Wilcannia Sisters Amalgamate with North Sydney Josephites 1902
December 2, 2020Sisters of the Diocese of Wilcannia Amalgamate with North Sydney Josephites
Among the many twists of history and blessings of divine providence associated with the Sisters of Saint Joseph, is the story of those sisters who were appointed from The Vale (Perthville) to several small towns in western New South Wales. This is their story.
From the time of the first foundation from The Vale to the remote town of Bourke, the sisters in the western part of the state experienced extreme isolation. That community did not return to The Vale for the summer holiday for three and a half years after the foundation was made in 1881. After Nyngan was opened the two convents naturally formed their own group that later expanded to include Nymagee and Balranald. Far removed from the authority of the bishop of Bathurst and the sister guardian at The Vale, the “western group” lived according to the early traditions of the Institute, and directives, if indeed they reached the area, were generally only taken up if they were consistent with those traditions. Prior to his death in 1889, a number of the sisters had maintained a regular correspondence with Father Woods for whom they held a deep affection. In many instances the Book of Instructions, prohibited at The Vale, was carefully followed.
When the diocese of Wilcannia was constituted in 1887 under the leadership of Bishop Dunne, those sisters already working in the area remained there forming their own diocesan Institute separate from The Vale. Sister Stanislaus Fitzpatrick was appointed sister guardian by the bishop who made it clear that he wished the sisters under his authority to observe the Rule, custom and directives issued from Perthville.. However, life in the convents went on much the same as prior to the arrival of the new bishop.
In 1891 the Sisters of Saint Joseph left Bourke and were replaced by the Sisters of Mercy who were able to provide secondary education which by that time was required by a number of Bourke students. Hillston was then chosen as the mother house of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. At the conclusion of that year, Sister Ursula Dunning was appointed sister guardian after Stanislaus Fitzpatrick had resigned due to ill health. Balranald was also given into the care of the Sisters of Mercy.
Isolated and without much expectation of expansion, the small diocesan Institute of Josephites continued in just three centres. They felt their isolation very keenly. Some were in poor health and others required attention for their eyesight that had been neglected. In Nymagee two of their number died. Sister Aloysius Kelly was only twenty-eight when she died of tuberculosis in 1890. Sister Ambrose Sullivan was the same age when she died in 1894 of typhoid fever. There was nowhere the Sisters could escape the heat during the summer holiday. They recognised their need for sound professional training and ongoing spiritual formation if they were to be a viable religious Institute. Furthermore, the revised Rule, which one of the sisters saw by chance, required changes that they had already found unacceptable.
However, that sighting and presumably some contact with other diocesan groups, made the sisters of the Wilcannia diocese aware that according to the terms of the 1888 decree from Rome, they were free to either remain under the authority of the bishop or to join with the Sydney Josephites. By August 1899, they had initiated moves to amalgamate, stating to Mother Mary MacKillop their desire “to establish on a firm footing the spirit of our early sisters of whom you were the first.” (Sister Margaret Mary Lyons to Mother Mary MacKillop 28.5.1901).
After Bishop Dunne’s return from Rome and negotiations that included the continuing presence of the sisters in the Wilcannia diocese, arrangements went ahead. Sister Joseph Dwyer, who had played a significant part in the withdrawal of the sisters from The Vale in 1876, visited each community on behalf of Mother Mary. A total of twenty-one sisters, the majority of whom had begun their religious life at The Vale, were part of the amalgamation that was finally completed on 2 December 1902. At some time prior to that, the four sisters who desired to maintain diocesan status returned to The Vale.
In recent years the Perthville Sisters and the local Nymagee Catholic community have seen to the restoration of the two Josephite graves in the Nymagee cemetery. On 28 November 2001, a group of the sisters, together with the community, gathered there for a ceremony of rededication of the graves. The memorial plaque which was erected on the site on that day bears witness to the small band of Sisters of Saint Joseph who served so courageously and generously in the western areas of New South Wales.
Marie Crowley PhD
Shoots of Hope for All Creation
December 1, 2020“Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world.”
Abraham Heschel wrote these words in The Prophets: An Introduction over half a century ago. I have pondered his words for almost 50 years and have marvelled at their constantly contemporary ring.
The “plundered poor” of the late sixth century BCE are named in Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11 as the poor or oppressed, the broken-hearted, the captives, the prisoners and the mourners in the human community.
