In the Footsteps of Mary Aikenhead Sr Joan Jurd Rsc Celebrates 80 Years of Religious Profession

Keep in touch MARCH 2016 / VOLUME 16 / NUMBER 1 In the footsteps of Mary Aikenhead Sr Joan Jurd rsc celebrates 80 Years of Religious Profession n 20th January, 1936, Sr Joan Jurd, O(Sr Perpetua), made her Religious Profession as a Sister of Charity. This year 2016, on 20th January, Sr Joan celebrated not a Silver, Gold, Diamond or Platinum but an Oak Jubilee: 80 years, of walking in the footsteps of Mary Aikenhead! The Congregation celebrated this great achievement on 20th February, 2016 with Sr Joan’s family and friends in the St Joseph’s Village Chapel, where Sr Joan Sr Joan reading her vows Mrs Penny Kerr resides. Fr Kevin Walsh, who was known by Sr Joan since he was eight years old, was the Celebrant, assisted by Fr Isaac, the Village Chaplain. Sr Joan was accompanied by her niece, Sr Annette Cunliffe rsc and by many of her relatives. Her nephew, Mr Paul Jurd, read the first Reading, and Annette’s sister, Mrs Penny Kerr, prayed the Prayers of the Faithful. During the Mass, all witnessed Sr Joan pronounce her vows in a very strong voice. Vows she would have said daily for 80 years. As she finished there was spontaneous Mr Paul Jurd Sr Joan was presented with the Papal Blessing from Pope Francis clapping! At the end of Mass, Sr Suzette, representing Sr Clare, our Congregational Leader, before Sr Joan was presented with the Papal Blessing from Pope Francis, spoke about the significance of the Acorn, that when planted, becomes the Oak Tree, and how Joan, over the years demonstrated the Wisdom of her age and the Compassion demonstrated throughout her life. Continued page 02 Sr Joan’s family and friends Sr Suzette Clark Keep in touch March 2016 01 In the footsteps of Mary Aikenhead Sr Joan Jurd rsc celebrates 80 Years of Religious Profession from page 01 When the Mass drew to a close Sr Joan, followed by her family, friends and sisters moved to the afternoon tea, the cutting of the cake and a speech by Sr Joan, thanking all for coming and celebrating with her this great event! Sr Clare Nolan, Congregational Leader, wrote the following to Joan on the actual Anniversary of her Religious Profession: It is the massive root system of the oak that helps the tree to maintain its stability and sustenance as it grows. It represents wisdom and longevity. Joan, you have reached this incredible milestone that is only reserved for the few. The oak grows over hundreds of years from a tiny acorn to a huge tree. It weathers whatever storms it faces and continues to grow and expand. The oak tree is only partially seen – the root system is as tall and wide as the tree itself. This teaches us that there is much to living our spiritual experiences that we can’t see. You are the fruit of your spiritual life Joan. As our Pope Francis says, “Faithful discipleship is grace and love in action.” Joan, thank you for your faithfulness as a Sister of Charity. Thank you for the great love of the Congregation you have had for 80 years and for all you have done for others under the banner of Caritas Christi Urget Nos. In the words of Mary Aikenhead: ‘May each and all become more and more grateful for and faithful to, our holy vocation.’ This you have done dear Joan. Congratulations! Sr Joan Jurd rsc A time for everything Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. Ecclesiastes 2, 3 eflecting on this passage Sister Jennifer • Four years judging the John Lincoln RFahey has recognised the time to resign Awards for senior students making from the following: contributions to the Communities across New South Wales. • Twenty-five years as Chairman of the Archdiocesan Committee for the • Three years on call from Macquarie submissions rebuilding new schools and University in correcting PhD’s on the refurbishing older school buildings. topic of Self-concept and Self-esteem. Sr Jennifer Fahey rsc AM • Eight years assisting the coordination • Two years assisting with the writing of the volunteers at St Vincent’s of profiles for disadvantaged children Private Hospital. connected with DOC’s. Jennifer will now be working part-time at the Sisters of Charity Outreach Darlinghurst. 