First steps towards the Foundation of the Order
May 11, 2019Father Julian Tenison Woods: First steps towards foundation—little did they then dream
On 19 March 1866, Julian Woods and Mary MacKillop took their first tentative steps towards the foundation of the Institute [1] of Saint Joseph. Mary, who had charge of the catholic school in Penola, indicated her commitment by wearing a black dress. Years later she described it to the Sisters thus:
Within six months the way had become significantly clearer. In August 1866, Julian attended Bishop Sheil’s episcopal consecration in Melbourne. Soon afterwards he informed Mary: “I am appointed Director General of Catholic Education, Chairman of the Board and Inspector of Schools throughout the diocese.” [3]
He could scarcely contain his delight for now he was to have sole control of Catholic Education in the diocese and thus, had received, suddenly and completely, the means of establishing the religious for poor schools. [4] In his excitement the words tumbled from his pen and, although he was sad at having to leave Penola, the future held much promise.
Then, on 21 November 1866, Blanche Amsinck, a governess from Western Victoria, became the second woman to commit herself to becoming a Sister of Saint Joseph. Just after the New Year, she wrote to Mary:
Woods, who had moved to Adelaide in April 1867, soon realised that he needed Mary’s expert help in managing the schools. Then he faced a dilemma! As he announced that the Sisters of Saint Joseph were coming he realised that his Sisters, by this time all three of them, were not wearing an easily recognisable religious habit and did not have a written rule of life. [7]
Wisely, he left the decision regarding the sisters’ dress to these women, but he took full responsibility for drawing up their Rule of Life. According to his Memoirs, “it was written by him in a couple of days in May 1867. [8]
He then sent it to his three Sisters, instructing them to copy it out in full and send him their copy. His reason—some of the clergy were throwing “deluges of cold water” on his idea and he did not wish to draw their attention to the fact the he was the one who had written this Rule. [9]
In late June, Mary and Rose arrived in Adelaide and undertook the management of the local Cathedral school. Parents were delighted and enrolment increased dramatically. Thanks to Woods’ enthusiasm, more young women joined the Institute. By the end of 1867, it had ten members teaching in three schools and managing a Refuge for women recently released from gaol. The future looked promising indeed!
On 17 December 1868, when the Institute had fifty members teaching in nine schools and managing three charitable institutions— a Refuge, an Orphanage and a House of Providence— Bishop Sheil approved Woods’ Rule for use in his diocese and agreed for it to be printed. Matters were moving much more quickly than any of them had ever dreamed.
Sr Marie Foale
Footnotes:
[1] The word Institute is used in this article because, during those foundation years of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph it was, in fact, known as an Institute. The word Congregation was not used until many years later.
[2] Mary to the Sisters on the Silver Jubilee of the Congregation, 4 March 1893.
[3] Julian to Mary, 19 September 1866, Mary & Julian, Their Letters, 1862-1868, Trustees of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, 1989.
[4] Julian to Mary, 19 September 1866.
[5] Blanche Amsinck to Mary from Mount Gambier, 3 January 1867.
[6] Mary to Julian, 2 February 1867.
[7] Their third member was Rose Cunningham who donned the black dress on 3 May 1867.
[8] Woods Memoirs, typescript copy without page numbers. One can only wonder how he managed to produce, by hand, a document of more than 7,000 words in a couple of days.
[9] Julian to Mary, 23 August 1866.
[10] Standing: L to R: Fathers Christopher Reynolds, Peter Hughes, Julian Woods, Michael O’Connor, Thomas Dowling, Theodore Bongaerts, Charles Van Der Heyden; Frederick Byrne, Simon Carew, Alois Kranewittcr SJ. Seated. John Smyth V.G., Bishop Lawrence Sheil, Josef Tappeiner SJ, Patrick Russell. Eight plus the bishop were Irish, five, including Julian Woods, were not.
Images provided by Sr Marie Foale. Used with permission.
A Day in the Life: Prison Ministry
May 8, 2019This month you’re invited to read about Sr Liz’s Prison Chaplaincy.
On passing through security with personal, and clear plastic bag scanning complete, one collects her keys, duress alarm, and signs in. It’s then out into the prison proper not knowing what the day may hold regarding the residents nor the situations that may have occurred prior to the day.
