The Province of Australia

Welcome to the page on the Australian Province. My name is Sr. Jenny Clarke and as Provincial Leader, I want to share something of the diversity and mission of the Australian Province.

There are five sectors in the Province - Australia, Bangladesh, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Here in Australia itself, we are all in the Sydney area. Even though many of the Sisters are retired here after many years of witnessing to the Good News in the other Sectors or Provinces, most continue to reach out and to enrich the Australian church with their gifts and their experience. Some Sisters minister to the people who have come to Australia from the place where they once worked, others are involved in the coffee shop of an inner city parish, still others visit the sick and the elderly.

One of our Sisters, Sr. Pauline Rae, has been prominent in the work of Christian-Muslim dialogue. She is to be joined by Sr. Suporna Rozario from Bangladesh who comes from working in inter-religious dialogue in her own predominantly Muslim country. Whereever they are, our Sisters witness to God's universal love in ways as tangible as manicures for residents of an aged care facility.

Among the teeming millions of Bangladesh, we have just one community of Sisters who work in a variety of ministries. These include care for the disabled and their families, health care, training of village midwives, teaching (both formal and informal) with inter-religious dialogue of life and of action underpinning everything they do. We would love to have a second community and a greater presence there.

Kiribati is a nation made up of small islands scattered over a vast area of the Pacific Ocean. It can be found by looking where the Equator crosses the International dateline. Our Sisters are involved in teaching, nursing and pastoral ministry.

Our presence in Papua New Guinea has changed considerably in the past year. The Sisters have left the Highlands, one to return to the States and Jeline from Bougainville has left to learn French in preparation for working in Senegal. Meanwhile in the now Autonomous region of Bougainville we are withdrawing from the coed school to begin work in Arawa, an important town which is developing again. In the Madang area, we have three students as well as two Sisters at the House of Prayer. Plans are afoot for more Sisters in this area.

Two young women from the Solomons have left there to move on to their next stage in their journey to become SMSM. They are following in the footsteps of those who have left the Solomons for Papua New Guinea, South America and Jamaica, and those women who left their countries to minister in the Solomons. Our Sisters in the Solomons are involved in teaching at Nazareth Apostolic Centre for the formation of lay leaders, in outreach to former leprosy patients and in ongoing formation for Sisters of other congregations.
In this province, we witness to God's universal love in many and varied ways. Whether it is in crowded cities or on tiny islands, we seek to be women of faith, joyfully given to God in the spirit of Mary.