In Footsteps of Founders, Honouring Tim Fischer
Honouring our Founding and remembering Tim Fischer, Boree Creek, Riverina, NSW. On Saturday 31 August, on a sudden impulse, we decided to drive from Leeton to nearby Boree Creek for morning tea. With the moving State tribute to Tim Fischer still fresh in our minds, it seemed like a good idea to honour him by going […]
The Time is Now and We are Here
The time is now and we are here. I’ve been thinking about this quotation a great deal in recent days, as we’ve witnessed the Australian Prime Minister ignoring the pleas of Pacific Islander peoples, and simultaneously been encouraged to celebrate the Season of Creation. Perhaps the most challenging dilemma facing us however is the call […]
Australian National Pilgrimage
Each year since 1994, the Sisters of Saint Joseph have offered the people of Australia the opportunity to go on pilgrimage, “Walking in the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop”. Several weeks ago I received a phone call from a person who was interested in participating in the national pilgrimage entitled “In the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop”. […]
I Have No Hands Now But Yours
In this month’s reflection from the Little Brown Book Too, authors Sue and Leo Kane invite us to reflect on Saint Mary MacKillop’s deep love for those who lived in poverty. Mary saw herself as blessed by the poor! Just as the Sisters named in this reflection were inspired by Mary’s love in action, we too are […]
Father’s Day 2019
From a Josephite point of view, there can be no better example of what Father’s Day should encapsulate. Here we have the Christian religion’s “father of all fathers” taking care of the “son of all sons”. One assumes that a father is to provide for his wife and family. Regardless of how the modern family […]
Bobs the Dog Book
‘Bobs the Dog’ is the fruit of much thought and love. He captured my imagination years ago when I first saw that iconic photo of him with Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and her siblings, Donald and Annie. I also love the idea that Mary, who grew up around animals, loved to have a […]
Sisters mourn the passing of the Honourable Tim Fischer
The Sisters of Saint Joseph mourn the passing of the Honourable Tim Fischer’s death after a long battle with cancer. While he is remembered as a man who made a great contribution to Australian politics as the leader of the National Party and deputy Prime Minister, the sisters particularly express their gratitude to Tim for […]
World Humanitarian Day 2019
It can be said that it is an innately human quality to want to help others, to be compassionate and to alleviate the pain or suffering of those in need. Whether this compassion is manifested in small random acts of kindness or becomes apparent on a much larger scale, humans generally want to help others. […]
St Joseph’s Perthville: School, College, House
St Joseph’s Perthville: School, College, House. This book by Dr Marie Crowley is the long-awaited history of education carried out by the Sisters of Saint Joseph at Perthville. The book begins with an examination of the beginnings of the first small school established in 1872. It then traces the development of St Joseph’s College – […]
Saint Mary MacKillop Feast Day 2019
Greetings on the feast of Saint Mary MacKillop. As we celebrate Mary MacKillop’s feast day, let us celebrate how she was a woman who raised the powers of love in her time and continues to inspire us to do the same in our day. Love was at the heart of all that Mary did. She […]
Fr Julian: Man of Words – Letter Seven
Have you ever been into a large underground cave? This month Father Julian invites us to share his experience of exploring the caves of Mosquito Plains, near Naracoorte, South Australia in 1857. Of all the natural curiosities a country can possess, none tend so much to render it famous as the existence of large caves. […]
Sainthood Comes in Moments
This month of August, during which we celebrate the 110th anniversary of Saint Mary MacKillop’s death, is a timely reminder that all of us are called to be saints – here and now! Mary understood this – and her entire life reflected this understanding. In 1870, as an earnest 28 year-old, Mary shared her insights about […]