Notes for RE

Learning Intentions

  • Understand the Good Samaritan Sisters and their connection to the College.

  • Successfully read and view information about the Sisters.

  • Utilize research skills for further understanding.

Essential Values of Good Samaritan Benedictine Education

  • PAX: Seek peace.

  • Hospitality: Welcome all, especially the stranger.

  • Stewardship: Care for creation.

  • Love of Christ and Neighbor: Reflect the Good Samaritan's love.

  • Prayer: Foster a relationship with God.

  • Stability: Find balance in life.

  • Conversation: Engage in spiritual discussions.

  • Obedience: Follow the rule with humility and respect.

  • Discipline: Essential for all aspects of life.

  • Humility: Approach all relationships with humility.

Historical Context

  • 1800s Sydney: Diverse experiences; extreme poverty for many.

  • Archbishop John Bede Polding: Founded the Sisters in 1857 to help poor women.

  • Ministries: Focused on caring for needy women and educating children.

  • First Location: Women's refuge in Carters' Barracks.

Development of the Congregation

  • Sisters' Work: Continued at St Magdalene's Retreat until 1983.

  • Education Efforts: Established first school in Sydney in 1861; expanded across Australia.

  • International Mission: Began in Japan in 1948 post atomic bomb.

Current Work of the Good Samaritan Sisters

  • Inspired by the parable and Benedictine spirit.

  • Involved in various ministries (education, social services).

  • Focus on hospitality, welcoming others as Christ.

  • Collaborate with other groups, including non-religious contexts, to promote human dignity.

The Good Samaritan Sisters, founded by Archbishop John Bede Polding in 1857 in Sydney, aimed to assist poor women and educate children during a time of significant poverty. The Sisters' ministries focus on care, education, and promoting human dignity through hospitality and collaboration in various contexts. Their values include peace, stewardship, humility, and community. Expansion efforts included international missions, with the first school established in Sydney in 1861 and an international mission beginning in Japan in 1948.