Sunday, November 23, 2008
THANK YOU to the Sisters of Saint Joseph Provincial Team
A BIG THANK YOU to the Sisters of Saint Joseph Provincial Team for hosting a wonderful evening of appreciation at the Kedron Wavell Services Club. We all thank you for your gift of hospitality and friendship and look forward to seeing you all again soon to celebrate 2009 - the anniversary of the death of Blessed Mary MacKillop.
A big EXTRA thanks for the laughs!
Mary MacKillop walk - Portland, Victoria
From Melbourne Age
The Mary MacKillop Walk takes in buildings and sites which were in existence during Mary MacKillop's stay at Portland from 1862 to 1866.
Walk north along Bentinck St. Halfway along the block, to the left, is the Christian Community College. It has been built around, and completely incorporates, a 6-room stone-and-iron house built for Stephen Henty in 1851. Mary MacKillop rented that house (then known as 'Bay View') from 1863 to 1866 and there reunited her scattered family. She established her first school on this property. When Father Woods visited the MacKillops he stayed in the stables and these remain. When Mary first moved to Portland she lived with the Cameron family as a governess a little further north along Bentinck St.
The Mary MacKillop Walk takes in buildings and sites which were in existence during Mary MacKillop's stay at Portland from 1862 to 1866.
Walk north along Bentinck St. Halfway along the block, to the left, is the Christian Community College. It has been built around, and completely incorporates, a 6-room stone-and-iron house built for Stephen Henty in 1851. Mary MacKillop rented that house (then known as 'Bay View') from 1863 to 1866 and there reunited her scattered family. She established her first school on this property. When Father Woods visited the MacKillops he stayed in the stables and these remain. When Mary first moved to Portland she lived with the Cameron family as a governess a little further north along Bentinck St.
Sculpture of Blessed Mary MacKillop
(Photo: Annette Arnold)
From Catholic Weekly
The Archbishop of Sydney George Cardinal Pell has unveiled and blessed a sculpture of Blessed Mary MacKillop at the Australian Catholic University’s North Sydney (MacKillop) campus.
ACU National vice chancellor Professor Greg Craven commissioned the sculpture by artist Linda Klarfeld to celebrate the university’s history and ongoing affiliation with Australia’s first saint.
“It is a beautiful work and I am sure it will provide a wonderful symbol to our university community, visitors to the campus and the local community,” Prof Craven said.
Ms Klarfeld, whose sculptures are highly regarded and sought after by collectors, described Mary MacKillop as “an incredible woman” who “dared to believe in her dream”.
“That’s why I feel quite a strong connection with her,” Ms Klarfeld said. “In fact, when I was approached to make this statue, I was extremely grateful but I wasn’t surprised. I feel I was destined to make it.”
Mary MacKillop was a woman of absolute faith, commitment and dedication who devoted herself to the quest for human dignity and compassionate care for those in need.
She founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph in South Australia in 1866 and moved to a cottage in Mount St, North Sydney, in the 1880s.
In 1913, the Sisters established a training school at North Sydney for the teacher training of the Sisters of St Joseph. In 1958, lay students were admitted to the college which in 1971 became the Catholic Teachers’ College. In 1982, it became part of the Catholic College of Education.
It was at this stage that the name MacKillop was given to the campus to identify it as a discrete part of the college and to recognise the ongoing support of the Sisters of St Joseph.
At the end of 1990, the Catholic College of Education Sydney formally handed over responsibility for the college and its operations, which now rests with ACU National.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Update on Canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop
In April 2008 a case involving a remarkable cure through the intercession of Blessed Mary MacKillop was examined at the diocesan level in a formal canonical inquiry. The proceedings of the inquiry were taken to Rome to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for the examination that is required at this level. The documents were formally received and opened before any study could proceed.
In June Fr. Paul Gardiner SJ, the Postulator for the Cause, and myself as vice-postulator, came to Rome to be available for on-the-spot discussions and decisions as the Roman phase of the process continues.
All the proceedings needed to be summarised in a particular format and then translated into Italian. This part has been completed with the help of some wonderful translators. The material is now with the printer to be arranged with the English in parallel with the Italian. When all is checked and correct the printed copies will be sent to two doctors for examination.
If one of these doctors sees merit in the case, the official summary and a chronology of the main events in the history of the cure will be sent to a panel of five doctors from the medica consulta. If these find positively it will go to a panel of theologians and then to the Cardinals and, finally, to the Holy Father.
Please pray that there will be no stumbling blocks along the way. It would be a marvellous outcome if the cure is declared miraculous and Mary MacKillop can be recognised as a Saint for the universal Church. It will not add to her holiness but her life will be able to be a further sign of hope to many more people who need such a sign in these days.
There is great media interest in Mary MacKillop as the Holy Father gets ready for his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day.
Last Thursday, 3rd July, a producer, cameraman and sound recordist – working for ABC television - spent 6 hours with us getting material on the cure and Mary MacKillop for the 7.30 Report. Another team had visited Mary MacKillop Place on Wednesday. The programme will go to air on July 17, the day the Pope visits the Chapel.
A reporter from SBS is coming on Tuesday 8th. He will travel with the Holy Father and about 50 other journalists to Sydney. On Wednesday, 9th, there is an interview with Vatican Radio. On Thursday night there is a briefing of the world media persons who are to travel in the plane with the Holy Father.
All the media interest will certainly make Mary more known throughout the world.
Maria Casey
7/07/08
In June Fr. Paul Gardiner SJ, the Postulator for the Cause, and myself as vice-postulator, came to Rome to be available for on-the-spot discussions and decisions as the Roman phase of the process continues.
All the proceedings needed to be summarised in a particular format and then translated into Italian. This part has been completed with the help of some wonderful translators. The material is now with the printer to be arranged with the English in parallel with the Italian. When all is checked and correct the printed copies will be sent to two doctors for examination.
If one of these doctors sees merit in the case, the official summary and a chronology of the main events in the history of the cure will be sent to a panel of five doctors from the medica consulta. If these find positively it will go to a panel of theologians and then to the Cardinals and, finally, to the Holy Father.
Please pray that there will be no stumbling blocks along the way. It would be a marvellous outcome if the cure is declared miraculous and Mary MacKillop can be recognised as a Saint for the universal Church. It will not add to her holiness but her life will be able to be a further sign of hope to many more people who need such a sign in these days.
There is great media interest in Mary MacKillop as the Holy Father gets ready for his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day.
Last Thursday, 3rd July, a producer, cameraman and sound recordist – working for ABC television - spent 6 hours with us getting material on the cure and Mary MacKillop for the 7.30 Report. Another team had visited Mary MacKillop Place on Wednesday. The programme will go to air on July 17, the day the Pope visits the Chapel.
A reporter from SBS is coming on Tuesday 8th. He will travel with the Holy Father and about 50 other journalists to Sydney. On Wednesday, 9th, there is an interview with Vatican Radio. On Thursday night there is a briefing of the world media persons who are to travel in the plane with the Holy Father.
All the media interest will certainly make Mary more known throughout the world.
Maria Casey
7/07/08
Conference of Josephite Leaders
L to R Jill Dance, Moya Campbell, Marion Gambin, Noelene Quinane, Mary Quinlan, Mary Comer, Marlene Dunn, Josephine Dubiel, Pauline Morgan, Colleen Keeble, Anne Derwin and Patricia Egan.
Tuesday 21st October was an historic day for the Sisters of St Joseph of Australia and New Zealand. The inaugural meeting of the Conference of Josephite Leaders was held at Mary MacKillop Place North Sydney.
The Vision of the Conference:
Strengthening the bonds for Mission
Acting as one for today’s Church and World
The members of the Conference are Sisters Mary Comer (Perthville) Noelene Quinane (Goulburn) Jill Dance ( Tasmania) Patricia Egan (Lochinvar) Marlene Dunn (Whanganui) Anne Derwin (North Sydney) Pauline Morgan (Western Australian Province) Colleen Keeble (Aotearoa New Zealand Province) Mary Quinlan (NSW Province) Marion Gambin (South Australian Province) Moya Campbell (Queensland Province) and Josephine Dubiel (Victorian Province)
The Sisters of St Joseph have been engaged in the healing of the separation of their history for many years. They have done this in a variety of ways, some social, some liturgical and some in the nature of pilgrimage to each other’s stories. More recent happenings include Retreats for Josephites offered across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, a combined website www.josephite.org.au, joint activities around WYD and the Josephite Leaders Social Action Office operating out Canberra.
Tuesday’s inaugural meeting of the leaders of the six congregations has paved the way for decisions to be made together for Josephite mission. The six congregations have served the people and the local Church of Australia and New Zealand, especially in rural areas and poorer parts of cities since the foundation made by Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods in Penola in 1866.
22nd October 2008
Sr Jill Dance
President of the Federation of Sisters of St Joseph
Sr Anne Derwin
Congregational Leader of the Sisters of St Joseph
On behalf of the Conference
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