Walking in Synodality with the most vulnerable
October 8, 2024
In October 2024, we pray with Pope Francis for the prayer intention, ‘for a shared mission’. We also commemorate World Mission Day, otherwise known as World Mission Sunday, on 20 October.
As Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart and according to our Chapter Statement, we realise “the potential of our charism for connecting us with others in God´s mission and engage with the opportunities this offers”.
Perú is a country where we believe that the way to do our mission to make possible God’s will, is by working with others in a ‘Synodal lifestyle’.
My Experience of Mary MacKillop’s Canonisation
For me the privilege of being in Rome for Mary MacKillop’s canonisation (17 October 2010) was the culmination of my Josephite journey to that point.
I was educated in primary and secondary school, and then teacher’s college with the Josephites. This gave me the opportunity to come to know the values and spirit of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. It helped me to be open, questioning and searching, the fertile ground to hear God’s call to me. My journey with the Josephites took me to many parts of New South Wales seeing ordinary people who, like my family, were the beneficiary of the commitment of so many of the Sisters.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, held annually on 17 October, is a global day that raises awareness about the causes and effects of poverty, and how we can – as individuals and communities – take steps towards its eradication.
According to the World Bank, more than 700 million people – which is nearly 1 in 11 people globally – live on less than $2.15 a day. Poverty, in all its forms, strips individuals of their dignity, limiting their access to essential resources such as food, clean water, healthcare, education, and housing. It is more likely to affect people who live in remote areas – those who are marginalised, displaced and often overlooked.
One of the core principles of Mary MacKillop Today is ‘Reaching the Margins’. Just like Saint Mary MacKillop, we go where the need is greatest. We seek to address poverty by working closely with our partners to deliver access to education and the teaching of life skills, in Australia and overseas. Our programs focus on changing the lives of marginalised communities, so they can break the cycle of poverty and realise their potential.
Josephite Justice Network Gathering: September 2024
The recent Josephite Justice Network gathering at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney from 20-22 September was a profound experience of connection and renewal. As members arrived, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, a collective energy fuelled by our shared commitment to justice and compassion.
Tri-diocesan Young Adults Pilgrimage to Mary MacKillop Place
A group of young adults from the Dioceses of Broken Bay, Sydney and Parramatta recently embarked on a meaningful pilgrimage to Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney. This journey was a chance to learn about the life of Australia’s first canonised saint, and an opportunity for participants to reflect on their own paths and how they might embody her values in their lives.
Love of God, love of neighbour, love of common home
October 6, 2024
Joy and Suffering
One of the greatest joys I have experienced through the Josephite charism is the beauty of relationship between Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods. Jan Williamson captured it wonderfully in her painting The Vision. But joy and suffering often go together.
I remember suffering when I first learned of Mary and Fr Julian’s estrangement. That luminous Vision of them both suddenly felt like a naïve fairytale. The realisation shook my confidence in the goodness of the charism. Feelings arose like those I had experienced as a young adult when my parents each explained to me how they were considering separating from one another. My response was fearful denial. I didn’t want to believe it could happen in our family. Thankfully, it didn’t. But the experience revealed the difference between a beatific vision of my family and the reality.
A Visit with Fr Julian
Father Julian Tenison Woods died on 7 October 1889 in Elizabeth Street, Sydney. Since May 1887, he had been cared for by a community of women who, under the leadership of Gertrude Abbott, would later found St Margaret’s Hospital. With their help, he was able to sort out his notes and dictate them into articles and papers, answer letters and record his memoirs. He also received many visitors, including Mary MacKillop.
I invite you to imagine being one of those visitors – making your way to Elizabeth Street and finding Fr Julian in poor health, but still welcoming and ready to talk. What would you talk about?
Julian Tenison Woods: A many-sided mind
Photo of Julian Tenison Woods taken in Perak, Malay Peninsula in 1883.
Father Julian Tenison Woods died on 7 October 1889. He was in his fifty-seventh year and extremely unwell. Julian had returned to Sydney after extensive and exhausting field work in parts of Australasia and the Northern Territory.
Many of the letters and reports he wrote while abroad have survived. In letters to his friends and family, he describes the various style of his accommodations which range from a canoe, to the homes of those representing the face of the British Empire and royal palaces. He includes observations of the local flora and fauna he encounters, or in the case of the tigers narrowly avoiding an encounter. He tells of joining the missionary priests whenever circumstances permitted and celebrating the sacraments in exotic settings. In articles destined for Australian newspapers, he writes an account of the causes and aftermath of the eruption of Krakatoa. The reports he prepared for the government commissions detail his observations and surveys of minerals and other natural resources.