The Sisters of the Australian Province of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart gathered at Hartzer Park Retreat and Conference Centre from Thursday, August 22 to Monday, August 26, for their annual Provincial Assembly, with this year’s Assembly made especially significant, as it took place during the Congregation's 150th Jubilee Year.
Around 50 Sisters gathered for a wonderful and enriching Assembly in which the Provincial, Sr Philippa Murphy FDNSC, facilitated. This year’s Assembly was truly a special gathering, as the Sisters reflected and celebrated 150 years of the congregation over 5 wonderful days.
The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart gathered for their Provincial Assembly this month. PHOTOS: Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
The Sisters welcomed lay participants on Saturday, including Partners in Mission, Associates, and long-time friends of the Daughters, who joined the Sisters in reflecting on and celebrating the Charism of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with a special focus on the Jubilee Year. The celebrations extended into Sunday, where even more participants were welcomed for a special commemoration of the Congregation’s 150th Jubilee.
A highlight of the event was the opening of a Yarning Circle to honor our First Nations people and the Province’s 116-year history of collaboration with their communities. Additionally, bronze busts of Fr. Jules Chevalier MSC and Mother Marie Louise Hartzer FDNSC were unveiled and blessed standing as permanent reminders of our call to be inspired by our founder, Fr. Chevalier, and to live by the example of our first Superior General, Mother Marie Louise Hartzer.
Following the blessing and the opening of the Yarning Circle and busts by Sr Philippa Murphy FDNSC and Fr Pat Mara MSC, all present gathered to celebrate the Eucharist. The Eucharist was an opportunity to express thanksgiving for the past 150 years and renewing our commitment to the mission of keeping our charism alive for the future. Sr Philippa offered an inspiring, and touching address about the courage, passion, and mission of the first pioneer Sisters, whose legacy continues 150 years later. After the Eucharist, newly commissioned history boards were unveiled and blessed, serving as a lasting tribute to the life, work, and ministry of the Daughters in Australia.
The Provincial Assembly included celebrations for the 150th Jubilee Year of the Congregation. Pictured with a celebratory cake are Sr Anne Gardiner FDNSC, Provincial Sr Philippa Murphy FDNSC and Sr Lorraine Ryan FDNSC.
The morning’s formalities concluded with a joyful luncheon, where stories were shared, and community bonds were strengthened. The celebration ended with a cake-cutting ceremony, bringing the Sunday festivities at Hartzer Park to a close.
The Jubilee celebrations continued beyond the Assembly, with a Foundation Day Mass and celebration in Kensington on August 30th. Over 350 people gathered at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington Hall to celebrate the Eucharist, with Bishop Terry Brady, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, presiding alongside MSC Provincial Fr Stephen Hackett MSC and concelebrating MSC Priests and other clergy. The OLSH College Kensington Choir enriched the occasion with their beautiful music, lifting hearts and voices in song. Bishop Brady spoke of the significant impact the Daughters have had in Sydney, nationally, and around the world, fulfilling Fr Jules Chevalier’s dream of spreading God’s love to the ends of the earth. Federal Member Matt Thistlethwaite MP spoke of also shared how the Daughters had profoundly influenced countless lives, especially through education.
Sr Philippa concluded the celebrations with a speech that encapsulated the last 150 years, inspiring all present to continue the great work and ministry of the Daughters for future generations. The festivities concluded with light refreshments and a Jubilee cake, where all gathered as one, sharing stories, reconnecting with old friends, Sisters, and colleagues, celebrating together 150 years of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Beautiful music was a highlight of the celebratory gathering.
This milestone was not just marked in one place; celebrations have already been held across the Australian Province in the Tiwi Islands, Darwin, Alice Springs, and South Australia, with further festivities planned in Melbourne with the OLSH Community in Bentleigh and OLSH College. Messages of congratulations and thanks were received from members of the wider community, including The Prime Minister of Australia The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Bishop Charles Gauchi, and former Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler.
Each celebration has been a remarkable testament to the unity and gratitude felt throughout the congregation, offering a wonderful opportunity for the community—both locally and internationally—to come together in joy and thanksgiving.
The celebrations held across the Province have been nothing short of remarkable, offering a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together locally and internationally in unity, gratitude, and joy. It has been a momentous occasion to celebrate 150 years of being an international congregation of Sisters, with a shared mission. Our recent celebrations not only celebrated the many achievements and the dedicated work of the Sisters but also reignited the flame of mission that was first kindled by Fr. Jules Chevalier in those pioneer sisters 150 years ago. Our 150th Jubilee serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing call to remind everyone that God loves each one of them with a human heart, no exceptions, and no exclusions.
This article was submitted by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.