The Virtues of Saint Mary of The Cross, Mary MacKillop1842-1909
This book presents the Christian virtues of Mother Mary MacKillop, the Australian-born woman who has become Saint Mary of The Cross. It is not a biography, but rather a character portrait, tracing the outline of the virtues exemplified all through her life.
Written by Fr Paul Gardiner S.J., the Postulator of the cause of her canonisation.
Bobs The Dog
This story is told by Mary MacKillop’s pet dog, Bobs. He tells how he was able to make Mary’s life more enjoyable with the help of a Sister who befriended him. The author, Diane Phillips rsj, hopes that this story about a dog’s devotion to Mary will bring joy to all its readers.
Perthville Foundation Day 1872
Honouring the Perthville Story – Foundation Day, 16 July 1872. The most common name for a Catholic School in New South Wales (NSW) is St Joseph’s. Currently 77 (one in every eight), NSW Catholic schools bear the name of Joseph. The first St Joseph’s Catholic School in NSW was begun on 16 July 1872 in […]
A Communion of Companions
Mary and the men on the founding Monogram: A Communion of Companions In May this year, Sr Marie Foale wrote on the founding Josephite Rule written by Fr Julian Tenison Woods in October 1867 (First steps towards the Foundation of the Order). This Rule, lived by Mother Mary and her early companions, was signed by […]
Magnificent Altar Piece
A stunning altar piece has been installed and blessed at the Australian Catholic University’s chapel in North Sydney. A stunning altar piece created in Medieval Italian Sienese style—the first of its kind produced in 400 years—has been installed and blessed at the Australian Catholic University’s chapel in North Sydney. The artist who produced the magnificent […]
Vale Deacon Boniface
We remember Deacon Boniface (1936 – 2019), a man who lived the spirit of this year’s NAIDOC theme: ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s walk together for a shared future.’ Deacon Boniface Perjert was born in Port Keats, Northern Territory in 1936 to Perdjert his Muripatha father and Bullimbi, his Moigabin mother. Boniface was the first baby […]
Mount St Joseph’s Former Students Excel
“Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College (MSJ) breathes life into contemporary learning, inspires girls to strive to fulfil their goals and celebrates their many talents.” Here are a couple of examples of past students’ achievements: Kelly and Lacrosse: Former MSJ student, Steph Kelly (MSJ College Sports Captain 2016) is living her dream and goal of playing […]
Mary MacKillop: Patron of Brisbane Archdiocese
Mary, Patron of the Brisbane Archdiocese Mosquito plague, high humidity and heat greeted Mary MacKillop and her Sisters when they arrived in Brisbane on New Year’s Eve 1869 – just three and half years after the foundation of the Congregation in Penola. What warrior women they were, with hearts set on fire for God’s mission. […]
Remembering Sister Anne Derwin
10 September 1949 – 23 June 2019 Sister Anne Derwin of the New South Wales Region died peacefully on 23 June 2019 at The Mater Hospital, North Sydney, NSW. Anne, who became a Sister of Saint Joseph fifty years ago, trained as a teacher of Maths, Science and Religious Education. She taught these subjects at Saint Joseph’s […]
Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ
Bread of Presence… Corpus Christi. My understanding and appreciation of the feast of Corpus Christi has been influenced over recent years by the writings of Teilhard de Chardin, Richard Rohr and Ilia Delio. This feast is for me a celebration of the all-encompassing Presence of Christ in the Universe. As a lover of nature and […]
Refugee Week 2019
In 2019, Refugee Week will be held from Sunday 16 June to Saturday 22 June. Here I sit, staring at a blank page, wondering what to write? It’s Refugee Week. I visualise delightfully coloured cultural clothing of the migrant populations that have graced, our ‘bounteous plains,’ in the past. Being realistic, the WWII immigrants had […]
A New Rule for a New Time
Father Julian Woods: A New Rule for a New Time. Today, as I reflected on a recent message I received from Sr Monica, I found myself looking back over the past 160 years to Julian Woods as a young priest in charge of one of the most isolated parishes in South Australia. His bishop had […]