The Congregation of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan , colloquially known as the "Good Sams", is a Roman Catholic congregation of religious women commenced by Bede Polding , OSB , Australia’s first Catholic bishop , in Sydney in 1857. The congregation was the first religious congregation to be founded in Australia. The sisters form an apostolic institute that follows the Rule of Saint Benedict . They take their name from the well-known gospel parable of the Good Samaritan .
24-698: Under the guidance of Polding’s co-founder, Mother Scholastica Gibbons , a Sister of Charity, the sisters cared for needy, homeless women at a refuge, the House of the Good Shepherd in Sydney, and orphans at the Roman Catholic Orphan School, a government institution at Parramatta . Foundations were made throughout Sydney and New South Wales as bishops urgently requested staff for Catholic schools. The first foundation outside New South Wales
48-676: A new order that would amalgamate her congregation and a new group of women who had formed the Community of the Good Shepherd. They were renamed the Community of the Good Samaritan around 1866 to avoid confusion with a European community. Gibbons remained superior of the new congregation until 6 September 1876, when she returned to the Sisters of Charity, working with the poor in the Hobart convent. She worked there until 1885, but returned to
72-735: A preschool centre. In Australia, in 2011, the sisters’ ministry in Catholic education comprised ten schools in five dioceses: the Archdioceses of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and the Dioceses of Broken Bay and Wollongong. The Congregation valued these schools as a sphere of its apostolic activity within the mission of the Church. In reading the signs of the times as they relate to the Good Samaritan Sisters and their schools,
96-434: A preschool centre. In Australia, in 2011, the sisters’ ministry in Catholic education comprised ten schools in five dioceses: the Archdioceses of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and the Dioceses of Broken Bay and Wollongong. The Congregation valued these schools as a sphere of its apostolic activity within the mission of the Church. In reading the signs of the times as they relate to the Good Samaritan Sisters and their schools,
120-653: A secondary school and kindergarten. In a spirit of reconciliation with their Asian neighbours, the Good Samaritan Japanese sisters desired to begin a community in the Philippines. The community established in Bacolod in 1990, provides a kindergarten school for the children of the very poor. In 1991, the sisters began to work in Kiribati at the request of the local bishop and founded communities and
144-408: A secondary school and kindergarten. In a spirit of reconciliation with their Asian neighbours, the Good Samaritan Japanese sisters desired to begin a community in the Philippines. The community established in Bacolod in 1990, provides a kindergarten school for the children of the very poor. In 1991, the sisters began to work in Kiribati at the request of the local bishop and founded communities and
168-778: The Good Samaritans at Rosebank convent, Sydney. Gibbons died on 15 October 1901 at age 85. She was buried in Rookwood Cemetery , Sydney, and was later reinterred at Rosebank College, Sydney in 1945. Sisters of the Good Samaritan The Congregation of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan , colloquially known as the "Good Sams", is a Roman Catholic congregation of religious women commenced by Bede Polding , OSB , Australia’s first Catholic bishop , in Sydney in 1857. The congregation
192-490: The 1960s and 1970s, the sisters responded to the call of the Second Vatican Council to embrace the charism of their founder. They diversified their ministries to include catechetics, parish work, and support for Indigenous people, the elderly, the homeless, prisoners and people with disabilities. They also shared their rich Benedictine spirituality by giving retreats and spiritual direction . During this era,
216-573: The Children’s Court to the care of the sisters at St Magdalen’s Arncliffe . Sister Mary Elizabeth was involved as a teacher in improving the teaching of Science at Saint Scholastica's College in Sydney and in 1920 she joined the sisters. A new ministry began in 1957 when Mater Dei Special School, Narellan opened at the request of the New South Wales bishops to provide a Catholic education for students with special needs. Throughout
240-569: The Philippines and Kiribati. They and the wider Good Samaritan family continue to seek God and to live out the injunction of the Good Samaritan parable to be a good neighbour to those in need. This article incorporates text from a publication by Marilyn Kelleher SGS, Annals of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict , published 2010, Volume II - 1938-1949, pp. 11–12. Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons Mother Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons ( c. 1817 – 15 October 1901)
264-530: The Roman Catholic Orphan School, a government institution at Parramatta . Foundations were made throughout Sydney and New South Wales as bishops urgently requested staff for Catholic schools. The first foundation outside New South Wales was made at Port Pirie , South Australia, in 1890. Under the leadership of Mother Berchmans , who was superior general from 1898 to 1916, the order expanded greatly, from nineteen communities to thirty nine, with expansion into four additional states. She added new congregations to serve
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#1732787450228288-533: The Sydney convent, where Gibbons founded a home for female penitents there. Polding appointed Gibbons to succeed her sister as superior in 1853, which caused surprise as she had only professed five years earlier. It had been expected that an older Irish sister, Mary Baptist De Lacy , one of the first religious sisters to come to Australia, would be given the position. This sparked tension in the congregation, with De Lacy resigning from her position as rectress of St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney in 1859, claiming pressure for
