News and Events

Tasmania Begins Centenary Celebrations

The Tasmanian Josephites began the celebrations of the centenary of Mary MacKillop’s death by sponsoring a Centenary Lecture , Mary MacKillop - Australian Woman for our Time.

Sister Lynette Young from the Victorian Province gave a presentation on this theme in each of three regions in Tasmania, in Hobart, at MacKillop Hill, Forth on the North West Coast, and in Launceston during the last week of April.  The presentations were well received by the appreciative audiences in each region.

A number of teachers from Catholic Schools and representatives of the Catholic Education Office from all over the State attended as a preparation for Catholic Education Week in Tasmania which begins on 10 August.  This year the theme of Catholic Education Week will be “Embrace Mary MacKillop – Engage the World”.

In a light-hearted and humorous, but deeply profound and moving way, Lyn engaged her audiences and provoked deep thought with questions to apply to our lives today.  She used her gift of story-telling to illustrate the fundamental elements of the Josephite charism as they were modelled by Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods.   She referred to experiences in her own Josephite life to confirm how this charism and spirituality is both contemporary and relevant to all Australians.  Lyn easily debunked the myth that Australians are empty and shallow by quoting the many ways Australians respond to needs in our world in the same way as did Mary MacKillop and the early Sisters of St Joseph.  

In Tasmania the centenary celebrations will continue with a Mass on 8 August at St Mary’s Cathedral presided over by Archbishop Adrian Doyle.   It is hoped that the Josephite Mission and History Centre at New Town will also be opened at a later date to mark this significant year.