May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved!

Sr Moira fdnsc
Marie Therese Lynch
08.09.1923 – 18.02.2015

In his Message for Lent 2015 Pope Francis addresses the globalization of indifference – a frequent theme in his homilies and talks.  He invites us to reflect with him on three texts from the Bible – 1 Cor 12:26, Gen 4:9, and Jas 5:8.

“Make your hearts firm” (Jas 5:8)

‘A Life of Love’, is the life story of Marie Louise Hartzer, the first Congregational Leader of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. It is told in story and song, the text having been written by Sr Juliette Baker, OLSH, and available on CD. There is also a transcript of this CD for those who wish to have a printed copy for reference.

Throughout the month of February, Sr Robyn Reynolds has been  conducting a series of Reflection days which  have  focussed  on the document of Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) and our new Constitutions.

The nine Sisters in our International Community at Bentleigh are now into their final weeks of their 3 month program. At the moment they are on an 8 day retreat ‘Life’s Healing Journey’ with Fr Chris Chaplin msc.  After this we have a trip to Werribee Zoo, compliments of Mick Renwick… chair of Board at the College.

This past week has been a time of great rejoicing as family and friends gathered with the OLSH sisters to celebrate the remarkable lives of six OLSH sisters.

On 10th January 2015, Sisters Yvonne Berecry and Margaret Jennings celebrated 60 years of Religious Profession and Sisters Rita Clancy, Yvonne Gleeson, Marilyn Knolder, Robyn Reynolds celebrated 50 years of Religious Profession.

Congratulations and Thank You

On the 6th January we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany at St Joseph’s Aged Care Facility and the Diamond Jubilee of Sr Lucy Bange. In 1953 Sr Lucy Bange made the decision to follow that star that led the wise men to Jesus and she found herself in Bowral as a Postulant with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. After her first profession in 1955.

When Pope Francis decreed 2015 to be the Year of Consecrated Life, he called on consecrated men and women of the Church to "wake up the world" with their testimony of faith, holiness and hope.

The Year of Consecrated Life began on 30 November and will conclude on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on 2 February, 2016.

The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Australia have invited Sisters from around the world to gather for formation and community, in response to Pope Francis' call for religious to look to the past with gratitude, live the present with passion, and embrace the future with hope.

OLSH sisters came to South Sudan in January 1995, but their mother, "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart", had preceded them by more than a hundred years.in 1875 Daniel Comboni (founder of the church in East Africa) and a contemporary of Jules Chevalier (founder of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) consecrated the whole of Sudan to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Is it any wonder her daughters were destined to follow.

Sr Jo Kenny and Moira Lynch were the pioneer missionaries who came in 1995, almost by chance, but there is no such thing as chance.  Jo requested to work with refugees. Contact made with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Sydney coincided with an appeal from Bishop Caesar Mazzolari of the Rumbek diocese to the JRS in Nairobi, which resulted  in the first OLSH community at Mapuordit in South Sudan.

On Tuesday 16th December, Moya had a farewell by Bishop Peter Ingham of Wollongong and by clergy and confreres with whom she has closely worked over the last 10 years.   There was a Mass followed by ‘High Tea’.

During the course of the Bishop’s speech he announced to all that he had been dealing with the Vatican Nuncio regarding an award which he wished to present to Moya on behalf of the Church, and that she was to be presented with the Cross- Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice -(for Church and Pope).

Meet Jenny Q

I was born in Babatngon, Leyte Philippines. The sixth child of eight children four boys and four girls. I am the youngest among the girls.

I came to Australia in 2006 as a student. After a year in Australia I applied for a job at St. Joseph's Aged care Facility which to my surprise was run by nuns (Daughters of Our Lady of Sacred Heart Congregation). The late Sr. Consolata invited me three times by saying, "It's a beautiful life why not join us."