Displaying items by tag: Wadeye
Tess Ward OLSH, farewell from Wadeye
Tess Ward OLSH, farewell from Wadeye
Tess has spent many years at Wadeye, has worked in Timor Leste and has served as Provincial of the Australian Province.
From the Diocese of Darwin
Today, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Sr Tess Ward, a woman whose life has been a profound testament to love, education, and cultural respect. Sr Tess has dedicated over four decades to the community of Wadeye, working tirelessly to preserve the Murrinhpatha language and bridge the gap between Indigenous culture and modern education. Her groundbreaking efforts in establishing a bilingual education program have touched countless lives and will continue to inspire generations to come.
Thank you, Sr Tess, for your unwavering commitment to serving others and for being a shining light in our Diocese. Your legacy will forever be felt in the hearts of those you've impacted. We pray that God’s blessings accompany you in this next chapter of your journey.
+Charles
OLSH Parish Wadeye
And Tess with PP, Leo Wearden MSC
New Sisters arrive at Wadeye, report from Leo Wearden MSC
New Sisters arrive at Wadeye, report from Leo Wearden MSC
Sisters Archana, Francisca and Armanda arrived at Wadeye on Sunday afternoon 14th April.
The Sisters belong to a Congregation known as Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (CONFHIC) and were founded in Portugal in 1871 by Blessed Mother Maria Claria of the Child Jesus who dedicated her life to love and serve others, especially the sick and needy. The Congregation has been in Timor Leste since 2007.
The three Sisters came from Dili to Darwin on Easter Sunday and after two weeks in Darwin have begun work in Wadeye.
They have been warmly welcomed by the Aboriginal people of Wadeye.
Last week was spent learning about some of the important matters for the people here regarding family, country and spirituality as well as having a first meeting with the Catholic Aboriginal leaders where the Sisters heard a little of the close to 90 year old history of the Catholic presence at Wadeye.
The Sisters have no other community in Australia and it is significant that they wanted to have their first community in Australia at Wadeye which is a remote community in the Diocese of Darwin.
When a conversation was had last year with Bishop Charles in Darwin, their Superior General was insistent that they commence work in a remote Aboriginal community to work with the poor and that they not be appointed to an urban centre such as Darwin.
Sr Archana the community leader who is originally from Bangalore in India has lived in Timor Leste for two years. She will now take up work with Catholic Care Wadeye as a social worker and work with families. In Timor Leste Sister Archana was responsible for formation in their Congregation which now has increasing numbers of Timorese women attracted by the Franciscan spirituality.
Sisters Francisca and Armanda are Timorese members of the Congregation and will teach and work at OLSH Thamarrurr Catholic College at Wadeye.
The Sisters approached Br John Alting SVD an Australian nurse working in Timor Leste - and who happens to now work at Wadeye - about establishing a community in Australia. John took up the matter with Malcolm Fyfe who then meet with their Superior General in India and after much work by Mrs Clalia Mar the Chancellor of the Diocese of Darwin, here they are.
The Sisters are enthusiastic about their presence at Wadeye and look forward to making long connections with the community and something they have already commenced in this short space of time.
It has been an opportunity for me to renew a connection that I have had now for almost 50 years with the people of East Timor and here at Wadeye!
Leo Wearden
The Referendum and Voting yes.
The Referendum and Voting yes.
Our 2023 Chapter voted in favour of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Support for the Yes vote, Leo Wearden and Wadeye
Why I am voting Yes, Pat Walsh (who shared many years of his life with us, at Monivae, many decades supporting Timor Leste righs)
Others will have their own good reasons for deciding to vote Yes or No on 14 October 2023 regarding a Constitutional Indigenous Voice to decision-makers in Canberra. I will be voting Yes, because:
- it is a small way to repay the Indigenous peoples of the Western District of Victoria for the benefits I have enjoyed from their dispossession;
- it is a request that has been made to me by respected Indigenous leaders like Senator Pat Dodson, a former colleague, who has the best interests of his people and Australia at heart;
- it will allow Indigenous leaders to take responsibility and partner with government to rectify over time the deep problems troubling their people;
- it will enhance Australia’s international reputation and make advocacy for victims of human rights in other countries more compelling;
- it is a golden opportunity to further develop our unique story, identity and place in the world and will not materially disadvantage other Australians.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Statement on the Voice – May 2023
Australia’s bishops are urging Catholics to engage with the Uluru Statement from the Heart as the country prepares for a crucial vote on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The bishops believe that rectifying the omission of acknowledging First Nations Peoples’ custodianship of the land in the Constitution is essential. They encourage all Australians to educate themselves on the proposal and engage in meaningful debate.
