NEWS 2019
21 November 2019
In thanksgiving for the life and love of Sr Patricia Rush Requiem Mass was celebrated at All Hallows Balwyn with her brother Fr Theophane (Paul) Rush main celebrant along with MSC Confreres and friends.
Sr Francis Baum delivered the Eulogy.
Following refreshments we gathered at her grave at Eltham Cemetry.
Rest peacefully Trish.
Our Sister Trish was a woman of deep and simple faith, profound humility and generous spirit. She combined prayer and activity with integrity. She was a woman of quiet influence, totally dedicated to loving. We will miss her presence in our community. She was one hundred years old and she was a Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart for eighty-two years. Thank you, God, for giving us such a Sister to be our companion and now our advocate. Excerpt from Congregational Newsletter by Sr Patricia Kinlyside, MSC
Sr Patricia Rush, MSC
15 November 2019
Today Trish surrendered her life to the God she loved and to whom she gave her life so generously while on this earthly journey.
RUSH –
Sr. Trish, (Damian) MSC
Patricia Jean
Died peacefully on Nov 15, 2019 aged 100 years,
Dearly loved member of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC
Srs) in the 82nd year of her religious Profession. Through her dedicated and generous life Trish
served and befriended many in her prayerful being, and in her professional
ministry in multiple spheres of nursing in midwifery, nurse education, general
and aged care nursing and health administration. Trish was a pioneer woman of faith in many
periods and circumstances of her life.
May she rest in peace in the Heart of our Loving God.
"In the evening of life, we will be
judged on love."
- John of the Cross
Trish Rush and Annie Glavin were the first two Australian born Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
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MSC SISTERS PROVINCE CHAPTER
October 22- 25
Afire for God’s Mission in Today’s world:
“I have come to bring fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled.” Lk 12,49
Sr Mary Drum, Province Leader welcomed the seventeen Delegates and our facilitators for the day, Sr Madeline Barlow RNDM, Fr Frank Andersen MSC, and Sr Kate DuVal SSND who will work with us during the following days.
We began our prayer by journeying into the Emmaus Story led by Sisters Ros Cairns and Carolle Barwick which embodied the call of each delegate to Chapter.
The day continued in a prayerful and reflective process concluding with Eucharist, all in the context of the Emmaus story.
On the second day Sr Kate DuVal was formerly welcomed before Sr Mary Drum presented the Australian Province Report followed Sr Maureen Sheehan ‘s presentation of the Financial Report. Ample time was given to responses, questions and clarifications including the Redress Scheme and Emerging Futures.
Among the topics discussed on the third day was Future Governance in view of our aging Province.
Throughout the Chapter we were encouraged to ponder the question – What is emerging for us as Australian MSC Sisters?
Election of (2) two delegates to the General Chapter in Rome in 2020 was followed by time forming the crux of an Affirmation Statement from the Chapter.
Our Chapter concluded with Eucharist led by Fr Philip Malone, MSC
September 24
SR PATRICIA RUSH MSC
100 years today!
Sisters and Family members joined Trish to celebrate her on her very special birthday. Prayer was prepared and lead by Sr Francis Baum, MSC, followed by morning tea.
Congratulations and blessings Trish!
SR JACQUELYN BENDER MSC RIP
September 1
"From Him we come, in Him we are enfolded, to Him we return."
(Julian of Norwich)
Our dear Jacq died peacefully this morning, the first day of spring.
Jacquelyn had an affinity with Julian of Norwich and was inspired by her writings. As her health failed she she trusted more and more that through death we are enfolded in the love of God.
She was well known by our MSC Sisters worldwide through her work particularly in finance. Jacq had a gift for languages, supported communities both locally and abroad as well as migrants here in Melbourne. She is deeply missed.
Thank you Jacq.
Rest in peace.
Sr Jacquelyn’s Funeral Eucharist was celebrated at St Bernadette’s Church, Ivanhoe on September 9. Parish Priest Fr Bill Edebohls was main celebrant. Image above shows Fr Paul Castley, MSC, sprinkling her coffin with holy water in remembrance of her Baptism. Along side him is Fr Thang Vu, former Parish Priest, and Fr Bill.
Sisters, family and friends laid her to rest at Eltham Cemetery.
“Give us generous and courageous hearts to lift the burdens of others whenever and wherever we can.“
(extract from a prayer of Fr Linckens for his Sisters used by Sr Jacquelyn).
CHAPTER PREPARATION August 23
Sr Stancea Vichie, MSS, explored the new initiative of Catholic Religious Australia: Emerging Futures.
This will have implications for us and offer a way forward. It will be explored further in our upcoming Province Chapter.
CHAPTER PREPARATION July 19
‘”I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it was already kindled”. Lk 12,49
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Feast of Sacred Heart June 28
CHAPTER PREPARATION DAY August 23
Sr Stancea Vichie MSS,explored the new process developed by Catholic Religious Australia. Implications for us were of particular interest.
CHAPTER PREPARATION July 19
‘”I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it was already kindled”. Lk 12,49
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Feast of Sacred Heart June 28
Love should urge and impel us.
It should inflame and animate us.
Fr Hubert Linckens, MSC
Sr Mary Drum is thanked by Sr Patricia Carty as a new term of leadership begins. Mary takes on her second term of office as Provincial with her new Council Sisters Tess Veenker, Carmel Slattery and Ros Cairns.
90th Year Celebrations conclude on Sunday May 5th.
We joined the parish community of St Thomas the Apostle, Blackburn for Eucharist celebrated by Frs Chris McPhee, Provincial, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and Terry Bowman, Parish Priest. Lovely parish hospitality followed.
Sr Mary Drum reflected on the gospel call of these Easter weeks and the spirit of our beginnings here in Australia. The following is an excerpt. Speaking of our Founder, Fr Hubert Linckens, MSC and his vision, she said, “Thus, for our founder, integral to our call is to have the Nationality of Love.
As our current constitutions say of our mission, “In the light of the Gospel, we are to respond to the needs of our day and assume the risks of this challenge.”
So although the congregation was only founded in 1900, since the need was urgent the first Sisters sailed for the Marshall Islands and New Britain in 1902, just two years after their foundation.
Thus, the beginning of our Congregation here in Australia was in response to the need for rest and recuperation for our Missionary Sisters who had been working in the New Britain /New Ireland area of P.N.G. for just over a quarter of a century.
It is impossible here to recount in detail all that happened in the succeeding years……………. responding to the needs of the day, in diverse ways in many contexts. And this too was in keeping with a key belief of our founder who held that:
Times change, but wise are those who go along with the present, evaluate it, understand it and utilize it.
Now- as the 90th anniversary year of our sisters arrival in Australia draws to a close we can look back with wonder and gratitude :
* wonder – at all that has been accomplished in spite of difficulties and our human limitations
* gratitude – to all who have faithfully accompanied and helped our Sisters through the years: former members of the Congregation; family members; nursing and hospital staff; school staff; parents; parishioners; priests; other religious congregations, past pupils; friends; advisors and our dear deceased members.
And above all *gratitude – to God – who shared with us the love of the Heart of Jesus as the inspiration and the foundation of all.
2019 brings a new time and new challenges for us as a Province, as well as challenges for our Australian society and for our world. But, we seek to go forward to the future with courage and confidence trusting in God’s providence praying that the Heart of Jesus will be loved everywhere – forever. Alleluia ! Alleluia !”
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EASTER BLESSINGS TO ALL!
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PALM SUNDAY 2019 PRAYER SERVICE and WALK FOR REFUGEES CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE.
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Community gathering: final meeting and farewell to Sisters Bonaventura and Nicola at the conclusion of the Visitation.
During the month of March Srs Bonaventura Kim and Nicola Sprenger from our Congregational Leadership Team joined us for Visitation of our Province. It was Bona’s first visit to Australia too. .
Sr Rosemarie Sommers from our USA Province joined us for a short visit following the General Conference. It was a particularly enjoyable time, her first opportunity to visit Australia and it was lovely to have her with us.
MSC SISTERS GENERAL CONFERENCE 2019
MSC Sisters are gathered in Manila for our 2019 General Conference with the theme:
Afire for God’s Mission in Today’s World
“I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled.” (Lk 12,49)
Sisters Mary Drum, Provincial Superior, and Maureen Smith are our Australian representatives.
On 1st February 25 years of MSC Sisters presence and ministries in Manila and San Mateo was celebrated beginning with Eucharist
presided by Fr. Leonaro Cabrera, MSC (Philippine Provincial Superior), with the Chevalier Family in Metro Manila well represented.
It was fitting that Mary Drum who saw the beginning of the community in Manila addressed the gathering at the dinner.
Various cultural performances added to the celebration.
MSC Sisters join the reception ceremony of four young men entering the pre-novitiate MSC community at St Thomas’ Blackburn.
SPIRITUAL CARE and MENTAL HEALTH SCHOLARSHIP:
a collaborative project between
Stirling Theological College, a member college of the University of Divinity
and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, (MSC Sisters)
Congratulations to Angela Sasso and Rachel Garofalo, the first recipients of this scholarship beginning in 2019.
As noted previously this scholarship honouring MSC Sisters’ 90th Anniversary of Australian Province.