This passage belongs at the heart of the third and final section of the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 56-66), generally designated Third or Trito-Isaiah and my reflection addresses the text in the context of the Hebrew Bible rather than in relation to its appropriation in the Christian Scriptures…
Continue reading the article below:
Tui Motu Issue 255, December 2020 (PDF)
*Veronica Lawson RSM is an eco-feminist biblical scholar and author of The Blessing of Mercy: Bible Perspectives and Ecological Challenges, 2016.
Painting: Kāpiti Essence by Sonia Savage © Used with permission. www.soniasavageart.com (obtained from Tui Motu).
Advent 2020
November 29, 2020Advent Reflection.
Take a moment to close your eyes and go on a journey of remembering. Think back to when you were a little child and some special event was to occur in the very near future. You may have been awaiting a birthday or a holiday or Christmas. As you remember, tap into the anticipation that you experienced at this time. Each day brought greater excitement and expectancy even though it felt as if the anticipated moment would never arrive.
For us Christians, the anticipation of the birth of Christ in the season of Advent resembles our childhood experiences. The word, Advent, derives from the Latin adventus, which means coming. While it is a period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas, it is also a reminder of the Second Coming of Christ.
Fortunately for us, rather than having to endure the agonising wait of the child, there are symbols that make the anticipation of the birth of the Christ Child a little easier. The Sunday readings break down the period into two specific sections, those of remembrance and anticipation. On the first two Sundays we look forward to Christ’s second coming and on the remaining two we look backwards to the story of Christ’s first coming in the Bethlehem of long ago.
The Advent candles, which are usually placed in a wreath, highlight the significance of each of these Sundays. The wreath, which is created out of evergreens, symbolises everlasting life. The circle reminds us of God’s unending love.
As we light the first one, the candle of hope, we have a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts even as we prepare our homes to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is hope that keeps us from despair and urges us to be compassionate, kind and loving towards one another. It is hope that encourages us to believe and trust in a merciful God.
The second candle represents faith. It is sometimes known as the Bethlehem Candle, as it serves to remind us of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. It symbolises the expectation and utter confidence felt by all who are anticipating the coming of the Messiah. It is
While three of the Advent candles are purple, the third one to be lit is a pink (rose) colour, and that is the liturgical colour for joy. This Sunday is known as Gaudete Sunday, that is, it is a day when we rejoice that the world has experienced the birth of Jesus and that we have reached the midpoint of this Advent season.
The final candle, which brings us a a message of peace, is lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent. It reminds us of the message of the angels:
Jesus brought about peace in the most unexpected of ways. Today he brings us inner peace and thus encourages us to put aside our differences and do what we can to bring about his peace in today’s world.
As we move into this coming Advent season, may we capture the excitement and anticipation of the child as we prepare for the birth of Jesus in our hearts and in the world around us.
Maryellen Thomas rsj
Image: Advent Wreath by Ursula Fischer obtained from Pixabay. Used with permission.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 25, 202025 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
2020 marks the thirtieth year of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, which ends on 10 December with Human Rights Day. It was initiated in 1991 and coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. This year the focus is on women workers in the informal economy.
Slavery represents the most common form of violence against women and children. Women and girls accounted for 28.7 million (11%) of Modern Slavery and one in 4 victims were children (2017, International Labour Organization).
Pope Francis reminds us, “it is not possible to remain indifferent before the knowledge that human beings are bought and sold like goods!”
In 2015 Sr Margaret Ng, together with members of St Joseph’s Enfield Parish, New South Wales established Parish Against Trafficking of Humans (PATH) to raise awareness of slavery locally, nationally and internationally.
Rosie Hoban from Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) interviewed Sr. Margaret Ng about PATH. The article will be published on 6 December 2020.
To read the interview please click on the link below:
Activism in Parishes (available 6 December)
Margaret Ng rsj
Image obtained from Deposit Photos.
Ella Wins Gold in History Challenge
November 20, 2020A good news story from Mount St. Joseph’s Girls’ College in Altona West, Victoria.
One of our Year 12 students (in a very difficult year) has won a couple of major awards in a national competition.
The National History Challenge is a research-based competition for students. It gives students a chance to be an historian, researching world history, examining Australia’s past, investigating their community or exploring their own roots. It emphasises and rewards quality research, the use of community resources and effective presentation.
