AJASS Principals Lochinvar Pilgrimage
July 8, 2024
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.
The Archer Letters – Letter Thirty-Three
July 2, 2024
The last letter in this series was dictated by Fr Julian Tenison Woods on 13 March 1889. It reads as if maybe he knew it would probably be his last effort to his dear friend, William Archer.
The tone of the letter is one of resignation to his state of health with little hope of relief, but he remains cheerful and happy and expresses his determination to continue as such to the end. His work of dictating notes for publication has ceased – even letter writing is trying, although he is still eager to receive letters!
The Archer Letters – Letter Thirty-One
This short letter, written on 22 March 1888 from Fr Julian Tenison Woods in Sydney to William Archer in Melbourne is not written in his own handwriting. Anne Bulger has penned his words, although Fr Julian does attach his own signature and love and blessings to Mrs Archer and Gracie.
The Archer Letters – Letter Thirty
Fr Julian Tenison Woods’ letter to William Archer on 3 January 1888 from his home in Elizabeth Street, Sydney, was probably not penned by himself. However, he did add his own signature.
The reason for not writing himself was a serious deterioration in his health, leaving him an invalid unable to use his hands and feet freely. His eyesight was also failing. Yet, despite all this, Fr Julian was continuing to work from his travel notes and prepare articles and scientific papers. His able assistant was Anne Bulger, to whom he had also dictated his Memoirs. (Anne was a member of the lay community of devoted women who cared for Julian in his final invalid years.)
The Archer Letters – Letter Twenty-Nine
This letter is written from William Archer to Fr Julian Tenison Woods welcoming him back to Australia in 1886. It is Archer’s only letter in this collection.
Written from his home in Melbourne on the feast of Corpus Christi, 1886, William Archer’s words are warm and inviting – in anticipation of seeing his good friend once again. He is eager to hear all about Fr Julian’s research and to encourage him to speak and write about his experiences.
The Archer Letters – Letter Twenty-Eight
This letter was written from the mountains behind Osaka in Japan.
Fr Julian had retreated here to indulge his love of botany, geology and solitude. He seemed to be quite intrigued with Japan, its houses and people and was only too happy to be confined here longer than he expected due to a cholera epidemic “in the plains below”.
The Archer Letters – Letter Twenty-Seven
Wherever Fr Julian went he found people who had connections to Australia. In this letter he mentions that he was staying with Sir George Bowen, a former Governor of Victoria (1872-1879). It seems Fr Julian was not too charmed by Sir George because of the introduction he had given to his lecture on mines and minerals in the Malay Peninsula!