help your children develop gratitude and empathy? 

What small acts of service have made a difference in your family life? 

Do you think your children understand where true happiness comes from? 

 

You can:  

Follow us on Instagram @growingheartspodcast  


Find out more about the Pared Foundation: visit our website  


Discover our schools by visiting: pared.edu.au/openday  


Remember to hit SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW so you don't miss out on any of our future episodes

In this episode of Growing Hearts, we are joined by Lourdes Mejia, Principal of Montgrove College, to explore how parents can accompany their children through the joys and challenges of growing up — while making their faith truly their own. 

Drawing on more than a decade of experience, Lourdes shares wisdom on fostering authentic relationships with God, balancing freedom with family prayer, and helping children gradually take ownership of their faith. This conversation highlights how faith is first nurtured at home and how schools and parents can work hand in hand to create opportunities for young people to encounter Christ in a personal and lasting way. 

 

Key Topics Discussed: 

Faith begins at home – why the family environment is the first school of love and the foundation of a child's relationship with God.
Freedom and ownership – helping children grow in faith without it feeling imposed, and encouraging them to discover personal meaning in prayer and practice.
Connecting faith and family life – breaking down the divide between "religious practices" and daily family relationships, so that loving God feels natural.
Navigating the teenage years – how to embrace questions, challenges, and moments of doubt as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.
The role of listening – why attentive listening and guiding with gentle suggestions helps children discover their own path to God.
Hope for the future – Lourdes' vision that students grow into happy, hopeful people who know how to love, serve, and face life's challenges with courage. 

 

Join the Conversation 

Faith is a journey we walk together as families. It grows not just through routines, but through the everyday love, conversations, and examples children experience at home. It's something children learn to make their own, step by step. Lourdes reminds us that when parents live their faith with joy and openness, they give their children the strongest foundation to build their own relationship with God. 

 

As you reflect on this episode, consider: 

How can I make prayer and faith practices in my home more meaningful and personal for my children? 



In what ways can I encourage freedom and ownership in my child's relationship with God? 


How can I create intentional moments of connection — whether over a meal, during a car ride, or on a simple walk — to really listen to my child? 


Do I trust that God is guiding my child's heart, even when I can't see the results right away? 


 

We'd love to hear your thoughts! How do you accompany your children in their faith journey? Share your experiences and continue the conversation with us. 

 

You can:  

Follow us on Instagram @growingheartspodcast  


Find out more about the Pared Foundation: visit our website  


Discover our schools by visiting: pared.edu.au/openday  


Remember to hit SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW so you don't miss out on any of our future episodes

In this episode of the Growing Hearts podcast, we speak with Matt Aldous, Headmaster of Redfield College, about the deeper purpose of Catholic education. Matt reflects on how schools can be more than places of academic learning—they can become environments where students learn to encounter Christ in the ordinary moments of daily life. 

Drawing on his experience as a teacher, leader, and parent, Matt shares insights into the habits and values that shape young people: love for prayer, the practice of confession, and the resilience to always begin again. He also highlights the vital role of parents, especially fathers, as spiritual leaders in the home, and how schools can complement this by offering opportunities for mentoring, sacraments, and personal growth. 

 

Key Topics Discussed: 

The deeper purpose of Catholic education: how schools can help students encounter Christ in the ordinary moments of daily life, beyond academics.
Love for prayer and confession: why these habits are essential for resilience, humility, and spiritual growth in young people.
The role of parents, especially fathers: the importance of consistency and spiritual leadership in the family home.
Faith and freedom: how fostering personal choice helps students develop a genuine relationship with Christ.
The school as a community for families: how shared wisdom, sacraments, and everyday practices strengthen both students and parents.
Living with hope: encouraging students to see each day as a new opportunity to grow, begin again, and discover God in the ordinary. 

 

Join the Conversation 

We'd love to hear your reflections on this episode! Catholic education is more than academics—it's about helping young people discover God in the ordinary moments of daily life.  

How have you seen schools support faith and character in your own family? 


Have there been small, everyday practice at home or at school—that made a big difference in your child's faith journey?  


How do you encourage consistency, prayer, or openness to God in your family life? 



We also invite you to share stories of hope: times when you've seen young people rise above challenges, nurture a closer friendship with God, or simply take small steps that showed growth. These moments remind us that every new day is a fresh opportunity to begin again. 

Join the conversation on our social media channels or leave a comment on our website. Together, let's inspire one another to nurture faith, resilience, and joy in the ordinary moments of family and school life. 

 

You can:  

Follow us on Instagram @growingheartspodcast  


Find out more about the Pared Foundation: visit our website  


Discover our schools by visiting: pared.edu.au/openday  


Remember to hit SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW so you don't miss out on any of our future episodes