Catherine McAuley

 

 

 

"(Catherine McAuley) made her short life count and her legacy is exceptional," Ms Maxine McKew said in delivering the keynote address at the symposium held at All Hallows' School, Brisbane, on September 8.

 

Ms  McKew, the Federal Member for Bennelong, NSW, and a past pupil of All Hallows' School, paid tribute to the work of the Sisters of Mercy as she focused on the theme Mercy: transforming the soul of Australia.

 

"Wherever I see the work of the Mercies today ... at its core, it's about enablement and the full realisation of human potential."

 

On a personal level, she acknowledged with warmth and gratitude the Sisters of Mercy who educated her at All Hallows'.

 

"... the confidence, the self belief that's helped me to play a role in public life can be traced back to what happened 40 years ago under the tutelage of Sister Mary St Vincent ...[She] was a marvellous woman - wise, warm and worldly ..."

 

While Maxine outlined many of the significant ways that Sisters of Mercy continued to contribute to the well-being of society, she also said that mercy was not confined to religious communities.

 

"The transforming power of mercy can be found in many places.

 

"I have an abundance of optimism because I see so many examples where well motivated individuals and indeed corporations are re-imagining their own role in civic society.

 

"This is not just a question of putting time and dollars into particular projects. Where we see real transformation, we see a respectful partnership between the giver and the receiver. Both are enriched by the experience."

 

Three representatives of ministries connected with the Sisters of Mercy across Australia responded to Ms McKew's address.

 

Each reflected on her input from their respective experiences: Mrs Margery Jackman, as Principal of Catherine McAuley School Westmead in Sydney; Mr Paul Linossier, as Chief Executive Officer of MacKillop Family Services in Melbourne and Dr Maria Harries, as Chair of MercyCare in Perth.

 

Of significance for Sister Caroline Ryan, Vice President of the Australian Institute of Sisters of Mercy, was each respondent's deep affinity with the spirit of God's mercy as expressed through Catherine McAuley.

 

"They 'own' Catherine and the values she held dear just as we Sisters of Mercy do," Sr Caroline said.  "It really encourages us that such people as these - and there are many of them - are taking forward Catherine's mission."

 

In her capacity as the symposium's MC, Sister Mary Duffy, Vice-Postulator in the Oceania Region for Catherine McAuley's Canonisation Cause and Chair of the Australian Canonisation Advisory Committee, praised All Hallows' School for its generous hospitality.

 

"As I sat there, I could hear Catherine McAuley saying, 'nothing is more conducive to the welfare of society than the education of women'. [It's obvious] what All Hallows' School has done to keep those words and reality alive."

 

As momentum builds towards the canonisation of Catherine McAuley, similar events to the symposium are being held around the world.

 

According to Sr Caroline, the symposium offered an opportunity to consider anew the vision of Catherine McAuley in light of the pressing needs of today's world.

 

"This is a significant and historic event in the life of our Institute," she said.

 

"It's our hope that such gatherings will be compelling reminders of Catherine's enduring influence as a woman of faith who did much to transform social injustices."

 

 

 

photo: Kay Lane RSM   (from the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy website)

 

The Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia
 is a community of Catholic women religious, about 1470 in number, dedicated to serving people who suffer from injustices related to poverty, sickness or lack of education.

The current institute structure - of 17 Mercy congregations in Australia, one autonomous region in Papua New Guinea and a community in Pakistan - is in a challenging and exciting phase of being reconfigured.