It has been a big year for JAG volunteers!

There have been pool parties for our Sudanese friends, picnics with our Iraqi families and a weekend away with the newly arrived refugee families to cultivate relationships and grow long-lasting friendships. Amidst all this activity some of our volunteers have had the Higher School Certificate (HSC) to contend with… and now that chapter is complete.

As a congratulations and in thanksgiving for all the goodness our volunteers share, we came together to pay tribute to our volunteer Year 12 students in prayer and party.

We gathered around Saint Mary MacKillop’s tomb to recall those times in the year where we felt we had made a difference. Then we prayed for the courage, wisdom and tenacity to continue to work with those in need. In the link provided below, you are invited to pray the prayer of gratitude that we used.

One hard-working young woman volunteer was acknowledged with a special justice award. Maddie Mactal has been an active member in her school justice cohort at Mount St Joseph, Milperra for many years and was an instigator in bringing new volunteers to JAG. Maddie’s humility, kindness, genuine love for her friends and her proactive drive to get the job done have been an inspiration to us all. It was an honour well deserved.

Afternoon tea was shared and we reflected on our work for 2019. In true Josephite fashion we looked to the future and planned for 2020 with great enthusiasm and optimism.

A huge thank you must go out to Sr Maria Sullivan and Sr Jan Barnett for their support, encouragement and creativity; to Mary MacKillop Today for their financial assistance and to our volunteers. If these young people are an indication of what we have to look forward to in future leaders and policy makers – we will all be just fine with them in charge.

God bless all.

Karen Oxley
Volunteers Co-ordinator
Josephite Justice Network

Prayer of Gratitude by Sr Joyce Rupp O.S.M.