Franciscan Missionaries Celebrate 80 Years in Kedron

Evoking times past, two nuns, dressed in traditional Franciscan brown habit and black veil turned heads up on Turner Road, Kedron during staff week this year.  They reminded the staff of Mt Alvernia College that 80 years has passed since the first arrival of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in the local Kedron parish. 

Sr Pauline Robinson mfic, currently on staff at Mt Alvernia College and Sr Patricia Treacy mfic, a past principal of the College, braved the sweltering Brisbane heat, donned the habits and led staff on a pilgrimage walk back to significant places for the MFIC Sisters.  “Our sisters were always a very visible presence in the area” Sr Pauline said “So we led staff on a pilgrimage walk to the Kedron parish hall, which had been our first convent, Padua Primary which holds our first school building and to Delamore which was our beautiful historic convent for over 65 years.”

There were 15 MFIC Sisters who joined the staff on their formation day, including past principals and sisters who were past students of Mt Alvernia College. In her address to staff at the Kedron parish hall, Sr Noela Leamy mfic reminded everyone that “the Sisters were exceptionally poor and were strangers to this land.” She related stories of the Sisters struggles with the Australian language, shopping lists, and the oppressive heavy brown habits. She had everyone gasping when she relayed a “can do” story about how the Sisters had to walk back from a Scarborough dental clinic because they could not afford a return tram fare.   Remembering how the first three Sisters arrived in Australia in 1930 just days before the start of the new academic year, Sr Margaret Rose mfic, shared treasured memories and photographs of her first St Anthony’s School class where she was in the sole teacher for 70 students.

The past 80 years has been a mixture of school and parish experience for these Sisters. From the beginning, the pastoral and MFIC missionary style of the sisters became characteristic. Moreover their generosity of spirit, a willingness to live very simply, and their “can-do” courage were to lead, over the past 80 years, to many other ministry responses.  Sr Maureen Andrews mfic, current Australian leader of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception told staff that “in 2010 the Sisters continue in the footsteps of the foundress, Mother Mary Ignatius Hayes, herself a missionary and pilgrim who ventured beyond the boundaries of her home land. Australian Sisters can be found in Australia, PNG, Sudan, Egypt, Ireland, Rome and Bangkok.” Sr Maureen declared “that community life as well as outreach to what ever mission calls us, will be important. Like Jesus, St Francis and St Clare, the current small contingent of Missionary Franciscan Sisters continue their quest for mission.”  

During her address she challenged Mt Alvernia staff to remember that in the third millennium the quest for mission is both internal and external. “As teachers” she said, “I am sure you are all good at the external quest as you minister to the girls here at Mt A. However you have to look after your own internal quest. Give yourselves some time to seek God in quiet and contemplation. That, most often, is the harder thing to do.”
Past student of Mt Alvernia College, Kimberley Davis, present Director of The Office for the Participation of Women in Canberra picked up on the external quest for mission as she recalled her own experiences at Mt Alvernia College. Her analogy was potent. “Teachers are constant gardeners. They plant the seeds, ensure the soil is as rich as possible, tend the seedlings but often don’t see the mature plant.” She affirmed the vocation of teaching while relaying stories about how her life has taken her to Canberra, Northern Territory indigenous communities, the Vatican and to multi faith communities all over Australia as she works for the betterment of women in the Church.
After 80 years of ministry and presence in the Kedron parish what will the future hold?  It seems that the strong Franciscan spirit that is so identifiable in established educational institutions and other ministries worldwide, will continue into the future because there are others, both religious and lay persons, who will continue the way of life the foundress and the MFIC Sisters so faithfully lived.

-By Alison Stone, Director of Mission, Mt Alvernia College, Kedron.