|
Who we are
13th
March 2005
40th Anniversary of the Arrival of the
Dominican Sisters of Malta in Australia.
I would like to welcome you and thank you
for coming to share with us all this commemorative day. Indeed the 10th
February feast of the shipwreck of St Paul marks a milestone in history of
the Dominican Sisters of Malta. As on this day was the birth and beginning
of our apostolate in Australia.
The Dominican Sisters were introduced to
Australia by the Carmelite Fathers at Wentworthville in 1965. The Mother
General at the time Madre Imelda Mercieca OP a women of great vision and
sound religious values together with her council accepted the invitation to
send four sisters to take charge in the parish school at Pendle Hill which
at that time was part of Wentworthville Parish. St Simon Stock School now
Our Lady Queen of Peace.
The first community of sisters were Sr
Giovannina Saliba OP, Sr Sylvia Azzopardi OP, Sr Viviana Custo OP, and
myself, the only sister left in Australia from the first community.
So I wish to recall some of the important
events, which happened 40 years ago. It wasn't easy to leave our loved ones
and the community where we lived and to step into the unknown and come to a
strange country.
We left Malta on the 8th February 1965,
Mother Imelda the then Mother General, gave us a status of St Paul which I
carried all the way from Malta keeping in mind what Mother General said to
us "Dear Sisters keep the faith alive and never lack courage".
We left Malta on a very cold wintry
evening and arrived in Sydney on a scorching day of 105 degrees centigrade.
We arrived at Mascot Airport at 6am where we are warmly welcomed by Rev
Paul Knuppel PP, Rev Michael Camilleri, Chaplin for the Maltese Community
and some of our relatives.
After clearing from the customs, which
was very easy in those days, we were driven to the house, which the father
rented for us. It was a small house clean and freshly painted and close to
the school. One of the rooms used as a chapel where the Carmelite Fathers
celebrated the Eucharist every day.
The following day we had a big welcome at
the school. Fr Knuppel introduced us to the staff and gave us a tour of the
school followed by morning tea which was well organised by the Tuck Shop
Volunteers. As there was no proper church at Pendle Hill, the school used
to be converted into a big hall for Sunday Masses.
I remember each Friday we used to do the
shifting of tables and chairs to set up for Sunday congregation.
We had a great support from Fr Peter
Burke O Carm who was the principal of St Simon Stock College next door and
Mr Lesley Kenny, principal of the Boys primary.
We visited His Eminence Cardinal Norman
Gilroy, two weeks after our arrival. He was delighted to meet us. He
thanked us all and gave us a special blessing.
The Dominican Sister at Santa Sabina
Strathfield also gave us a warm welcome and made us feel at home.
Very often on the weekends we used to join them for the Evening Prayers and
enjoy afternoon tea together as one community.
The generosity and kindness of the
Maltese community was superb as they provided us with everything we needed,
even cooked food on a daily basis.
Through the initiative of Rev Michael
Camilleri O Carm, a convent for the sisters was built on the parish
property on Old Prospect Road and Crn Braiside Road.
Guided by the signs of times our
Congregation changed our apostolate from Education to Aged Care. Therefore,
in 1987 the Dominican Sisters of Malta moved to St Dominic's Hostel
Blacktown.
I would like to thank God for calling me
to follow him in the Dominican way of life, keeping in mind our Dominican
Charisma "Contemplata allis tradere" which means giving to others
the fruit of out contemplation.
Our Dominican Vocation is for others, it
fits well at this point to invite young adults to "COME AND SEE"
our way of life and be nourished by the Word of God! I'll pray the lord of
the Harvest to send more labourers into his vineyard.
I thank you once again and God Bless You.
Sister Valentine Attard OP.
Rosary Home Community.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
|