13 July, 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
Establishment of Mary Aikenhead Ministries sees Sisters of Charity
Facilities Change Towards Lay Governance
On July1
Mary Aikenhead Ministries was established, heralding a change in
governance for the various facilities founded by the Sisters of Charity. This is a
major change in governance for the Sisters. It follows the incorporation of their
major ministries
under Boards of Directors in the 1990s. 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 Congregation of Religious
Sisters of Charity of Australia to succeed to and continue the various health &
aged care, education and some welfare ministries conducted by them in
Australia.
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. 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 in view of the common good and to perform these tasks on
behalf of the Church. Mary Aikenhead Ministries is a PJP whose task is to ensure
the ministries of the Sisters of Charity continue to flourish into the future
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particularly in the context of changing realities for the Congregation.
A formal commissioning ritual to celebrate this transfer of the Sisters of Charity
ministries to the new Public Juridic Person will be held
later this month in
Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
In acknowledging the significance of the establishment of Mary Aikenhead
Ministries, Congregational Leader, Sr Annette Cunliffe noted “While there will be
little change to the daily management of our institutions, 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.”
“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.
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.
The health ministries of Mary Aikenhead Ministries include St Vincents & Mater
Health Sydney, St Vincent’s Clinic Sydney, St Vincent’s and Holy Spirit Health in
Queensland, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne as well as St Vincent’s & Mercy
Private Hospital. Its education ministries include St Vincent’s College, Potts Point
NSW, Mt St Michael’s College, Ashgrove Qld, St Columba’s College, Essendon
Vic and Catholic Ladies College, Eltham Vic. Some of its welfare ministries
include The Sisters of Charity Outreach in Sydney and Toowoomba (Qld).
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For more information about Mary Aikenhead Ministries or to organise an
interview with Sr Annette or Chairman of the Trustees
Richard Harpham
call
David Faktor on 02 8382 2866 or Richard Harpham on 0419 616 708.
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