Following the recent reshuffle of our Federal Parliament and the various bi-elections that have come up on the radar, the topic of the place of women in positions of leadership and governance, and the appalling allegations of bullying tactics resulting in resignations and public outcry, it looks like a time to stop, look and listen.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Our population consists of men and women of equal status, irrespective of colour, creed, race or origin. Possibly one of the most popular of these women would have to be our Queen Elizabeth 11, and the two young duchesses married to the Princes are coming up the strait. As I was pondering some ideas about prominent women, I found myself looking at three extraordinary women whose legacy continues to live on throughout the world, and is alive and well even here in Orange. I am, of course, referring to the foundresses of the three Religious Orders of Women within the Catholic Church who continue to live and minister here.
It was 1878 when the first Sisters of Mercy came to live and minister in Orange, after a foundation had been made from Charleville in Ireland to Bathurst in 1866, and we’re still here. Venerable Catherine McAuley was the Irish lady whose faith and compassion had inspired her to set up services for needy people, especially women, in Dublin in 1831. This was a huge step forward, especially for a woman, encountering many obstacles, but which resulted in the foundation of the Religious Sisters still alive and functioning right across the world, known as the Sisters of Mercy, of which I am proud to be a member.
St Mary McKillop is another shining example of women in ground breaking roles. She was born in Melbourne in 1842, of Scottish heritage, and was the foundress of the Sisters of St Joseph, commencing in 1867. We have two Josephite Sisters ministering here in Orange, following their presence in lots of the smaller towns and villages in the region and beyond. Like Catherine, Mary was the kind of person who saw a need and then looked for ways and means of giving assistance.
The third lady in my mind is St Teresa of Calcutta who founded the Missionary Sisters of Charity who also live and minister here in Orange, and are recognisable by the blue and white saris they wear. This Congregation was founded by St Teresa in Calcutta in India in 1950, and has spread across the world rendering mercy and compassion to all in their pathway.
As my pondering continued, it became clearer to me that these three women were not just great ladies, but role models especially for women in today’s society. They displayed extraordinary courage and tenacity in taking on the “powers that be”, in exercising that virtue that Catherine called “the rarest of virtues” when referring to commonsense, and in rooting these endeavours deeply within their belief in a loving , compassionate and forgiving God.
The Bible speaks of what we now call the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy in clear and concise language, and puts before us a challenge to follow with courage and conviction. Come on ladies, hold your heads up high, and proudly take your place in the world, using your gifts and talents of nature and grace to enrich our world.
In November, 2015, after more than 30 years of working for the Bloomfield and Riverside Hospital Auxiliary, Sister Mary Trainor has been honoured with life membership of the United Hospital’s Auxiliaries of New South Wales Inc.
