News and Events
A First! Continuing the Story...
Twenty three participants gathered at the newly developed Josephite Mission and History Centre on the evening of 7 May and on Friday and Saturday 8 and 9 May for the Inaugural Tasmanian Josephite Colloquium.
Nine schools with strong Josephite connections were represented at the colloquium and participants had the opportunity to share ideas and stories from their own schools and to make new contacts for on-going support and nourishment. Some were former students of the Sisters of St Joseph; some were former colleagues who had taught alongside the sisters; some were new to the Josephite story and some were very new to teaching as a profession. Other participants share ministry with the sisters at the Emmanuel Centre and St Joseph’s Convent, New Town. All were full of enthusiasm and energy, eager to learn and to share their insights and wisdom and to contribute whole-heartedly to the spirit of the group.
Entitled Exploring the Heartland. Continuing the Josephite Story, the colloquium was placed in the context of story-telling. The Mexican doll, the Story Teller, became a familiar symbol over the days.
Participants were lead to reflect on the shapers of their own life-story as well as the key shapers of the Josephite story: St Joseph, Mary MacKillop, Julian Tenison Woods, Sr. Hyacinth Quinlan, Sr Teresa MacDonald and Sr Frances McCarthy. They delved into the times of crisis and pain in the story and engaged with the many blessings which have resulted from the spread of the story throughout Australia and beyond.
They planned some activities to take back to colleagues and to their students to ensure that the Josephite story will “be continued.”
One participant summed up the experience of being at the Josephite Mission and History Centre by commenting that this site enabled them to be “immersed in the story” and to learn first-hand the Tasmanian part of the journey. One remarked, “The Josephite spirit is captured here and so we caught it.” Another claimed with pride, “I found the Josephite within me!”
The colloquium will conclude with a third day of pilgrimage on 8 October. Participants will meet at Oatlands and explore some more Tassie Josephite heartland, sites of former convents and a Mother House, where the ministry to isolated and rural Catholic children was nurtured for a large part of the last century.
The Colloquium will be offered again in 2011.
Enquiries: josephitemission@tastelfibre.com.au