For me it’s coming into a space where I meet Jesus, broken and poor, walking the Via Dolorosa on the way to judgement day. I see the role of chaplain as being that of Simon helping to carry the cross, trying to lessen the load.
Each visit I make is unique to that resident where in listening to him I offer whatever support I can. Its like I am tending the soil, to allow more nourishment for the plant, the resident. Our support is about helping the person to try to feel a sense of hope for his future. I believe it’s important to help him understand that whatever has brought him to this place in his life, does not define who he is, but is a part of him. No person is free from making mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from them.
As a chaplain I attempt to help the resident identify where life started to go off the rails and to encourage them to seek help in working through those issues. It’s about helping to build or rebuild their self-esteem and self-confidence, encouraging them to believe they can achieve what they desire in life. Discussions around choices, not only on life matters, but also friendship groups and sometimes family are challenges they often mention, along with the ‘band aid’ solutions they seek through alcohol and drugs; either, or both.
I find this ministry to be very grounding, as I listen to the resident’s stories and realize what is shared could be so for any person, given the right circumstances and the right buttons pushed. It can be challenging and at times frustrating but it’s not about me it’s about those on the inside.
Working with the staff in a respectful manner has brought respect in return. I believe the prison values our services and sees us as part of the prison team. We have a regular meeting with the Assistant Superintendent Offender Services and our Coordinating Chaplain attends the Debrief meetings each Monday and Friday morning with senior staff. We are also included in the daily PRAG meetings for the men in the Critical Care Unit, or on ARMS watch.
This prison is a remand, maximum, medium and minimum facility catering for around 1200 men. The men are remanded here until they are sentenced, then come back to be assessed as to which prison would best cater for their sentence requirements.
Each time I visit the prison I feel a deep sense of gratitude for my faith. It’s a very humbling and privileged ministry.
Liz Koziol rsj
Photo provided by Liz Koziol rsj.
Photo of Hakea Prison sourced from their website.
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 at the end of the tunnel is an on-coming train!
Generally these painful times pass and life returns to a certain equilibrium – until our next crisis or disaster! This, of course is the pattern, the ebb and flow of human life… ‘death’ and ‘resurrection’.
When we look back and reflect, we can often recognise that something good emerged out of those times of darkness… that we have, in fact, journeyed through a ‘death experience’ to new life! These ‘light-bulb’ moments are gifts: they are ‘Easter’ or ‘Resurrection’ moments… blessings that give us reason to shout, or sing, or say, or perhaps even whisper “Alleluia”!
Untangling the Maze of Contradictory Pre-election Messages
May 7, 2019In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed the millions of bribes offered in marginal electorates, and listened to the dishonesty of the political advertisements (ads) that have been screened ad nauseum on commercial television.
It seems almost impossible to find our way through the legal bribes of political parties, the fraudulence of media outlets, blatantly supporting one side or another, and the importance placed on marginal electorates. No wonder voters are struggling to maintain any trust in our current political system.
How then can we reach decisions about our voting intentions? What discussions are we having with family, friends and community to help clarify the state of the nation?
Last week, the Australian Catholic Bishops issued a statement asking all of us to reflect carefully on our values and how we will vote in this election. NetAct (a network of Catholic Education, health and justice groups) has also published a kit to help us consider the issues more deeply. They remind us that it is the policies of the Parties (not the promises, not the personalities, not the ads) that must determine our decision.
Mary MacKillop reminded her sisters ‘to find out who are the members proposed’, ‘to get advice’, ‘to pray’, and to remember that not every ‘so called Catholic is necessarily the best man.’ Her advice remains true for us today.
Maybe we could ask, which policies:
- show compassion to those fleeing persecution and death
- strengthen the rights of Indigenous Australians
- uphold the dignity of those at the edge of society – single parents on Newstart, people on inadequate pensions, homeless people, those suffering from disabilities or mental illness
- protect our environment
- protect the rights of those who have been trafficked into this country
Let’s support each other in this critical time.
Jan Barnett rsj
Image human hand company paper solutions by Eluj obtained from pixabay. Used with permission.
Year of Indigenous Languages: Spanish (Peru) and Tongan
The United Nations has declared 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. To celebrate, for each month this year, you’re invited to view greetings for different languages.
