From 7-8 June, we are invited to celebrate Ecclesial Movement, Associations and New Communities in the Church. For this event, we feature the Josephite Companions.
Who are the Josephite Companions?
The Josephite Companions Movement (formerly Associates), stemmed from the teaching of the second Vatican Council, this Springtime of the Church, with its vision of Church and community.
Companions are women and men from all walks of life who are drawn to the Josephite Charism as expressed by the spirit of Saint Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods. Josephite spirituality is grounded in the lived experience of daily life. It springs forth from a sense earthiness, connected to the beauty and messiness of life. Its gift is the unique quality of being birthed in a unique and ancient land.
Josephite Companions are active in ministry in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand as well as in Peru, Timor-Leste and Scotland. Other countries, including Brazil, are also in the discerning process of establishing Josephite Companion communities.
Josephite Companions are carriers of ‘the Josephite story’, as individuals and in communion with the Sisters and Affiliates of the congregation. They operate in a dynamic relationship with, but are distinct from, the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart. This relationship aims to strengthen the identity, sustainability and mutual support between the Companions, the Sisters and other Josephite affiliates.
Together with the Sisters of Saint Joseph and other Affiliates, Josephite Companions continue God’s mission through living the Gospel in their daily lives, with special emphasis on prayer, friendship and service.
Prayer, Friendship and Service activities encapsulate our goal to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ by communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through the ordinariness of our lives.
Prayer: Josephite Companions strive to use a variety of liturgical forms. These spiritual experiences and practices, usually with an emphasis on contemplation, are used to help Companions to live out their faith more fully. All liturgies have a focus on the Gospel, a connection to the life of St Mary MacKillop as well as reflection time to help members live out the teachings and values of the Gospel in their daily lives. These include, but not limited to, liturgies specific to saints associated with the Josephite movement, including St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, St Joseph, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fr Julian Tenison Woods as well as leading liturgies during the 24 Hours for the Lord (4th Sunday of Lent) Jubilee Event.
Friendship: All Companion gatherings include time to chat each other. During the COVID pandemic, these chats extended to phone calls to Companions in more remote locations as well as utilisation of Zoom and Meet events, for friendship as well as prayer. An e-companion group meets monthly, for prayer and friendship.
A worldwide webinar is developed and hosted toward the end of August, close to the birth date of Annie MacKillop, the sister of St Mary MacKillop, who assisted St Mary, especially during her illnesses later in her life, as well as the establishment of convents across Australia as a classroom teacher and a music teacher, earning finances to keep convents sustainable.
Service: Aligning with the Josephite Charism, service is often completed without flair and fanfare and directly linked to supporting the Catholic Social Teachings. Service can be, but not limited to, offering a ride to a Companion liturgy/event, collecting postage stamps, collecting and delivering personal health products, visiting the sick, assisting/promoting with Josephite convents to Colloquiums, providing on the Josephite Charism, the St Mary MacKillop story and the Fr Julian Tenison Woods story.
To learn more about the Josephite Companions, please visit: www.sosj.org.au/become-involved/josephite-companions
Ken Theodore
Josephite Companion