In early September, eight schools from the South-East Cluster of the AJASS (Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools) network began their annual pilgrimage through Tasmania, visiting places central to the Josephite story.
The journey opened in Hobart with a Commissioning Mass at MacKillop College, Mornington, where 37 pilgrims were blessed and sent forth to explore the rich Josephite heritage of the Apple Isle. Their travels were ardently supported by three Tasmanian schools sharing the Josephite charism from our association: MacKillop College, Mornington; Sacred Heart College, New Town; and St James College, Cygnet. These three schools, along with Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College, Altona (Vic), Penola Catholic College, Broadmeadows (Vic), St Mary MacKillop College, Swan Hill (Vic), Mary MacKillop College, Leongatha (Vic) and MacKillop College, Werribee (Vic) made up the enthusiastic travelling contingent.
After the commissioning, the group travelled through the Tasmanian countryside, where they entered a landscape deeply connected to the lives and ministries of Saint Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods. As pilgrims, we were invited to slow down and walk gently through places where the early Sisters lived, prayed, and responded to the needs of rural communities. With a genuine sense of gratitude and awe, we were able to witness how the early Sisters of Saint Joseph took this mission to towns such as Oatlands and Richmond, offering education, pastoral care, and hope in humble circumstances.
Over the four days Sr Jill Dance, Sr Joan Cowmeadow and Simone McManus from the Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre, Josephite Mission, Hobart, shared valuable insights into the story of the Josephites through Hobart and the regional areas. Leanne Pritchard spent a highly entertaining afternoon with the group in Richmond taking them through a Tasmanian version of the Camino de Santiago; one that focussed on the senses and sounds of the Tasmanian landscape which were cleverly woven into her version of Josephite/Tenison Woods story.
The pilgrims also witnessed, through written accounts and oral traditions, the breadth of Fr Julian’s vision and ministry in Tasmania. They admired how his ministry as Parish Priest in Oatlands, and extensive travel to scattered communities, still allowed him time to explore and immerse himself in the island’s geology and natural history. They marvelled at the energy of this much-admired priest whose travels through the Huon region strengthening Catholic life and inspiring young Tasmanian women to join religious life, created opportunities for energetic Josephite nuns to commence their ministry in Geeveston.
So, we travelled to Geeveston’s Sacred Heart School which opened in 1938 to witness how an adventurous order lived among timber-working and farming families, providing stability and accessible Catholic education in a region shaped by isolation and economic hardship.
Although they came from different schools, the pilgrims quickly formed a close-knit group as they travelled through Tasmania. The students behaved impeccably, cooperating fully and approaching every responsibility with goodwill and maturity. Alongside the pilgrimage’s spiritual and educational experiences, the group enjoyed generous meals provided by the Tasmanian schools, dinner at Mures Restaurant, a visit to Tahune Adventures in the Huon region, and an Amazing Race in Geeveston. The memorable four-day journey concluded with a trip up Mt Wellington, bringing our exploration of the living Josephite story of heart, heritage and hope to a fitting close.
Ernie Pisani
Executive Officer, AJASS SE Cluster
Photos supplied and used with permission.