MESSAGE FROM THE FCJ SISTERS

Message from the Sisters FCJ

Sr Barbara Brown-Graham fcJ | Leader for Australia

On Holy Thursday night in 1820, as she watched and prayed before the altar of repose in Amiens France, Marie Madeleine d’Houët knew deep within that it was time to begin formally the work to which God had been leading her over the previous three years in particular. And so we call this day, Holy Thursday, our founding day.

The 2020 Bicentenary celebrations throughout the wider family of the Society of the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ Sisters) have been years in the making, but we did not plan on competing with COVID-19! In some mysterious way we can call this a blessing because it has lead us into new and creative ways of celebrating God’s abundant gifts to our Society and to the wider church and world through the FCJ Society over these past 200 years.

In place of local and international travel, we have made great use of all of the social media platforms to connect with one another across the world and to continue our meetings and sharing. We have ‘travelled’ to remote Ende, Flores (Indonesia) for the key moment of a vow ceremony. We have had some wonderful connections with our sisters in Manila, Myanmar, Indonesia and in Europe through their YouTube presentations of the ways they continue to serve the people, https:// www.fcjsisters.org/news/a-day-in-the-lifeof-sisters-on-lockdown/. This year, the annual residential meeting of our General Superior and her Assistants together with the Area Leaders happened virtually over two weeks – embracing the time zones from Toronto to Melbourne with Dublin, London and Flores, Indonesia in between.

Our local groups of Sisters and Companions in Mission have met regularly through the same social media platforms and despite the constraints of different time zones, we have been able to connect with many of our communities outside Australia. At home, we enjoyed a great celebration in September of the 65 years of vowed FCJ life, love and service of our Sisters – Helen Mary Langlands, Aileen Ryan and Catherine Morrison and all this via Zoom! This ended with the FCJ virtual choir singing so wonderfully Mary’s song of praise, Magnificat. Likewise, we joined with Sr Kathleen Mary at MacKillop Care Home in Hawthorn East to celebrate her 100th birthday via Zoom – though you can’t eat a delicious birthday cake virtually!

The various ministries of our Sisters are carried out differently now – through phone consultations, Zoom calls, webinars and writing. In some ways we enjoy this new creativity and flexibility across borders! Our apostolic energy and ministry of prayer for the thirst of our world never ceases. Thankfully, prior to COVID-19 we were able to carry out a number of our Bicentenary plans. Two hundred trees have been planted in rural Victoria as part of a corridor for native birds and animals; the lease on three of the houses of the Society have been extended for the use of refugees and asylum seekers; and substantial grants have been made available to rural families in distress and for tertiary scholarships for aboriginal young people. The Society has provided funding for the FCJ Bicentennial Multipurpose Hall in Benalla and for a Year 5 and 6 Learning Centre at Genazzano which is at the planning stages.

Our Bicentenary calls us to be more deeply women of thanksgiving. In the words of our General Chapter of October 2019…

As pilgrim companions for 200 years we know that ‘Le Bon Dieu conduit tout luimême.’ We rejoice that the Risen Jesus, source of our hope, joy and energy, is present and active in us and all around us.

In gratitude for this we want to live with deeper conviction as consecrated women, giving all that we are and all that we have. We are women of the Resurrection, messengers of the Good News, living out this desire in the divided and often suffering reality of our Church, World and God’s entire creationi .

We are grateful for the wonderful support given to us by Ms Karen Jebb over her years of leadership at Genazzano and we warmly welcome Mrs Loretta Wholley who takes up the baton of leadership. We thank all members of staff, all parents and families for your wonderful response to a year of challenge, change and opportunity! Thank you for accompanying us into our third century! As Jesus accompanies us…we are called to do the sameii .

Annual residential meeting with the FCJ General Superior, General Assistants and all Area Leaders. To watch the FCJ virtual choir singing Magnificat, scan the QR code using the camera app on your phone or iPad.