Praying with Mary MacKillop in November
November 8, 2024
In this month of November, we traditionally remember the dead and depending upon our theology, we pray for the dead, to the dead or with the dead. A friend of mine has a strong belief and practice of praying to someone who has just died for a special situation. In current theology on the Communion of Saints, we are more likely to pray with the dead and our revised Litany of Mary MacKillop invites us to do just that.
Given all that, Mary MacKillop was more likely to pray for the dead, and she had plenty of opportunities to do so since seven members of her family died during Mary’s lifetime.
Feast of All Souls
November 2, 2024
Every moment in life has the potential to be a ‘God-moment’, as Mary MacKillop reminds us: “There where you are you will find God” (1871). Perhaps the most obvious of these moments are those of birth and death. Have you ever been present at either? Personally, I have yet to witness a birth, even that of an insect or animal, but I have had the privilege of sitting with a friend as she died and holding her hand as she travelled that last journey.
As we celebrate the Feast of All Souls on 2 November, I am reminded of the fact that, in a way, I still hold the hand of those I have loved in whatever stage of the journey they happen to be after death. To this celebration I bring two basic beliefs. First, I believe in the Communion of Saints. As Christians we share the life of Christ and are made one Body with him. This union reaches beyond death into eternity. United, we are still one Body – we still hold each other’s hand; we pray with and for each other; we nurture their love in our hearts.
Julian Tenison Woods – Encouraged by Saints
November 1, 2024
We celebrate the feast of All Saints on 1 November with a reflection by Sr Jan Tranter.
Drawn to priesthood from youth and struggling to his goal, Julian Tenison Woods was encouraged by three priests who are now recognised or on the path to be recognised as saints.
Venerable Ignatius Spencer, St Peter Julian Eymard and St Jean Marie Vianney, each affirmed Julian in his journey to priesthood. Canon Frederick Oakeley stands with them, encompassing Julian’s contact with the other three.
Welcome Day
October 25, 2024
On Wednesday 11 September, the Josephite Justice Network hosted a Welcome Day at Mary MacKillop Place along with Josephite Action Group (JAG) volunteers, and schools with a Josephite connection: Mary MacKillop Catholic College Wakeley, Mount St Joseph Catholic College Milperra, and Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Fairfield.
If you were at Mary MacKillop Place in the week that followed, you may have noticed a vibrant explosion of colour and joy on the chalk art wall across from Anderledy Lodge. This art was a small representation of the joy and fun at the Welcome Day.
World Teachers’ Day in AJASS Schools
We celebrate World Teachers’ Day in Australia this year on Friday 25 October. For this day, we share a reflection by Elise Scrivens and Cassie Lawson – University of Southern Queensland Education Students and School Officers (Assisting Student Learning) working at Mary MacKillop Catholic College, Highfields, in the Diocese of Toowoomba. They are both alumnus of the College which is a part of AJASS (Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools).
World Teachers’ Day is about celebrating the professionalism, devotion, faith and love that teachers in Josephite schools model every day.
We are pre-service teachers, currently working as School Officers (Assisting Student Learning) at Mary MacKillop Catholic College in Highfields, Queensland. This is the College we attended from Prep to Year 12.
Walking in Synodality with the most vulnerable
October 8, 2024
In October 2024, we pray with Pope Francis for the prayer intention, ‘for a shared mission’. We also commemorate World Mission Day, otherwise known as World Mission Sunday, on 20 October.
As Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart and according to our Chapter Statement, we realise “the potential of our charism for connecting us with others in God´s mission and engage with the opportunities this offers”.
Perú is a country where we believe that the way to do our mission to make possible God’s will, is by working with others in a ‘Synodal lifestyle’.
My Experience of Mary MacKillop’s Canonisation
For me the privilege of being in Rome for Mary MacKillop’s canonisation (17 October 2010) was the culmination of my Josephite journey to that point.
I was educated in primary and secondary school, and then teacher’s college with the Josephites. This gave me the opportunity to come to know the values and spirit of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. It helped me to be open, questioning and searching, the fertile ground to hear God’s call to me. My journey with the Josephites took me to many parts of New South Wales seeing ordinary people who, like my family, were the beneficiary of the commitment of so many of the Sisters.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, held annually on 17 October, is a global day that raises awareness about the causes and effects of poverty, and how we can – as individuals and communities – take steps towards its eradication.
According to the World Bank, more than 700 million people – which is nearly 1 in 11 people globally – live on less than $2.15 a day. Poverty, in all its forms, strips individuals of their dignity, limiting their access to essential resources such as food, clean water, healthcare, education, and housing. It is more likely to affect people who live in remote areas – those who are marginalised, displaced and often overlooked.
One of the core principles of Mary MacKillop Today is ‘Reaching the Margins’. Just like Saint Mary MacKillop, we go where the need is greatest. We seek to address poverty by working closely with our partners to deliver access to education and the teaching of life skills, in Australia and overseas. Our programs focus on changing the lives of marginalised communities, so they can break the cycle of poverty and realise their potential.