News and Events
120th Anniversary of the Death of Fr Julian Tenison Woods
On Saturday 3rd October, Tasmanian Sisters of St Joseph gathered in the Josephite Mission and History Centre at New Town to celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the Death of their co-founder, Fr Julian Tenison Woods (15 November 1832 - 7 October 1889).
The day began with Mass celebrated by Fr Aidan Kay cp. The Sisters sang a new entrance song, As Julian Prayed, composed by Mary Cresp rsj and Michael Herry fms. Fr Aidan reflected on the life of Fr Julian, using as his reference The Life of Fr Julian Tenison Woods, written by Mary MacKillop before 1903 but not published until 1997. Fr Aidan likened Fr Julian’s spirituality to that of Thomas Berry cp and Teilhard de Chardin.
Sisters took time to view the new displays in the Mission and History Centre and were particularly impressed with the Tasmanian founding story as told through the words of Sr Francis McCarthy.
The morning concluded with a barbecue lunch at St Joseph’s community.
Fr Julian has been described as a missioner, mystic, scientist, journalist, explorer, composer, musician and artist as well as priest and founder of two religious congregations – a truly remarkable man. In Mary MacKillop’s words “God was his science, God’s love all his art.” (The Life of Fr Julian Woods, pg 219)
It is interesting to note that, during his time in Tasmania, Fr Julian wrote a paper on the Tasmanian Forests presented to the Royal Society of NSW (5 June 1878). In it he wrote:
The only way to prevent the wholesale destruction of timber will be by proclaiming reserves or State forests. This is what sawyers and splitters are crying out for, but as yet without effect. I do not undertake to pronounce an opinion on a question which may have political difficulties unappreciable by me; but it does seem a mistaken liberty to allow selectors to settle on land of great value as a timber forest but useless for agriculture, until the whole of the valuable timber is ruthlessly destroyed. It seems to me that as long as any available land can be obtained free from timber, or with timber of little value upon it, no selector should be allowed to destroy the forests The matter is one which the Legislature should deal with promptly, or the forests of Tasmania, peerless and priceless as they once were, will soon be things of the past.
and
The celebrated Huon Pine is much in demand, but getting daily more scarce; it is only found in a few remote spots far in the mountain ranges.
The Tasmanian community are indeed privileged to have had in their midst such a forward-looking man, a man with a vision and passion for all of God’s creation.
