150 Years in NSW: We Remember, We Reflect, We Give Thanks
November 8, 2022
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.
Celebrating 125 Years at Boulder, Western Australia
November 7, 2022Over the weekend of 15-16 October, four Sisters of Saint Joseph, Dora Maguire, Frances Maguire, Kath Hitchcock and Pauline Dundon, and myself Sue Sondalini (the WA Archivist), met in Boulder in the WA goldfields, 600 kilometres to the east of Perth. We met to be part of the celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the local St Joseph’s School founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1897.
Around the world with Mary MacKillop Today
October 21, 2022
You’re invited to a trip around the world with Mary MacKillop Today on Thursday, 3 November 2022 at 4:30pm AEDT!
Inspired by Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop, Mary MacKillop Today are working to transform lives with dignity through self-determination.
Feasts of All Saints and Souls
The feasts of All Saints and All Souls are celebrated on 1 November and 2 November respectively.
Over the first two days of November, we are invited to pray with and for everyone. We can pray with one another and the saints, as we are also reminded to remember and pray for all departed souls.
Profile on Sr Josephine Mitchell – Former Teacher and Educator
For newly professed Sr Josephine Mitchell, her first teaching post in 1954 was in the small community of Burringbar located in the top eastern corner of NSW.
“It took over 24 hours to get there on the train from Sydney,” says Josephine, now aged in her 90s.
Celebrating the Gift of Education
150 Years of the Sisters of Saint Joseph Education in NSW
This Teacher’s Day (28 October) we come together to say ‘thank you’ and celebrate the contribution, achievements and leadership of teachers. It is an opportunity to take a moment to recognise the impact of educators in all our communities.
Education is a ministry close to the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart. The link goes back to the establishment of the Congregation in 1866, when Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods opened the first Stable School in Penola, South Australia for the purpose of providing a Catholic education for children of families in isolated areas.
Papal Approbation for Whanganui Foundation
In 1928, Congregational Leader of the Whanganui Sisters of Saint Joseph, Sr Lucy Donovan with Sr Xavier Malone, attended the Eucharistic Congress in Sydney. The Apostolic Delegate urged them to consider unity with the Australian Diocesan Congregations.
Sr Aquin of Lochinvar in 1934, proposed union between the five Congregations of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, which would then obtain Papal Approbation for all diocesan groups. This proposal was not taken up.