Catholic education in the South Australian city of Port Pirie “owes its existence” to the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, according to Brenda Keenan, Director of Catholic Education in the Port Pirie Diocese.
“It would be true to say that here in Port Pirie, Catholic education IS and will continue to BE because of their vision, their commitment and their legacy,” said Brenda at an event last month to celebrate the 125th anniversary since the Sisters opened the first Catholic school in Port Pirie.
Several events were held in Port Pirie over two days (May 22-23) to acknowledge and celebrate the Good Samaritan Sisters’ contribution to education in Port Pirie and to the life and mission of the Port Pirie Diocese, generally.
Among the 16 sisters who attended the celebrations, many of whom had travelled interstate, was Sister Margaret Ann Kelly of Sydney who lived and ministered in Port Pirie from 1964 to 1966.
Sixteen sisters attended the celebrations, many of whom had travelled interstate
“The recent celebrations were extraordinary,” she told The Good Oil.
“The Bishop, the CEO [Catholic Education Office] staff, the schools, the people could not have done more to make the Good Samaritan Sisters welcome and to assure us of their appreciation of the efforts and service of the Sisters over the [past] 125 years,” she said.
“I felt quite privileged to be part of it and was so glad I had come.”
Port Pirie was Margaret Ann’s first ministry placement after finishing the novitiate in Sydney.
“As it was my first move it was all rather exciting, and as so far away, I felt I was experiencing something quite different – to live in a smaller community, to teach as a Good Samaritan Sister, to see life away from Sydney,” she explained.
“At the school to which I was appointed – Our Lady of Fatima School, Risdon Park – there were two Good Samaritan Sisters on staff and one lay teacher. For the first two years I taught grades 4 and 5, and in the second year I was principal.”
Many past pupils, teachers and friends gathered for the celebrations
For Margaret Ann, her experience in Port Pirie evokes many memories, but those which stand out include: “a hard work ethic and fidelity to our religious practices”; “basic simple living”; “a contented community”; “a supportive Church community particularly, for me, at Risdon Park”; “heat and sulphur fumes and sand storms”; “the importance to the general community of the smelters”; “closing all the windows and pulling down the blinds when the severe heat was on. Somehow this seemed to work! A bit!”; “isolation”; “enclosed life”; “the pleasure of sitting before my first winter fire of mallee roots. A fire like no other!”
For the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, their foundation in Port Pirie has special significance because it was their first venture as a congregation beyond New South Wales.
This article was first published in the June 16 edition of The Good Oil, the e-magazine of the Good Samaritan Sisters and the full article can be read at :
http://www.goodsams.org.au/good-oil/port-pirie-celebrates-good-sams-125-year-contribution
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