Ella Bibby won a gold award (state champion) for the senior category and using primary sources category. On top of this, she was also won a platinum award (overall national champion) in the “using primary sources” category.
The college is extremely proud of Ella and her achievements.
Nicole Magee
Marketing & Communications
Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College
133 Maidstone Street, Altona VIC 3018
Birth of Fr Julian Tenison Woods
November 15, 2020From Southwark, England to Southport, Tasmania.
On 15 November 1832 in Southwark, England, Henrietta St Eloy Tenison, wife of James Dominick Woods, gave birth to a son, Julian Edmund Tenison Woods.
As in any family the birth of a child is received with great joy and perhaps even wonder at what this child might do with his God given life.
In the decade of the 1830’s the world saw a rise of imperialism and colonialism. Britain saw a surge of power and world dominance. New settlements commenced in 1803 and flourished in Australia. Tasmania’s early history tells of crime, punishment, hardship and survival in some of the harshest, yet most beautiful places on earth. Between 1803 and 1853 approximately 75,000 men, women and children from British and Irish ports were transported to Van Dieman’s Land.
Remembrance Day 2020
November 11, 2020In Flanders Fields.
To acknowledge Remembrance Day on 11 November this year, we would like to share the poem, ‘In Flanders Fields’ with you. It is written by the Canadian poet, soldier, and physician John McCrae. He wrote the poem in 1915 as a memorial to those who died in a World War I battle fought in a region of Belgium known as the Ypres Salient.
For additional information, please feel free to visit The Australian War Museum website.
A Day in the Life: Rural Ministry
November 8, 2020I might begin with today, 5 October 2020, in Cloncurry, “the friendly heart of the great North West” of Queensland.
Where is Cloncurry? I hear you ask – 120 kilometres east of Mount Isa. Of course, the day’s activities depend on which day of the week, which month and which Season of the year one is describing… and it’s mulberry time here – and a public holiday! So this morning, after feeding the school chooks, also the Corelas, with Bakery leftovers, and watering the garden, I delighted in thrusting my face into and among the lovely cool, new green leaves of my numerous mulberry bushes, searching out the sweet fruit! Friends make jam, tarts etc – a joy in this drought-stricken area, with Spring temperatures already up to 40°C.
As in many rural ministries, I am the sole Sister remaining, as I was also in Mount Isa while still teaching secondary. In these cases, especially where there is no resident priest, the Sister is very busy doing many different works (not even including housework!). Hence, here I am Parish secretary, treasurer, sacristan, musician, Liturgy planner, visitor of the sick and elderly and taking Communion where needed etc, etc.
I also teach keyboard and guitar, but thankfully most of my pupils over the years, have seen the light and moved on – but five youngsters persist – so at 8:05am Monday – Friday, I teach music.
On a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday mornings, I head for our Vinnies op. shop – the only op. shop in this town of about 3,000 people and in a large area east of Cloncurry.
Ten years ago, I attended a meeting in town, when the Vinnies shop was about to close, and came out as Manager (or Supervisor the technical term!) A learning experience indeed! The work necessary to make the shop a “going concern” then, and currently, takes up many of my waking hours – evidenced by the bags and baskets of Vinnies stuff in this room in the convent, as I write! But I love the work, catching up with the locals and meeting visitors, hearing of problems, providing clothing help for needy children in Mount Isa, men’s groups, and surrounding communities. We, the volunteers and I, delight in preparing and providing great items cheaply for the town and surrounds. P.S. Obviously lacking humility, I will boast that a few visitors have written in our Visitor’s Book: “One of the best op. shops in Australia!”
The convent is adjacent to St. Joseph’s Primary and Secondary School, Prep – Year 9, as our Sisters opened and ran the Primary School from 1910 till recently, when lay Principals took over. Indeed, the school can boast that it was the last one founded by Mary MacKillop just before she died. Sr Cecilia, one of Mary’s nurses, was one of Cloncurry’s founding Community of Josephites.
I am often asked by the teachers here, to speak to their class on various topics e.g. Mary MacKillop, Parish life etc – and rocks (I am a retired science teacher, and love rocks!)
Please continue reading below:
A Day in the Life – Rural Ministry (PDF)
Sr Lynette Freestone
View photos of Cloncurry in the photo gallery below:
