AUSTRALIA : SISTER AGE 101 - 80 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SERVICE

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
8 Jan 2013

Sr Elizabeth Shanahan will celebrate her 102 birthday in May this year

A golden anniversary marks 50 years. A diamond anniversary is for 60 years and a platinum anniversary is for 70 years. But few have heard of an Oak anniversary. But that is exactly what Josephite Sister Elizabeth Shanahan rsj will be celebrating on Friday 11 January when looks back over the 80 years since she professed her vows and became a Sister of St Joseph.

Now in her 102nd year, Sr Elizabeth will celebrate this remarkable milestone at a High Tea on Friday at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney where she will mark her Oak Jubilee as a Josephite.

Others to be honoured at the High Tea will be seven fellow Sisters of St Joseph. All in their 80s or 90s, the sisters will celebrate their Platinum Jubilee which commemorates 70 years since the profession of their vows.

Although Sr Elizabeth taught at primary schools throughout metropolitan and rural NSW, and still has past pupils who regularly visit her at the St Anne's Nursing Home at Hunter's Hill, where she now lives, many others could be forgiven for not recognising her name as the teacher who they adored and who played such a big part in their lives.

"When she took her vows in 1933 she was given the name Sr Valerian. And that is how she was known until shortly before her 100th birthday in 2011 when she decided to revert to the name she had grown up with, and became Sr Elizabeth," Sr Anne Harrison, Community Leader at St Anne's Nursing Home explains.

32 Sisters of Joseph celebrate their Golden Jubilee at Mary MacKillop Place

Describing Sr Elizabeth as "an amazing and beautiful woman," she says that although the 101-year-old no longer hears very well and is now wheelchair bound, her mind is as alert as ever, as is her curiosity, warmth and interest in others and the world around her.

On Friday, Sr Anne and fellow Josephite, Sr Judith Sippel who is a former pupil of Sr Elizabeth will accompany her to Mary MacKillop Place for the High Tea where she will be reunited with many old friends and sisters of the Congregation founded by Australia's first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

Born in Uralla in the Northern Tablelands of NSW on 29 May, 1911 just two years after the death of Mary MacKillop, Sr Elizabeth joined the Sisters of St Joseph in 2 February, 1930 when she entered the Josephite Convent at Glen Innes. She professed her vows three years later and then began teaching at NSW primary schools. For half a century she inspired her young charges at schools in Kiama, Hillston, Barringbar, Naremburn, Leichardt, Quirindi, Smithfield, Tenterfield, Annandale, Lithgow and many others.

In 1981 at age 70, she retired from teaching but remained active as a Sister of St Joseph which took her on postings to Tamworth, Quirindi and other towns of northern and central NSW.
Eighteen months ago on 29 May, 2011 she celebrated her 100th birthday.

"We had a big party and so many friends, former pupils and sisters as well as extended family wanted to take part that St Anne's Education Centre was about the only place we could find to fit everyone in," says Sr Anne.

For the Sisters of St Joseph, the first two weeks of January have been spent celebrating important milestones which began last Saturday, 5 January when 32 sisters from across Australia and from the Josephite communities of Ireland, New Zealand and Peru celebrated their Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years since they professed their vows.

Acclaimed educator Sr Judith Sippel RSJ was a former pupil of Sr Elizabeth Shanahan's

The days leading up to the Thanksgiving Mass at Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel last Saturday were a time for the sisters to remember, reflect, reconnect and celebrate.

Father Kevin Dance CP, whose Tasmania-based sister Jillian was one of the Golden Jubiliarians was principal celebrant at the Golden Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass, which was concelebrated by Bishop Terence Brady and Bishop David Cremin.

Family and friends as well as those who had been novitiates at the same time as those celebrating their jubilee, but who were no longer religious sisters and had joined the laity.

"For sisters, there is a particularly strong bond among those who did their initial formation together and whether they stayed or not, that unique bond remains," says Sr Annette Arnold rsj, adding it was significant and extremely moving that all those who were novitiates at Baulkham Hills more than half a century ago, returned with the Sisters last week to pray and reflect.

In addition to Friday's high tea and Oak and Platinum commemoration at Mary MacKillop Place,  on Saturday, 12 January 23 Sisters of St Joseph from almost every state will be in Sydney to mark their Diamond Jubilee.

"We have 30 sisters celebrating their Diamond Jubilee this year but only 23 will be here at Mary MacKillop Place with the others sadly not able to attend," Sr Annette says.

SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY