In January, seven West Australian-based Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart celebrated their Diamond or Golden anniversary milestones with events in Sydney and South Perth.
At Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, the Sisters joined with others from their year of profession to reminisce and give thanks for their lives as Sisters of St Joseph. Later, in January, family and friends joined the Sisters to enjoy a local celebration at Holy Family Church in Como, followed by a special afternoon tea in the gardens of the convent at South Perth.
Celebrating sixty years professed were Srs Joan Luff RSJ, Dora Maguire RSJ and Mary Jo Wells RSJ. Those celebrating 50 years as Sisters of St Joseph were Srs Margaret Culhane RSJ, Bernadette Hynes RSJ, Eileen Lenihan and Frances Maguire RSJ.
The Sisters have used their various talents to serve and minister throughout WA, with some also working in other states of Australia and in overseas missions. They have served as teachers, administrators, counsellors, support and pastoral workers.
In WA, members of this group of sisters have worked in metropolitan locations including Manning, Midland, South Perth, Belmont, Lockridge, Wilson and Como.
Country locations include Ongerup, Trayning, Pinjarra, Boulder, Kalgoorlie, Tom Price, Bidyadanga (La Grange), Kellerberrin, Waroona, Nannup, Pemberton, New Norcia, Moora, Busselton and Esperance.
Two of the Sisters present at the celebration came from overseas to join the gathering. Sr Eileen Lenihan had come from Ireland to join the order, while Sr Frances Maguire has, since 2006, been based at the mission in Peru.
For blood-relative sisters, Sr Frances, celebrating her Golden Anniversary, and Sr Dora, celebrating her Diamond Anniversary, it was an extra special occasion.
As Sr Pauline Morgan, Provincial of the Sisters in WA, said at the celebration in South Perth: “Today we celebrate with the Sisters who have lived 50 years or 60 years as a sister of St Joseph – loving God and being disciples of Jesus, never seeing a need without trying to do something about it, always trying to relieve suffering and bring hope.”
In their time as Sisters of St Joseph, they have adapted to great changes in the way members of their order have lived, dressed and ministered, a woman associated with the order told The Record, while trying to remain true to the legacy of St Mary MacKillop.