Celebrating the Diamond Jubilarians for 2021
November 8, 2022
Sisters of Saint Joseph who were to celebrate their Diamond Jubilee in 2021, were finally able to celebrate in 2022.
Our Diamond Jubilee Eucharist on 7 October, presided over by Bishop Vincent Long and concelebrated by guests of Sr Doreen Dagge, was the highlight of our Jubilee celebrations.
With our theme being ‘Thanksgiving’, present at this gathering were eleven of us, including two Victorians, with all of us participating in a very meaningful Liturgy.
International Day of Tolerance 2022
Earlier this month we heard news of the New South Wales (NSW) Australian of the Year Award being given to Craig Foster, former Socceroo and human rights activist, who has advocated for refugees and anti-racism. Recently, he helped the Afghan women’s national football team and other female athletes flee the Taliban and campaigned for the release of refugees.
In the same list of awards, Amar Singh, founder of Turbans 4 Australia, was named the NSW Local Hero for the voluntary work of Indian Sikhs who cheerfully delivered food to vulnerable Australians struggling in natural disasters of bushfires, floods and the Covid pandemic – all the while promoting multiculturalism and religious tolerance.
A Birthday Memory of a Visionary
The significant connection between England and Australia was not fully recognised on 15 November 1832, the birth of Julian Tenison Woods.
Julian’s early life amidst frequent changes of residence, provided the space for developing and pursuing his lifetime interest in reading, discovering, and recording nature through sketching and sharing. The following years were dotted with varied and valuable experiences that contributed to his later years of priestly and pastoral service to the Catholic Church in Australia and civil society in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and Java.
World Kindness Day – Be Kind Whenever Possible
You’ve got to try a little kindness
Yes, show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets.
Many of us will remember singing along to the music and lyrics of Glen Campbell. The echoes of these words call us to dig more deeply into the meaning of kindness and compassion. These lyrics have a message for our everyday living of being courteous, acknowledging achievement and greatness with gratitude, and gifting people with the joy of their worth and well-being.
Armistice and Remembrance Day
We commemorate Armistice and Remembrance Day on 11 November annually. Sr Eleanor shares a reflection on Armistice Day with an Aotearoa New Zealand perspective.
Wreath–laying ceremonies mark Armistice Day at the National War Memorial in Wellington and at many local war memorials throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Two minutes silence is observed at 11am on 11 November in memory of those who died while serving their country in all wars since the first World War (1914-1918). The “Last Post” is played by a bugler and a one-minute silence is observed.
Your Water, Your Life, No Water, No Future
Sisters of Saint Joseph based in Whanganui, Aotearoa New Zealand, recently joined the community to express their concerns for how the water may be used in their community.
In the small city of Whanganui, Aotearoa New Zealand, a bottling company’s plans to extract aquifer water from an existing capped bore beside the old unused Milk Distribution Buildings has the community concerned.
150 Years in NSW: We Remember, We Reflect, We Give Thanks
In this our sesquicentenary year of the arrival in New South Wales of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, we offer this meditation.
November is the month of All Saints and All Souls so, in our Josephite story, this is our special focus:
Take time to step back from the busyness of the world around you, breathe in Peace and breathe out Calmness.
From Taproot to Rhizome Book Launch
Friends and family of Sr Catherine Thom recently gathered at St Joseph’s Centre in Baulkham Hills for the launch of her latest book, From Taproot to Rhizome: A Study of Post Vatican II Changes to the Lives and Experiences of a Group of Women Religious 1968-2008.
The launch was the culmination of years of research, writing, reflections and discussions to capture the history of the Sisters of Saint Joseph (SOSJ) NSW Province throughout this period.