02 Keep in touch 200th Anniversary Mass Sandymount Parish, Dublin (16th January 2016) Sr Una O’Neill rsc Homily hroughout the past year, in cities and Ttowns, in villages and outstations – from Lusaka to Los Angeles, from Sydney to Glasgow, from Cork to Chikuni, from Clarinbridge to Konzalendo, from Bomadi to Birkenhead – we have been celebrating our 200th anniversary with colleagues, families, volunteers, service users, friends and co-workers. Today it is fitting that all of these celebrations come to a conclusion in this Parish where Mary Aikenhead lived on Sandymount Avenue and where the Sisters of Charity have served for over 185 years. We also remember and give thanks once more this morning for the fact that Mary Aikenhead has been declared Venerable by the Church. However, while that title is indeed a cause for thanksgiving, there is 200 years ‘In the Footsteps of Mary Aikehead’ (Free App available) the danger that it could distance her from us and we might lose sight of the practical, down to earth woman who, like Mary in We are, each and all of us, called to do the best the Gospel of this morning, noticed what we can in our corner of the world no matter needed to be done and immediately set what the circumstances. about finding a remedy. Mary Aikenhead’s holiness was equally She details this in the letter she wrote in If she were writing today about the broader practical. One commentator wrote of her: 1833 to the Commission set up to enquire world-wide situation she would be talking into the State of the Irish Poor. In that letter about war and want in many parts of the she outlines the appalling sufferings by the world; the threat of terrorism; the pain “I think Mother Aikenhead must have people of the area, and “...the heartrending of people starving and diseased; the been a Saint, because she could misery which we (the sisters) daily witness.” destruction of land and forests; the fly with such facility from the depths tragedy of human trafficking; the anguish of a clothes basket to the heights She speaks of terrible effects of of refugees; the corruption of politicians, of heaven.” unemployment with the closure of the the ruthless profiteering that defines many glass works and of the distillery at Dodder Life and Work of Mary Aikenhead business and multinationals – and the bank; the reduction of employment in the (p. 116) list goes on. salt works and the foundry; the absence of medical help, the hunger of the children, the It would have been so easy for her and the She was a woman whose life was rooted lack of sewage, the poor ventilation in the early Sisters to sink into despair. It would in her commitment to Jesus, in her fidelity houses, the excessive rents for miserable be so easy for us today to be overcome with to prayer and in her life of chastity, poverty hovels, the cost of buying drinking water... a sense of helplessness and hopelessness and obedience. Her commitment, her prayer and the list goes on. This situation was not – to be paralysed by what the poet Denise and her vows were matched by her practical confined to Sandymount of course and in Levertov call the imagination of disaster. service of the poor. And that wholeness of later years she wrote to a friend: But that was never Mary’s way. On the life is surely one of her greatest gifts to us. contrary she would say to us: Go and do something. Here in Sandymount, Mary made sure that “I own to you that sadness is more she was fully aware of the realities of poverty, deeply over me than I allow but Continued page 04 oppression and exploitation of the people we are in truly awful times in every and then she set about doing something sense of the word.” to address these realities. (December 1848) March 2016 03 200th Anniversary Mass Sandymount Parish, Dublin (16th January 2016) from page 03 We are, each and all of us, called to do the As Mary puts it so vividly: in the First Reading where we are told that best we can in our corner of the world no the Lord takes delight in us,that our God matter what the circumstances. And that rejoices in us. This is echoed delightfully “My poor heart is as weak as that is the message of the second reading: in Edwina Gately’s lovely words: of a chicken. Pray that I may be There are all sorts of service to be done faithful to the end!” in different ways by different people. “When I have fun and enjoy It is the same God who is working in all (27th August 1856) myself God laughs.” of us. When we are committed to truth and justice and compassion and One of MMA greatest gifts to us and to the forgiveness; when we listen to those in Laughter releases our creative energies. church was her ability to risk. Many of her trouble; forgive when we want to pay back; speak the word of comfort to those who decisions made little business or economic We need to be brave and creative as we try are suffering; contribute to the services that sense.

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