Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
You may have noticed recent media references to “childless cat-ladies”. By and large, these have been politically spiked, positive neither to women or cats. For a start, the woman of whom I write today was definitely not ‘childless’, for she, Saint Helena as the Church honours her, was the mother of Constantine the Great, the […]
The Cross
Walking with Jesus to Calvary
On the last day of term at Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College (Altona, Victoria), the entire College community stopped to retrace the final days of Jesus’ life which we refer to as the Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross. As we encountered each station, we creatively contemplated the situation before moving […]
World Day of Prayer 2022
Daily, I witness people from different religions, cultures and backgrounds who come to Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel to pray for their loved ones, to intercede for their needs, healing and consolation, or just to seek some quiet time. I sometimes encounter people who come to me and say “I do not know how to pray. […]
Mary’s Words Still Inspiring Us!
Over many months, as we have pondered Val DeBrenni’s Stations of the Cross: a Journey with Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, we have reflected on the parallel journeys of Jesus and Mary MacKillop, and how their Way of the Cross can inspire and shape our own lives. Last month, in our final reflection on this particular […]
Raised from ‘Death’ to New Life
How or When Have You Been Raised From ‘Death’ to New Life? Jesus is raised from the dead! Most of us have experienced times when things have been grim: we have lost a significant other… our treasured hopes have been destroyed… we have been let down, even betrayed… and it seems like the proverbial light […]
It Seemed That All Was Lost
Have you ever experienced a loss that seemed like a disaster, yet, in time, proved to be a blessing? To Jesus’ friends and followers, his death and burial in a cave were the absolute opposite of what they had fondly expected. In those moments, it seemed that everything that he had promised had been a […]
Prayer Resources
Prayer The Sisters’ daily prayer is grounded in the Scriptures, in the liturgical season and in the places and experience of where Sisters live and are engaged in ministry. Along with the Scriptures they have a number of resources for prayer, namely, the Prayer of the Church, Josephite Prayer book and the book of prayers, […]
NAIDOC Week 2020
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia every July with many events to acknowledge Indigenous history, culture, and achievements. However, due to COVID-19, NAIDOC week was postponed for 2020. Or did it come earlier? This year’s theme for NAIDOC week is Always Was, Always Will Be. It recognises that First Nations people occupied and cared […]
A Venture into Missionary Work
Vanimo, Papua New Guinea 1965 Fifty-eight years ago this month, four Sisters of St Joseph from Goulburn, New South Wales set out to undertake missionary work in the far north west of Papua New Guinea. In 1960 the Franciscan bishop of Aitape asked the Passionist Fathers to take responsibility for missionary work in the north […]