History

The ministry of MaryHaven was conceived through a chain of events beginning in May 1982. The Pastoral Care Programme of St Paul’s School Woodridge brought to light the problems of mothers under stress and in need of a break to revive body and spirit to keep on fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers.

Mary MacKillop’s motto - Never see a need without trying to do something about it - was the inspiration that encouraged Josephite sisters, Kath Carroll and Julie O’Gorman, to find ways to respond to these needs of the women at Woodridge school.

In March 1983, Madonna House at Scarborough was made available by the parish and enabled the ministry of MaryHaven Family Care to commence. Within a few months however, this residence was no longer available and the two sisters began to look for a more permanent home for their ministry.

Their prayers were answered through the great generosity of Father James Henry, parish priest of Woody Point, who offered them a suitable residence as a gift. In July 1983 the MaryHaven Ministry moved to its new and permanent site on the corner of Sunnyside Road and Fernlea Avenue, Scarborough. Its ideal position within walking distance of the beautiful foreshore of Moreton Bay and Deception Bay and the serenity of sea, sky and shady trees enabled guests to be in touch with the beauty of creation and its healing properties.

Since that day for over twenty years, hundreds of women and some men sought the assistance of MaryHaven as an answer to their needs. The peaceful homely atmosphere was quickly perceived on arrival and the sisters and staff ensured that everyone felt welcome. There was private room accommodation for seven guests who would come for a period of ten days for respite and relaxation.

Initially a set programme of input and discussion groups using John Powell’s works was offered with the aim of empowering the women to cope with the challenges of their home situations. Over the years the programme was changed to give guests more free time. As personal sharing had always been found to be a great help, each group was encouraged to come together to view videos suited to their needs and lively discussions would frequently follow. The two most popular video series were Clayton Barbeau’s How to Survive and John Bradshaw’s Dealing with the Family. Also each night after the evening meal guests were invited to take part in a guided reflection experience in which soft music and reflections such as Joyce Rupp’s were used. For those seeking inner peace and comfort this was a most welcome and precious time.

For every group, however, two of the most productive and beneficial periods were the midday and evening meals. Coming together for the meal would create an atmosphere of friendship and sharing in which healing could begin to take place.

Monetary support for MaryHaven came from the Sisters of St Joseph, the Redcliffe City Holy Cross Parish, government grants and the invaluable voluntary help in fund-raising, cooking and cleaning by a band of generous and energetic supporters.

Because Christmas can often be a time of extra stress, for many years MaryHaven hosted a Christmas dinner to which all past guests and their families were invited. This enormous commitment was made possible by the contributions of food and presents by many generous people and local businesses and, of course, an army of volunteers on the day.

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