December is here and as our thoughts turn to Christmas, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the blessings of this year, and especially for you, our friends who support us continually in many ways – by your interest, your involvement in the work of the John Wallis Foundation, your contributions and your prayer.

We take this opportunity to say a deep and heartfelt Thank You to each of you.

We wish you a blessed Christmas and 2013. 

                    Missionary Sisters of Service

                                             and

                   The John Wallis Foundation     

Barbara Ann Hateley was born on 22nd October 1939 in Mt Gambier, South Australia, where she grew up with her parents, Arthur James Hateley and Emily Annie Hateley, and her two brothers, Dennis and Donald.    In 1977 Barbara joined the Missionary Sisters of Service.  After a short period at Parkes in the Wilcannia-Forbes diocese, NSW, Barbara arrived in Hobart and remained in Tasmania to serve on the highways and byways of the Island for the next 35 years.

The following are excerpts from the Words of Remembrance, spoken by Bernadette Wallis’, Leader of the Missionary Sisters of Service, at Barbara’s funeral.

In 1981, Barbara was appointed to the Catholic Education Office, as a member of  the Adult Formation in Faith Team.  Over the ensuing years, Barb served on many committees, both national and local.  Among them were the National Education Commission, the Tasmanian Council of churches,  the Commission on Religious Education in State Schools in Tasmania,  the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the State Emergency Response Team, the Scripture Union Chaplaincy Committee and the Inter-faith Committee.  She was part of the National Council of Christian Doctrine, the National RCIA Association,  a representative on the Catholic Religious in Tasmania, the Christmas in the City Committee with St David’s Anglican Cathedral – and many other involvements.

Across nearly thirty two years, Barb has worked untiringly on formation:  of catechists, of people in Parish leadership roles, of Parish Pastoral Councils, of baptism preparation teams, collaborative ministry and professional development for teachers and training of lay leaders for liturgies.  She has facilitated reflection days, parish assemblies and meetings, and diocesan programmes.

Through her strong commitment to families, particularly to parents as the first educators in faith of their children, she has sought to help parishes integrate young people and families into the life of the Church community.  Her commitment has always reached out beyond Hobart and has included travel to the north, south, east and west of Tasmania as well as to the mainland of Australia.   She never reneged on her concern for people in rural areas.  At times, she supported people who were refugees adjusting to their new context, or people facing difficult hurdles in life.  Her work over the years was underpinned with a passion for those who are marginalized or on the edge in society.

Fr John Wallis, founder of the Missionary Sisters of Service, often told the story of himself, when, as a young priest in 1943,  he was asked by his Bishop to do some relief work in the parish of Burnie on the north-west coast.  John was fully involved and committed in Hobart and reluctant to go!  The Bishop challenged him:  “Jack, you are thinking of a Parish;  I am thinking of a Diocese!”     Barb was a diocesan person, a woman of big  vision,  always with a pastoral focus that related to people in the ordinary circumstances of their lives and their families.    She knew people by name and knew “their joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties.”

Every second Monday for the past 20 years Barbara and Carmel Hall mss hosted a community night of dinner and prayer with two small groups of people who have been Partners in Mission with both Barb and Carmel.  Strong bonds of friendship and support developed within these groups.

The deep connections Barb had with numerous people became visible in an extraordinary way during the brief weeks of the illness that took her life.   A steady stream of visitors and a great out-pouring of love and gratitude came to her from the moment her condition became known.

Throughout Barb’s life, she knew the dark night of the soul, she walked dark valleys and accompanied many people down their dark valleys of misunderstanding, injustice, emptiness, despair, loss of meaning and hope.  It was the hope she carried, the flickering flame, and her acute ability to see truth in mirky situations that drove her in her pastoral expression for justice and compassion.  Barb’s earthy humility and ‘wicked’ sense of humour was the gift she offered to the world around her, never with a sense of  belittlement,  but with great care for the  dignity of all.

We all know Barb’s passion for gardening, her place of great creativity.   Here she felt alive and at peace.   Watched the growth of plants and trees replenished her energies and spirit.     It was an interest she shared with many people in everyday conversations.