For May, we feature the languages Spanish (from Peru) and Tongan:
Spanish (Peru)
Biennenidos gracias por su apoyo a la mision en Peru – Welcome, thank you for your support to the mission in Peru
Tongan
Malo e lelei – Hello
To find out more on the International Year of Indigenous Languages, visit their website below:
The International Year of Indigenous Languages
Image Machu Picchu Ruins Mountains by skeeze obtained from Pixabay. Used with permission.
Fr Julian: Man of Words – Letter Four
On 2 February 1874, Father Julian Tenison Woods gave a lecture in Melbourne entitled How Australia was discovered and explored. A large number of people attended with Mr William Archer in the chair for the evening.
The following day an extensive summary of the lecture was published in the Melbourne Argus [i] and the article was repeated in the Brisbane Queenslander [ii] several weeks later.
Peace in the Universe
May 3, 2019Elaine Wainwright suggests that the latest space discoveries invite is to read John 14:23-29 with a whole new appreciation of love and relationship in the cosmos.
At this time of year we ponder more explicitly the extraordinary moments of death and life that weave their way through our experience. These moments are always with us, but at Easter our faith communities invite us to attend to this rhythm of life and death even more intimately.
With attentiveness we can expand our horizons with growing ecological awareness. We recognise that these patterns are woven not just in the in the human community but in the fabric of the entire universe.
While I was composing this reflection an article by Dennis Overbye arrived in my inbox called “Darkness Visible, Finally: Astronomers Capture First Ever Image of a Black Hole”. It opened a whole new appreciation of John’s text for me…
Continue reading the article below:
Tui Motu Issue 237, May 2019 (PDF)
Elaine Wainwright is a biblical scholar specialising in eco-feminist interpretation and is currently writing a Wisdom Commentary on Matthew’s Gospel.
Photo: Event Horizon Telescope collaboration et al. www.NASA.gov
Palm Sunday Rally
May 2, 2019Another huge Palm Sunday, standing with refugees.
Thousands of people across Australia marked Palm Sunday on 14 April with rallies and demonstrations in support of refugees and asylum seekers, and calling for an end to offshore detention. Over 1000 people gathered in Sydney, and over 5000 in Melbourne. Significant numbers of people attended other centres, including Adelaide, Alice Springs, Armidale, Bendigo, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Forster, Hobart, Launceston, Lennox Head, Newcastle, Perth, Townsville, Whyalla, Wollongong and Yass.
In Sydney’s Belmore Park, football commentator Craig Foster reminded people that the deaths on Manus and Nauru weighed heavily on the conscience of Australia.
Reverend John Barr, Father Claude Mostowik MSC and Coptic Orthodox priest Fr Shenouda Mansour, joined together to call on the humanity of Australians to end the imprisonment of the hundreds of refugees in the Manus and Nauru prisons. Fr Claude encouraged people to keep coming to rallies, to keep agitating, despite the difficulties and indifference. Rev. Barr said our humanity depends on how we treat the poor and oppressed. Fr Shenouda reminded the crowd that the innocent victims of bureaucracy are not numbers, but people, people like us, and we must stand with them. All speakers voiced the desire that a strong message be sent to Canberra, the message that refugees are welcome.
Unfortunately, this Palm Sunday gathering across so many Australian cities and towns did not rate a mention on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) News that night, 14 April. What did feature was a festive march through the streets of Cobar NSW by a couple of dozen citizens, applauded by friends and supporters, (an event not connected to refugees). In response to a complaint, the ABC stated that editors must “take into account the relative newsworthiness of different stories and the resources required to report them.” The complainant was assured that the absence of an item did not reflect on its “newsworthiness”, and was referred to an online resource for news on asylum seekers.
Thus the government’s prevention of news-gathering on Manus and Nauru, is accompanied by the silence of the national broadcaster. Choosing to broadcast a minor festivity in a small country town in preference to an event involving many thousands of people denouncing government policy is an indication of the success of the attacks on the ABC by government and certain powerful media outlets.
The conscience of Australians must continue to be stirred. People must join together to end the scapegoating of refugees. We must keep writing letters, going to rallies and talking with family and friends, because our humanity depends on it.
Susan Connelly rsj
April 2019
Photo provided by Susan Connelly rsj. Used with permission.