312-608: The congregation discerned that 2011 was the appropriate time to embrace a new and different future. In 2011, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan received approval to establish Good Samaritan Education , a new entity within the Australian Catholic Church to oversee the canonical governance of the Congregation’s schools. Today, about 235 Good Samaritan Sisters live and minister throughout Australia and in Japan,
336-419: The congregation discerned that 2011 was the appropriate time to embrace a new and different future. In 2011, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan received approval to establish Good Samaritan Education , a new entity within the Australian Catholic Church to oversee the canonical governance of the Congregation’s schools. Today, about 235 Good Samaritan Sisters live and minister throughout Australia and in Japan,
360-512: The convent rule to move from Vincentian to a modified Benedictine from the archiepiscopal hierarchy. The resignation led to public debate in local newspapers, in which Gibbons reluctantly engaged, denying any pressure. De Lacy requested permission to return to Ireland, and re-joined the Dublin community. The issues with the congregation led to Polding founding an Australian congregation. On 2 February 1857 he requested that Gibbons become superior of
384-470: The education of students in the Good Samaritan schools and colleges became a shared ministry with lay people. Increasingly, the congregation was called to listen to the needs of the wider Asia-Pacific region. Sisters went to Japan in 1948, in response to an appeal for help from the Bishop of Nagasaki. Initially, they established a dispensary to care for victims of the 1945 atomic bomb, but later went on to open
408-417: The education of students in the Good Samaritan schools and colleges became a shared ministry with lay people. Increasingly, the congregation was called to listen to the needs of the wider Asia-Pacific region. Sisters went to Japan in 1948, in response to an appeal for help from the Bishop of Nagasaki. Initially, they established a dispensary to care for victims of the 1945 atomic bomb, but later went on to open
432-490: The first 100 years, education was a major focus of the sisters’ work. The work of the women’s refuge changed after World War I, when young women were referred from the Children’s Court to the care of the sisters at St Magdalen’s Arncliffe . Sister Mary Elizabeth was involved as a teacher in improving the teaching of Science at Saint Scholastica's College in Sydney and in 1920 she joined the sisters. A new ministry began in 1957 when Mater Dei Special School, Narellan opened at
456-469: The poor in urban areas like Brisbane and Melbourne, and set up missions in rural areas, such as the outback of Queensland and in farming communities in Victoria. Over time, sisters have served in all states and territories of Australia. During the first 100 years, education was a major focus of the sisters’ work. The work of the women’s refuge changed after World War I, when young women were referred from
480-538: The request of the New South Wales bishops to provide a Catholic education for students with special needs. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the sisters responded to the call of the Second Vatican Council to embrace the charism of their founder. They diversified their ministries to include catechetics, parish work, and support for Indigenous people, the elderly, the homeless, prisoners and people with disabilities. They also shared their rich Benedictine spirituality by giving retreats and spiritual direction . During this era,
504-626: Was an Irish-Australian nun, founder and first superior of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan . Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons was born Geraldine Henrietta Gibbons around 1817 in Kinsale , County Cork. Her parents were Gerald, a landowner, and Mary Gibbons (née Sughrue). She was schooled in Cork . The Gibbons family emigrated to Australia in 1834. Both Gibbons and her older sister joined a congregation of five Irish Sisters of Charity at Parramatta , New South Wales. The Archbishop Bede Polding of Sydney
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#1732787450228528-539: Was keen to grow the congregation in his archdiocese, waiving the dowries that Gibbons' father was unable to pay on their behalf. This decision later caused conflict between the Australian recruits and the original Irish sisters. Gibbons professed as Mary Scholastica on 17 July 1847, and worked at the congregation's mission at a female penitentiary in Parramatta. The convent closed in 1848, the sisters joined with
552-538: Was made at Port Pirie , South Australia, in 1890. Under the leadership of Mother Berchmans , who was superior general from 1898 to 1916, the order expanded greatly, from nineteen communities to thirty nine, with expansion into four additional states. She added new congregations to serve the poor in urban areas like Brisbane and Melbourne, and set up missions in rural areas, such as the outback of Queensland and in farming communities in Victoria. Over time, sisters have served in all states and territories of Australia. During
576-546: Was the first religious congregation to be founded in Australia. The sisters form an apostolic institute that follows the Rule of Saint Benedict . They take their name from the well-known gospel parable of the Good Samaritan . Under the guidance of Polding’s co-founder, Mother Scholastica Gibbons , a Sister of Charity, the sisters cared for needy, homeless women at a refuge, the House of the Good Shepherd in Sydney, and orphans at
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