From Thursday, August 22nd, to Monday, August 26th, the Sisters of the Australian Province gathered at Hartzer Park, our Retreat and Conference Center, for the annual Province Assembly for 2024. This year’s Assembly was especially significant, as it took place during the Congregation's 150th Jubilee Year. Around 50 of our sisters gathered for a wonderful and enriching Assembly in which Sr Philippa Murphy our Provincial 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 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 visitors 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, which was offered by Fr Pat Mara MSC, alongside other MSC Clergy. 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 Murphy 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 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 OLSH College Kensington Hall to celebrate the Eucharist, with Bishop Terry Brady, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, presiding alongside MSC Provincial Fr. Stephen Hackett MSC, 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 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 how the Daughters had profoundly influenced countless lives, especially through education, including his own.

Sr. Philippa Murphy 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.

This milestone was not just marked in one place; celebrations have already been held across the Australian Province in the Tiwi Islands, Darwin, and Alice Springs, with further festivities planned in Melbourne with the OLSH Community in Bentleigh and OLSH College Bentleigh.

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.

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