The
Catholic Weekly
Online
Sydney
21 September 2003
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Heaven
scent floral feast
Welcome
strangers’ call
Bishops:
Fight racism
Bishop
Mayne dies at 75
Senate
‘yes’ to gay bid
Benedictine
nuns gather in Sydney
Tears
of joy at Marriage Sunday Mass
Donor
club
His
Holiness, the poet
Concert
to mark Pope’s jubilee
It’s
‘weakness of faith’
Still
a need for Catholic voice: Dr Pell
Editorial:
Spectre of fear
Letters:
Christian values
Conversation:
Amanda McKenna, Catholic singer and songwriter - ‘God’s messenger’ on a journey
of faith
Opintion:
‘Good mother of all ...’
Voice
of Youth: ‘Most wonderful day’
Insights:
Biblical ancestors?
Religious:
Spirit-ualities are everywhere
North
American, Irish, Australian sisters in historic Loreto reunion
Education:
Decade a day at school
Social
Work degree course at Strathfield
Balmain
kids hit right note
Catechism:
Daytime course
New
bishops ‘help God’s light shine in darkness’
Capacity
to forgive ...
‘Heroic
witness’ to the Gospel of hope
‘Kids
worth dying for’
Inspirations:
‘Schoolies’ faith patrol
North American, Irish, Australian sisters in historic Loreto reunion
History has been made this month by the formal reunification of the North American Branch of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Irish Branch (Loreto Sisters), which includes Australia’s Loreto sisters.
Where does the story begin? In 1609, Mary Ward, a Yorkshire woman, founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St Omer, Flanders, to enable women to serve actively in spreading the Gospel.
Her dream of union of all the members under one General Superior has survived over the centuries despite ecclesiastical opposition, controversy and political upheavals, which caused the separation of many parts of the Institute.
Even in the year 2000, three branches existed with separate generalates - the ‘Roman’ Branch, the ‘Irish’ Branch and the North American Branch.
The North American Branch, founded from Ireland in 1847, became a separate generalate in 1881.
Australia, founded from Ireland by Mother Gonzaga Barry in 1875, was able to continue as a province of the Irish Branch.
Interest in reunion, originally so strong with Mother Gonzaga Barry, has been revived in recent decades. Meetings were held and summer schools on Mary Ward and the constitutions; shared experiences strengthened bonds.
Sisters from the Irish Branch, especially Australia, visited and studied in Canada and the US.
There have been joint ministry initiatives in Tanzania, Bolivia, Kenya and South Africa.
In 1998, the North American Branch made a formal approach to the Irish Branch regarding the possibility of reunion. A commission was set up to plan a process involving all the membership.
After many intermediate steps, the vote for reunion was taken by the North Americans in January.
The formal application to Rome by the two General Superiors, Mary Wright (Irish Branch) and Maria Bierer (North American Branch), was approved by decree granted on March 17 to become juridically effective on Tuesday, September 16.
In the birth of the new Loreto Branch, which replaces the Irish and North American branches, Mary Ward’s dream comes closer to fulfilment. Australian sisters rejoice at God’s work in history.
This flowering of Mary Ward’s dream will extend the Loreto apostolate to six continents and 16 countries, igniting zeal afresh as, almost 1100-strong, this new branch prays and works together for God’s greater glory in the search for freedom, justice and peace for all.