Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
10 May 2013
10 May 2013
Sister Mary Cresp rsj author of God's Good Time
Today marks a double celebration for the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. The first will be the official opening by the Governor General, Quentin Bryce of the Australian Catholic University's "Gifts of the Artists" exhibition of Indigenous art entrusted to the Sisters by the Warmun community of East Kimberley. The second, which will also be part of today's ceremony at ACU's McGlade Gallery at Strathfield, is the launch "God's Good Time" by Sister Mary Cresp, RSJ.
Launched by Professor Nereda White, ACU's Professor and Director of the Centre for Indigenous Education and Research, "God's Good Time" traces the history and close involvement of the Sisters with Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over the past 40 years.
Although other books have been written about the Josephites' long and ongoing connection with Australia's Indigenous communities, "God's Good Time" reveals for the first time the range and scope of the Sisters' mission dating back to the time of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop when young Aboriginal children attended her stable school in Penola.
With more than 1000 Josephite sisters, missions and ministries across Australia today include those established at Indigenous communities in Port Augusta and Largs Bay, SA; Walgett, Lismore and Lake Cargelligo, NSW; Amata and Wadeye in the Northern Territory, Mt Isa in Qld as well as in metropolitan areas such as Mt Druitt in Sydney.
The Burial of Jesus in the Aboriginal way - at Ringer Soak in East Kimberley
"God's Good Time" brings the work of the Sisters as well as the communities they serve to vivid life, particularly in the years since 1964 when the Josephite Congregation established its first official mission at Wyndham in the Kimberley,
Sr Mary also provides a revealing and fascinating insight into Aboriginal spirituality and what Indigenous people call "two way."
This is epitomised in the artworks at the "Gifts of the Artists" exhibition on display at ACU's McGlade Gallery and is further explained in Sr Mary's book as two pillars, one of which is based on the living land, ancestors and their stories, and the other on the Bible and the story of the Creation, and of Jesus and Mary.
"God's Good Time," the title Sr Mary chose for the book, is also part of this "two way" spirituality.
Mary of Warmun
The story behind the title occurred in 1984 when two Sisters of St Joseph, Clare Ahern and Anne Boland joined the community at Yaruman or Ringer Soak and began preparing members of the community for baptism as Christians.
"But those they were preparing found it difficult to relate or even understand the idea of a king let alone a kingdom. The Indigenous culture has no kings or queens. So the passage from Mark, Chapter 1 verse 15, where Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of Heaven meant nothing to them," Sr Mary explains.
Sr Clare and Sr Anne tried their best to explain what a kingdom meant, and then suggested after much prayer and reflection, the people come up with their own words for Mark 1: 14.
"This is what they chose," Sr Mary says and quotes: "God's Good Time: This is the word Jesus gave everyone. He called it Good News. God is going to change things. A good time is coming closes-up for everyone. Be sorry for the bad things you do. Keep thinking good things in your heart. Do these good things. Believe the good word. I tell you that a good time is coming for everyone."
Sr Mary has dedicated her book to Shirley Purdie, an artist and elder at Warmun and her "kinship sister," and for the cover chose a powerful artwork by Indigenous artist and Indigenous Education Officer for the Edmund Rice Centre, Cassandra Gibbs.
Celebrated Indigenous artist Shirley Purdie
"God's Good Time" represents three years of dedication, meticulous research, one-on-one interviews with community members as well as the sisters who have taught or work alongside them and has been supported by Sr Mary's own first-hand knowledge of communities across the Kimberley, South Australia, NT, NSW and Queensland.
A former Congregational Leader of the Sisters of St Joseph who has also served as Executive Director of the Conference of Australian Religious, Sr Mary is the author of several other books including Choosing Life (2001), The Spirit of Joseph (2005) and "Prayer-Chats with Julian (2010) and In Her Footsteps which was published last year and tells the story of the Sisters of St Joseph in Western Australia from 1920 until 1990.
But of all of them it is perhaps this latest book, "God's Good Time" that is closest to her heart.
"I believe people are changed by the people they associate with and the Sisters of St Joseph have been changed, inspired and enriched by Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Ours is very much a partnership that continues to grow," she says.
"God's Good Time," (Garratt Publishing) rrp $34.99 is available from the Mustard Seed Bookshop, Lidcombe, other leading bookstores, the website of the Sisters of St Joseph at www.sosj.org.au or online via the publisher's website athttp://garrattpublishing.com.au/index.php/product/9781922239136-gods-good-time-mary-cresp-rsj
The Gifts of the Artists exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Warmun's Indigenous artists at ACU's McGlade Gallery, Strathfield which was officially opened today by the Governor General, Quentin Bryce will be on display until 25 May. Gallery hours are from 11.am. until 4 pm Monday to Saturday.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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