Circumstances call Mary MacKillop to Sydney… 140 years ago
Mary MacKillop was a prolific letter writer to her Sisters as they spread across Australia and New Zealand. She provided encouragement, practical and spiritual advice. Her letter dated 13 November 1883 was a very personal one to the Sisters in South Australia. What were the circumstances which led to her leaving Adelaide at short notice? […]
A Letter from Father Julian Tenison Woods
To mark the birth of Father Julian Tenison Woods on 15 November 1832, Sr Carmel Jones imagines a letter written by Fr Julian on his birthday… As I sit here today on my birthday, pen in hand, I am drawn to reflect back on my life and thank God for the many graces with which […]
World Kindness Day
During Covid, at a time of fear and social isolation, we saw neighbours reaching out to the elderly and sick, offering to deliver their groceries and medicines, and many other expressions of kindness. Remember the teddy bears in the front gardens and rainbows displayed in many places, drinks in the driveway? Why would we need […]
Communion: Feasts of All Saints and All Souls
The liturgical cycle invites us to walk through the Paschal Mystery each year. As it draws towards an ending and a new beginning, we are also invited to reflect on the mystery of the whole living community of which we are a part. Christine Valters Paintner (2023) suggests remembering those who walked this earth before […]
Music in Timor-Leste: A Special Student
The huge amount of work in justice and charity organised for our northern neighbour, Timor-Leste, by Sisters Josephine Mitchell and Susan Connelly is well known. Less known are the individual cases of people they helped. In response to Bishop Belo’s request for assistance in literacy and health needs, Sr Josephine established the Mary MacKillop Institute […]
Santusa is breaking the cycle of poverty!
On 17 October we observe the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, a day which presents us all with the opportunity to acknowledge the struggles and marginalisation that many people here in Australia and around the world experience. The theme for 2022-2023 observance is Dignity for all in practice, a core underlying value that’s […]
Sustainability Squad Takes Action
Students from Mount St Joseph Catholic College Milperra share their sustainability initiatives and plastics project – a great example of T – TAKING ACTION! “As a school we were looking at different sustainability practices and how we could incorporate this into our school community,” says Angelina, a student and member of the STEAM Club and […]
Julian Tenison Woods – A Reflection
Each year as the anniversary of the death of Julian Tenison Woods approaches (7 October), time can profitably be spent reflecting on various aspects of his life and spirituality, particularly in regard to how this can be relevant today. In the lead up to the coming referendum in Australia, some of Julian’s writing on Aboriginal […]
Prison Chaplaincy
Sr Virginia writes about her ministry and experience as a Prison Chaplain. I have worked as a Prison Chaplain for nearly four and a half years; three years at Long Bay Correctional Centre, and currently at Lithgow in NSW, a maximum-security prison for adult men. I see my role as ‘walking alongside’ the men, while […]
For whom am I a beacon?
Surely if humans are fortunate enough to live longer than the age of producing and rearing of offspring, there must be a purpose. We know that elderhood is a distinct phase in life that many of us achieve through the grace of longevity. It involves completing the previous stages of childhood, adolescence and adulting. Elders […]
Josephite Companions Day – A Champion Companion
A Josephite Companions Webinar held on 2 September 2023 saw Annie MacKillop, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s sister and constant companion, recognised as the ‘first’ or ‘original’ Josephite Companion. Guest Speaker, Sr Judith Mary Geddes, detailed the life and times of Annie who supported and walked the journey with Mary and the Sisters of […]
World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2023
On Sunday 24 September 2023, we celebrated the Vatican’s 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. In his message, Pope Francis has expressed that freedom must determine the decision to leave one’s native land. Free to leave, free to stay. World Day of Migrants and Refugees is a day to reflect and honour the resilience […]