Barb, the motto you chose at the time of your profession was the invitation from God:  “Come walk with Me”.    The Emmaus Story in the Gospel became your own story as you lived in hope and with great love and service in the Church and in the world.   Among us you have been a contemplative woman of prayer, a woman of mission.    You walked in faith;  may you now walk your eternal journey with God, in response to the invitation in the Song of Songs:  “Come my Love, my Beautiful One, Come”.  In faith and hope, we indeed thank you and bid you farewell.

Barbara is greatly missed by her mss community, her family, her work colleagues and the people among whom she worked.  We remember her with heartfelt gratitude and love.

Golden Jubilerians, Missionary Sisters of Service Kath Clune, Lorraine Groves, June Dunford & Corrie van den Bosch

Four Missionary Sisters of Service, Kath Clune, June Dunford, Lorraine Groves and Corrie van den Bosch, marked the golden jubilee of their profession with a number of celebrations.   On the 4^th August, June and Lorraine celebrated the occasion with their respective parish communities, June at St Timothy’s in Forest Hill, Victoria and Lorraine in St Marys, Tasmania, where she is the pastoral associate.

The parish of Scottsdale (Tas) opened its heart to celebrate with Lorraine and Corrie at the Sunday Mass on 19^th August.    Kath and June were included in the prayers, and also Helen Haywood who was part of this group and died in 1989.   The parish took this opportunity to give thanks for the work of the Missionary Sisters of Service among them over many years. The liturgy was followed by a festive lunch provided by parishioners.

In Sydney, Kath was joined by Corrie and Lorraine for her celebration at the Mary MacKillop Centre, North Sydney, on the Feast of the Assumption.  The Josephite community provided joyful hospitality for the occasion.   The day was also the 145^th anniversary of Mary MacKillop’s profession of vows, adding to the sense of celebration.

The ministry of these four women has taken different forms over their 50 years:

Lorraine Groves’s journey has taken her to Western NSW and South-West Queensland as well as spending many years in the Derwent Valley and St Marys Parish in Tasmania.  Besides the face-to-face contact with people, Lorraine also for many years kept contact with them through the correspondence lessons in religious education.   A woman of deep compassion, especially for those most isolated, Lorraine says:

Within me there has been a burning passion for the pastoral care of people in rural and country areas.   My ever present challenge is to facilitate the building of community among people, to enable people to come to a sense of mission, with an openness that reaches out to others in love and compassion.  My heart goes out to those who feel cut off from the Church for various reasons.  Sometimes we don’t know about them until they have died and we are preparing for their funeral…..

The time of my Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession has given cause for reflection.  The seed of my vocation was sown in the north-east of Tasmania at Gladstone.  Our family used to go to Gladstone for holidays. My grandfather, Daddymick would gather us to pray in the little corrogated iron Church on Sundays and Holy days because there was no Mass at Gladstone. Through my cousins I learned about the Sisters who came to the parish to instruct them in the faith.  I then felt called to give the opportunity of faith instruction to the children who did not have the opportunity of going to a Catholic school.

Kath Clune has lived and worked in the dioceses of Hobart, Wilcannia-Forbes, Toowoomba, Townsville, Melbourne and in more recent years in Sydney.   Her work has involved ITIM and hospital chaplaincy, palliative and psychiatric nursing, as well as parish pastoral and catechetical ministry.  Currently Kath involves herself in the lives of people in many different ways according to their needs, from weekend nursing for the senior Marist Brothers and carer with the Good Shepherd Sisters and women, to overnight care of an elderly woman four nights each week.   Kath writes:

Among the many things that inspire me about MSS today is the creative and responsible way we are involved in such a variety of ministries.  I especially appreciate our emphasis on care for all creation.   With the golden jubilee of my profession, I have been reflecting with gratitude on the inexplicable gift of being chosen by God to belong to our congregation of Missionary Sisters of Service.

