Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools Executive Meeting
September 26, 2024
Planning for a 2025 Conference was the main agenda item of the AJASS Executive when they met at Mary MacKillop Place on 12 September.
AJASS is the Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools – and their charter commits them to continuing the educational mission of the Josephite order, informed explicitly by the specific charism and witness of the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
Launch of Laudato Si’ URGENT HOPE series of Conversation Packages
September 10, 2024
In this Season of Creation (1 September – 4 October 2024), the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, in collaboration with the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar, are pleased to launch their newest community resource supporting Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum entitled URGENT HOPE.
URGENT HOPE is the first in a five-part series of Conversation Packages drawn from Laudate Deum, Pope Francis’ document on the climate crisis. The URGENT HOPE Conversation Package provides prompts for discussion and reflection with a focus on the urgency of the climate crisis and the Christian virtue of hope. The URGENT HOPE series adds to the rich resources available in this Season of Creation and will extend into 2025.
The URGENT HOPE series of Conversation Packages are in two forms. The main resource can be viewed via Flippingbook and can be downloaded and printed. Each Conversation Package will also include a Webinar which will be open to all Josephite supporters.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
September 9, 2024
You may have noticed recent media references to “childless cat-ladies”. By and large, these have been politically spiked, positive neither to women or cats. For a start, the woman of whom I write today was definitely not ‘childless’, for she, Saint Helena as the Church honours her, was the mother of Constantine the Great, the Emperor who converted to Christianity. [Now, do trust me dear reader. I will eventually reveal how Helena did have an apostolic connection with cats!]
Helena [c.248 CE – c.330 CE] gave birth to Constantine on 27 February, c.272 CE. Before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE, where several contenders sought to establish themselves as sole Emperor, Constantine claims he saw a vision of a fiery Cross in the night sky together with the words “In this sign, you will conquer”. Constantine won the battles and was proclaimed Emperor.
Young Adults and Professionals Pilgrimage to Mary MacKillop Place
September 6, 2024
The above quote by Mary MacKillop is a reminder that this life is temporary and a journey. As we journey through life, we encounter ups and downs which can shape our lives and contribute to who we are.
On Sunday 18 August (and in the month of Mary MacKillop’s feast), The Forest and Set Alight communities of young adults and professionals from Ryde-Gladesville Parish in Sydney, joined together to embark on a pilgrimage to learn more about the life and legacy of Mary MacKillop, a woman who understood the journey of life.
Celebrating St Mary MacKillop’s Feast at Mary MacKillop Place
St Mary MacKillop’s feast day is a momentous occasion, and to those of us blessed to call Mary MacKillop Place our workplace, we prepare to ensure everything runs smoothly for the large number of pilgrims who celebrate the feast each year.
Every team at Mary MacKillop Place has a crucial role, from organising liturgies to managing the facilities on site, conference services, catering, the café, and the many hours of behind-the-scenes administration, cooking, cleaning and stocking up etc.
Companions Supporting Companions Webinar
September 5, 2024
Every year, the Josephite Companions celebrate ‘Josephite Companions Day’. To commemorate this day, there was a webinar titled ‘Companions Supporting Companions’ on 31 August which featured the life of Mary MacKillop’s sister, Annie.
Who is the story-teller in your family? Every family has one; someone who keeps the memories alive, never lets the exact truth get in the way of a good story, and really enjoys seeing the pleasure it brings. We have come away from the webinar today with a feeling that the MacKillop family had a story-teller in Annie MacKillop.
Our group of Josephite Companions from Sawtell, New South Wales, were very fortunate to have a technologically talented computer person, in the form of Kathryn, who proposed we do it together and so we had nine members around the table.
Social Justice Statement 2024-25: Truth. Trust. Peace.
Members of the Josephite Justice Network (JJN) attended the Parramatta Diocese launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Social Justice Statement, Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World, on 20 August.
Bishop Vincent Long reminded us that this violence is not so distant, as our neighbours in West Papua and Myanmar are suffering from wicked injustices, fueled by the narratives of competing truths. In light of this, the Social Justice Statement provides a vital blueprint for upholding truth and peace both at home and across neighbouring seas.
Guest speaker, Joel Hodge, Senior Lecturer at the Australian Catholic University provided a simple, yet insightful presentation on how to receive the messages of truth and peace found in the statement. Hodge simplified the complexities of the violent world that often undermines our confidence as drivers towards the common good. He identified two types of change makers, the ‘I possess myself’ and the ‘gift based’ individual.
Celebrating the International Day of Charity: Spreading Kindness
September 2, 2024
What is the International Day of Charity?
The International Day of Charity, which is observed annually on 5 September, is a global day that raises awareness of charity work around the world.
Established by the United Nations in 2012, the International Day of Charity is an opportunity to support charitable works. It’s also a chance for charities and volunteers to raise awareness of the work they are doing. From large international agencies to small local community-based charities, this is a day to mark achievements and a call for further support in making the world a kinder place.