A Letter from Father Julian Tenison Woods
November 8, 2023
To mark the birth of Father Julian Tenison Woods on 15 November 1832, Sr Carmel Jones imagines a letter written by Fr Julian on his birthday…
As I sit here today on my birthday, pen in hand, I am drawn to reflect back on my life and thank God for the many graces with which I have been blessed.
I am certainly grateful for my parents, James and Henrietta, who gave me the gift of life, and for the many and varied experiences that came with growing up with my family in England. I was blessed to be able to follow my deep desire for priesthood which led me from London to France and then to Australia. I am also grateful for the way my life was so enriched by my love of science and the environment.
World Kindness Day
During Covid, at a time of fear and social isolation, we saw neighbours reaching out to the elderly and sick, offering to deliver their groceries and medicines, and many other expressions of kindness. Remember the teddy bears in the front gardens and rainbows displayed in many places, drinks in the driveway?
Why would we need a day to remind us to be kind? Well, we have Christmas Day to remind us about Jesus joining our humanity, Good Friday to remind us about Jesus’ death in love and Easter Sunday to remind us about Jesus Rising from the Dead and bringing us with him. We have Valentine’s Day to remind us to tell a person we love them, and ANZAC Day to remember the courage of many.
Remembrance Day: The Eleventh Hour
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we have the great pause to remember the signing of the Armistice in 1918. The “war to end all wars” did not live up to its name, and the formality on that November day was merely an agreement between the warring nations of World War I to stop fighting.
Twenty-one years later, using the impossible reparations imposed upon Germany after the Great War as one of his excuses, the vicious and ridiculous Adolf Hitler plunged the world into chaos once again.
I Can, I Will
Trish and Vin Hindmarsh – Eco-Heroes Profile
Caring for Earth and finding a sense of the sacred in all things are concepts dear to our Eco-Heroes of the month – Trish and Vin Hindmarsh.
“This beautiful green, blue and brown planet we call our common home has been shaping my life and learning since I was a small ’free range’ kid, spending my early most impressionable years in Burnie, Tasmania,” says Trish Hindmarsh.
“My siblings and I sensed awe and wonder as we ran free along the beach. Exploring the thick bush beyond our back yard and lighting small camp fires to cook our pretend meals taught us the value of silence, the calls of the birds and a duty of care for nature, including our own self-preservation, as we tested new limits of climbing, diving, wandering and observing.”
Vin and Trish Hindmarsh are great examples of ‘I CAN, I WILL’ and committed eco-heroes.
Communion: Feasts of All Saints and All Souls
October 23, 2023
The liturgical cycle invites us to walk through the Paschal Mystery each year. As it draws towards an ending and a new beginning, we are also invited to reflect on the mystery of the whole living community of which we are a part.
Christine Valters Paintner (2023) suggests remembering those who walked this earth before us; we have that in the Christian tradition, but I think it’s something we need to reclaim and revisit as a beautiful fullness and gift knowing ourselves as part of this greater communion.
140th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Josephites in Temuka, ANZ
On 1 November we will be remembering 140 years since Mary MacKillop sent three Sisters to Temuka to set up the first foundation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ).
We acknowledge that three years earlier, another Josephite Congregation had travelled from Perthville, NSW to Whanganui (ANZ). At that stage we were two separate congregations, however thankfully in 2013, the congregations fused.
Music in Timor-Leste: A Special Student
October 20, 2023
The huge amount of work in justice and charity organised for our northern neighbour, Timor-Leste, by Sisters Josephine Mitchell and Susan Connelly is well known. Less known are the individual cases of people they helped.
In response to Bishop Belo’s request for assistance in literacy and health needs, Sr Josephine established the Mary MacKillop Institute of East Timorese Studies (MMIETS). Sr Susan, a competent musician and author, was Sr Josephine’s ready first assistant.
Santusa is breaking the cycle of poverty!
October 17, 2023
On 17 October we observe the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, a day which presents us all with the opportunity to acknowledge the struggles and marginalisation that many people here in Australia and around the world experience.
The theme for 2022-2023 observance is Dignity for all in practice, a core underlying value that’s intrinsic across all of Mary MacKillop Today’s vital work, including our Vocational Training for Women and Young People in Rural Communities’ project in Peru. We know the cycle of poverty can be broken when people access learning and training to build their skills for better employment opportunities or to create a small business. This not only increases their income, but also improves the living conditions in their home and community.
Our project works alongside our local partners CCAIJO and the Quispicanchi Centre for Technical Productive Education (CETPRO) to provide people with accredited vocational training courses based on the needs of their community. The project trains teachers, equips classrooms with resources, and allows young people to join courses at a subsidised rate. Students also develop practical life skills and gain experience with the local business sector — to overcome marginalisation and be contributing members of their communities.