Mary Aikenhead Ministries
Tradition of Sisters set to continue with public celebration of
Mary Aikenhead Ministries
On July 1, 2009, Mary Aikenhead Ministries was established,
heralding a change in governance for the various facilities founded
by the Sisters of Charity. The Sisters’ facilities will now be
governed by a group of Trustees, consisting initially of two
members of the Congregation and three lay colleagues.
Mary Aikenhead Ministries was established by the Religious
Sisters of Charity of Australia to continue the various health and
aged care, education and some welfare ministries they
established. This is a major change in governance and follows the
incorporation of the major ministries under Boards of Directors in
the 1990s.
Congregational Leader, Sr Annette Cunliffe noted “This is an
exciting time for all of us. While there will be little change to the
daily management of our facilities, this change in governance will
enable us to ensure that the work begun by the Sisters will
continue, grow and flourish in the future through gifted and
dedicated lay leadership.”
“As you are well aware, our Congregation’s spirit and our
inheritance is the gospel privilege of serving others, especially the
poor. Our story is one of innovation, courage and conviction. It is
our hope that this will continue through Mary Aikenhead Ministries
and the spirit of service will evolve in new and radical ways, always
alive to the needs of the times,” said Sr Annette.
The new entity was granted canonical status as a Public Juridic
Person of Pontifical Right by the Congregation for Institutes of
Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on April 25th
2008. The establishment of Mary Aikenhead Ministries marks the
first time a Public Juridic Person of Pontifical Right has been
granted in Australia and sets an important precedent for other
religious orders in the country.
A Public Juridic Person (PJP) is a Church body established to
perform specific tasks entrusted to it for the good of all and to
perform these tasks on behalf of the Church. Mary Aikenhead
Ministries is a PJP whose task is to ensure the ministries
established by the Sisters of Charity continue to flourish into the
future - particularly in the context of changing realities for the
Congregation.
A formal and very moving commissioning ritual was held on July
21 and 22 in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, to celebrate this
transfer of the Sisters of Charity ministries to the new Public Juridic
Person, coinciding with the symbolically significant day, the 151st
anniversary of Mary Aikenhead’s death.
One of the major objectives of Mary Aikenhead Ministries is to
continue to build on the charism and traditions of the Sisters of
Charity of Australia to ensure that each of the works for which it is
responsible operates in conformity with the teaching, discipline and
law of the Roman Catholic Church.
During the ritual Sr Annette Cunliffe RSC, Congregational Leader,
Sisters of Charity Australia said. “Mary Aikenhead Ministries
continues the mission of Jesus and assumes responsibility to
further the health, aged care, education and some welfare
Ministries of the Sisters of Charity that are now under its care, it is
also able to accept further Ministries into the future”.
She continued:
In this 21st century these Ministries are characterised by good
Governance and excellent management, largely undertaken by lay
men and women who share a passion for the service of the poor that originally inspired Mary Aikenhead.
We believe that now, while the Ministries are so strong, is the time
to ensure their future by placing them in the committed hands of
these Trustees and those who will follow them.
The Sisters have entrusted the Governance and stewardship to
the Trustees –Mr Richard Harpham (Chairman), Sr Elizabeth
Dodds RSC, Sr Linda Ferrington RSC, Ms Rowena McNally and
Mr David Robinson.
During the ritual Mr Richard Harpham, Chairman, Mary
Aikenhead Ministries stated:
As Chairperson of the Trustees of this new entity, I would like to
reassure all of those who have respected and admired and in
many cases dedicated themselves to the works of the Sisters’
Ministries, that we will operate the Ministries in a tradition that the
Sisters built over the many years of their leadership.
This tradition has many components, but there are three principles
which I see as being extremely important and to which Mary
Aikenhead Ministries will be fully committed.
First, our colleges, hospitals, research centres, aged care facilities
and welfare programs are and will always be works of the church.
Many may agree that they represent the church at its best and we
will always be driven by these Gospel values.
Secondly, in every part of our organisation, there is an over-riding
dedication to the service of the poor and disadvantaged, Mary
Aikenhead Ministries will constantly challenge everybody involved
in our work to look for new and creative ways to meet this
imperative, in the same way that the Sisters have done in the past.
Third, we have the privilege of contributing to the common good
through our service to the Australian community. Our responsibility
is to ensure that the outcomes of our efforts continue to exude
excellence as the hallmark of hospitals, research centres, aged
care facilities, colleges and welfare programs that the Sisters have
nurtured,” Richard Harpham concluded.
Mary Aikenhead Ministries has been established as a result of the
changing realities for the Sisters of Charity of Australia and in
response to the demands and increasing complexity within the
ministries. Its establishment sees Sisters of Charity facilities shift
further towards lay Governance.
Under Mary Aikenhead Ministries the facilities in health and aged
care, outreach and education will now be governed by the group of
Trustees, initially two members of the congregation and three lay
colleagues. The Trustees are commissioned to ensure that the
heritage, tradition and charism of the Sisters of Charity are taken
purposefully into the future.