June Dunford’s outreach to people for many years was by mail: educating families in faith through MSS correspondence courses – posted from Hobart and Launceston, Tas, Toowoomba Qld, Parkes, NSW and Forest Hill Vic.   Her name is well known to many people for whom she became a friend through the personal notes and letters she sent with the lessons.  These days June is  involved parish activities in St. Timothy’s Parish, Vermont, Vic, such as the care group which, among other things, provides refreshments after Funeral Masses and taking communion to people unable to come to Mass.  Her love of craftwork brings delight to recipients of her hand knitted gifts.

For many years June has been a volunteer with Eastern Palliative Care.   In this work she regularly spends time with people in their own home, relieving carers, providing companionship to people confined to their homes.  The spiritual support she is able to offer them adds a special dimension to this work – “helping them live until they die”.

Corrie van den Bosch has lived and worked in five Australian States over her 50 MSS years.   Her work included parish pastoral visits, adult faith formation, counselling and counselling training.  At present she works in the administration of the Congregation, edits Highways and Byways and the websites of the congregation and the John Wallis Foundation.  She is involved in various groups, including East-West Meditation (an interfaith group), Governance Network (exploring challenges of governance in changing time for religious and ministry organisations), and the Catholic Walking Club of Victoria.

Reflecting on her Life as Mission, Corrie is deeply appreciative of the grace of her vocation as a Missionary Sister of Service.   She is enlivened by the love of God, the mission of Christ, the Breath of the Spirit touching us in the beauty of the created universe, in the people we encounter, in the mystery of life and death that meets us again and again with its harsh tenderness.  Such experiences call forth resilience in our vulnerability, generating compassion as we respond afresh with creative energy to the mission of each new moment.

A. 13.75 billion years!  As long as it takes to grow the Universe.

That was the theme of the John Wallis Memorial Lecture in Toowoomba the evening of 5^th June and a morning workshop that same day.  The presenter, Larry Edwards, scientist and historian of the Universe, held his audience spellbound as he  told the amazing story of The Gifts of the Universe: Living into Gratefulness. 

Larry presented as gift each new development in the creation of the Universe, from its first existence as energy, to stars, galaxies and the supernova which birthed the stuff of the Earth and the elements from which life evolved.   We can trace our ancestry right back to the beginning of the Universe and are related to all living creatures, as many indigenous peoples know intuitively.  As we appreciate everything as gift, we become profoundly grateful.   Will it also change the way we live?

Veronica Littleton responded to Larry’s presentation with a reflection on the Divine Mystery revealed in the Universe story.  She called on us to develop an inner silence in which we can grow in mystical communion with God-in-all-things and all-things-in-God.

The events took place 5 June 2011 and were hosted by the Missionary Sisters of Service, the John Wallis Foundation and the Toowoomba Diocese Justice and Peace Commission.

Twilight Workshop in Brisbane

The evening of 6th June, Larry Edwards enthralled some 60 workshop participants, taking  them into the story of the Universe in its immensity, its intimacy and identity, and as our own collective and individual story.

This took place at the Marist Lavalla Centre and event was hosted by Catholic Religious Australia – Queensland (CRAqld), Earth Link, the John Wallis Foundation, and Missionary Sisters of Service.

Mary was the eldest daughter of Irish immigrants.   Her father, Jeremiah O’Connor came from County Kerry.   In Queensland he met and married Mary O’Dwyer from County Limerick.   Mary had two siblings, Eileen and Kevin.   Both pre-deceased her.  

Mary was a born teacher.  As a five-year-old she rounded up the children in her street and sat them on the steps of her home to play school – with herself as the teacher.   Later in life she laughingly told how her ‘students’ couldn’t get away, as she blocked their escape to the street, and they weren’t bold enough to enter the house. 

 In adult life, Mary became a teacher, first at primary school, then teaching French and English at secondary level.   She was also active in the parish, as a member of the Legion of Mary, inspiring others with her compassion for people and her depth of spirituality.   As a Missionary Sister of Service she taught RE in State high schools.  In the late 1960s she contributed to the development of an ecumenical Christian RE curriculum for use in Tasmanian State secondary schools.  

