International Day of Friendship – JAG Training Weekend
July 24, 2024
To the Josephite Action Group (JAG), friendship means trusting in a shared mission that ignites hope and walking alongside each other to spread light for the community.
We were privileged to witness this meaning of friendship at our lastest JAG Training Weekend held at St Joseph’s Baulkham Hills, where old faces reunited, and new connections were forged.
World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
We always went on a journey to visit my grandparents and my paternal great grandparents. We made a train trip and a further trek in a rail motor. As I reminisce, I thought of these wonderful relatives as ‘old’ but special, and they represent times of gatherings and great excitement. These family elders were the hub of the extended family.
Time brings change and a crumbling of some relationships. This is further exacerbated when the next generation moves on and we can scramble to keep the relationships going. Thankfully we can be among the lucky ones when we do have connections and gatherings.
Pope Francis draws attention to the plight of grandparents who live away from their families and live in another country or state. I have witnessed the longing and loneliness of those who do not enjoy the privilege of the company of their progeny when they are surrounded by others who have constant interaction with their families.
Sea Sunday – Seafarers
July 8, 2024
To commemorate Sea Sunday 2024 on Sunday 21 July and Sunday 28 July, we reshare an article (first published in Tui Motu Magazine) written by Sr Mary Leahy, a Sister of Saint Joseph and Chaplain to Seafarers in Sydney.
Sr Mary writes of the exploitation of seafarers in the global shipping industry and the support needed to keep them safe.
Pastoral Care at Mary MacKillop Place
In July, we pray with Pope Francis for pastoral care of the sick:
The Mission Statement of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart says that they “continue God’s mission by immersing themselves in the midst of life to empower others and bring hope”.
At Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, it is incumbent on leaders, staff and volunteers to action that statement daily with all who work on or visit the site. One way of doing so is through pastoral care.
Being a Josephite Action Group volunteer
A day in the life of a Josephite Action Group (JAG) volunteer.
Dedicating a weekend, JAG helped deep clean and spruce up a House of Welcome apartment, ready to be a home for a family who have recently sought refuge. It was a weekend full of hard work, fun, dancing and lots of laughter!
AJASS Principals Lochinvar Pilgrimage
In mid-June, Principals of the Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools (AJASS) completed a pilgrimage to learn more about the history and charism of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, with a focus on the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar and Father Julian Tenison Woods (the co-founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph). Congregational Leader of Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Sr Monica Cavanagh also joined for part of the pilgrimage.
NAIDOC Week 2024
July 4, 2024
NAIDOC Week 2024: KEEP THE FIRE BURNING! BLAK, LOUD AND PROUD, is a celebration of the strength and vitality of Australia’s First Nations People and an opportunity to honour the ancient spirituality and culture embedded in the heart of this nation for over 65,000 years.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People have experienced and graciously shared with us sacred creation stories, songlines and profound wisdom that reveal an ancient spirit of God. God who is near us, above us, below us, in us, and with us always.
The spirit of Mary MacKillop burns strongly in Timor-Leste
If one was to try to summarise the spirit of Mary MacKillop, we could possibly say that it is a spirit that is compassionate, one that uses education to “heal, include, untether, set right and serve”, one that loves not only those being ministered to, but also those who work beside us, and one that automatically acts on seen needs. This spirit is alive and pumping in Mary MacKillop Today (MMT), especially in the Timor-Leste region.