Our Farewell to Woolwich

List News

11/12/2018 - Australia

A Ritual of Farewell

Our property at Woolwich has been siginificant not only to the Marist Sisters in Australia
but to many now scattered all over the world.
This week the last community will move out.
A beautiful ritual of farewell took place last Saturday...

Introduction:

On this day 8^th December 2018, the feast of the Immaculate Conception we Marist Sisters gather on Country on which members and Elders of the Walumatagal people and their forebears have been custodians for many centuries; Country on which Aboriginal people have performed age-old ceremonies of celebration, initiation and renewal. We acknowledge and remember their living culture and their unique role in the life of this region together with the reverence and care with which they have tended this land.

We acknowledge and remember those who consequent to European settlement lived, loved, toiled, brought up families on this property. We recall in a particular way Mr John Usher who sold this property to our Congregation in 1908.

We acknowledge and remember the support, service and friendship shown us by the Marist Fathers from the beginnings till now. We particularly call to mind Fr Placide Huault sm, who located for us a property suitable for the establishment of a secondary school. We remember also parishioners Judge Heydon and Lettie Hazelton who generously gave financial assistance for its purchase.

We acknowledge and remember the many thousands of teachers, students and their families who have walked through the doors of the College since its beginning. They sought for young women an integrated education and formation to equip them to assume, in a Marist way, their place in the world.

We acknowledge and remember those who have worked for us in caring for this property, the buildings and gardens of our homes and the school. We think too of the doctors, nurses, carers, cooks, cleaners and other good people who have been so much part of Marian House since its beginning in 1979.

We acknowledge and seek God’s and others’ forgiveness for the times we have failed to care for creation in this place; for the times we have failed to love as we’d want to, and have said or done things that have hurt other people or each other; for the times when we have made poor decisions and have let others down. We pray for healing.

We acknowledge and thank God for the privilege it has been for us to live and be at the service of God’s mission here at Woolwich and to care for this place for these 110 years. We thank God for all those who have been associated with us in any way over these years. We ask God’s blessing on them all.

As we did when we gathered for the beautiful liturgy in February 2017, we give thanks for our Sisters who following our pioneers Melanie, Cyrille and Odilon have lived and ministered at Woolwich. In the spirit of Mary, they lived their joys and struggles and challenges of life with faith, courage, gratitude and incredible generosity. Their contribution to the Work of Mary, only fully known by God, has indeed been profound.

It is time now to hand over this property to the keeping of Sydney Catholic Schools and we ask God to guide and bless its future and all those who we trust will benefit from association with it.