Mary was much more than a teacher.   She had a wide ranging curiosity about the world in which she lived – people, current events, politics, sports, social justice issues – nothing human failed to interest her.   That same curiosity made her a life-long student.   Her books were always heavily marked, highlighted and underlined, with comments in the margins and between the lines.

In the early 1970s Mary prepared two courses on the Scriptures for the Missionary Sisters of Service Correspondence School in Religious Education.  Feedback on these courses from parents showed a need for similar courses for adults.   Mary then prepared two adult courses, Treasures of the Bible and The Old Testament and You.    For years she tutored people enrolled in those courses.  Her students remember her with much gratitude.  As late as last year, Mary received a letter from one of her past students, commenting on the difference the course, and Mary’s guidance, had made to her life. 

Desiring to study the Scriptures in greater depth, in 1980 Mary enrolled at Yarra Theological Union, Box Hill, Melbourne.  She studied Hebrew, Greek, and German, as well as a number of foundational subjects in preparation for enrolling at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem late 1981.  

Mary completed her Masters degree in Religion and Theology at Monash University in 1997 at the age of 78.  She wrote her thesis on Evelyn Underhill, English Anglican mystic of the early 20^th century.   Subsequently she reworked her thesis with a view to showing Underhill’s relevance to the world of today.   Unfortunately, she did not get to complete that work.   Perhaps one day someone will edit this copious handwritten manuscript and publish it.

In later years, Mary became profoundly deaf.   This was a severe handicap for her.  Yet she maintained her great interest in people and events.   While she could speak, her conversation partners communicated with her in writing.   This could be tedious, but it never dampened Mary’s enjoyment of stimulating conversation.

Mary died on 2^ndJuly 2012, at Cabrini Residential Care, Ashwood, Melbourne, where she spent the last eighteen months of her life.   Her funeral was a celebration of Eucharist in its fullest meaning, of gratitude for the rich a vibrant life and mission of Mary O’Connor.   Father Austin Cooper OMI, Mary’s former teacher, was the celebrant.   Her sister-in-law, Maureen O’Connor from Brisbane, came to Melbourne, joining the gathering of Missionary Sisters of Service and friends for the funeral.   Mary is buried in the Springvale Botanical cemetery.

Tribute to Agnes Ryan mss

Remembering a Remarkable Woman

As the photos show, sandplay is a tactile way of exploring the one’s inner self, unlocking the world of the unconscious through playing with sand and symbols.  Through such play, people can find deep healing and gain a greater understanding of what is running their lives.  

While the Portiuncula Centre offers a variety of workshops and individual counselling, the week of sandplay training is always a special event.  This year participants came from a variety of places like Armidale, NSW,Brisbane,Gladstone, Bundaberg, and theSunshineCoast.  Two of the staff presented the workshop – Lynette Fox and Judy Dawson.  Both these women have had extensive experience and are well qualified to teach sandplay. 

 Pat Quinn MSS established the Portiuncula Centre in 1988.  Over the years people of all walks of life and faith traditions have attended and found great support from its programmes for personal, spiritual and professional development.

 Find out more about the Portiuncula Centre on www.portiunculacentre.com.

On July 10^th, Cecilia’s last Sunday in the Warwick, the parish community put on a farewell morning tea for her.   The temperature that morning was minus six.  But there was nothing cold about the people’s love and appreciation for Cecilia.   In their speeches, leaders of  various groups spoke beautifully of the enrichment Cecilia’s presence had brought to their members and activities over the years.     Through warmth of her friendship, her deep humanity and spirituality she enabled people she met to tap into their own innate humanity and spirituality. 

When Cecilia went to Warwick she wanted to be a Gospel presence among the people.   She has been that and more:   she has been an encouraging presence that gave people confidence in their abilities to undertake whatever was needed to realise their vision.    

 Cecilia has now moved to Toowoomba.   She speaks of being retired, but being the people-person she is, she won’t be withdrawing from life and involvements.   She will continue to be a presence through has a wonderful way of reaching out in friendship to all she meets.   This quality is at the heart of the spirit and mission of Missionary Sisters of Service.