Sacred Heart College History



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Sacred Heart College The purpose of this article is threefold. Firstly it provides a brief history of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions with particular reference to Western Australia and the establishment of Sacred Heart College, Sorrento. Secondly it will outline how Sacred Heart College has attempted to maintain and strengthen the links with the Sisters. In this section detail will be given on how the College community presents the charism of the Sisters through symbols, rituals and missionary service. Finally this article will be a resource for future staff, students and parents so that this history can be transmitted to future generations.			Adele Euphrasie Barbier Mother Mary of the Heart of Jesus (1829 – 1893)
Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions
A young French woman, Euphraise Barbier, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in 1861. Euphraise believed that the Sisters needed to adhere to the basic requirements of establishing self-sufficient communities wherever they went and generating enough income to provide for the Sisters and to work for the poor. Where they established fee-paying schools and hostels, the Sisters would also offer free places for the poor. In order to meet the expenses of their community, the Sisters would offer private lessons in music, embroidery, art and speech, and would often sell their own handiwork and crafts. They also encouraged various fundraising activities, with any surplus revenue contributed to “the Mother house” in Lyons, France where income was needed to cover formation, mission sending and administration costs.

Wherever possible, Euphraise would encourage the Bishop in the missions, or the Superior General of the Marist Fathers, to obtain funds from the Propagation of the Faith for the mission travel of the Sisters. Inevitably there was a shortfall that the Sisters needed to find. By the time of her death in 1893 Euphraise had 16 self-sufficient communities of Sisters in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, England, India and France.

In 1897, five Sisters from Christchurch, New Zealand were sent to Perth after an invitation from the then Bishop of Perth, Bishop Matthew Gibney. The site for a convent, chapel and school was selected at Highgate Hill and a foundation stone was laid on 18 September, 1898. The facility progressed to become a secondary girl’s school and in 1901 the Education Department of Western Australia placed Sacred Heart on a list of approved secondary schools.

Soon after their arrival in WA the Sisters also moved into the rural areas of the State and established schools in Busselton (1903), Wagin (1914), Narrogin (1915) and Katanning (1926). In these pioneering days, prejudice prevented Aboriginal children being included in classes but “the Sisters, true to their missionary heart which called them beyond barriers of race and discrimination, provided basic literacy, catechism and music for them” (Fry, p21).

During the 1950’s and 60’s there was increased demand for secondary education across all sectors. The demand for places at the boarding facility at Sacred Heart, Highgate was also increasing, with students from Wagin, Katanning and Narrogin being sent to continue their education “with the Sisters”.

The Highgate Community in 1921

In 1958 land was purchased in Sorrento, which in those days was at the extreme limits of West Coast Highway. Eight years later in 1966 building works commenced at the site and in April 1967, the Sisters and boarding students moved to the new buildings at Sacred Heart College, Sorrento.

The photograph below was taken in 1966
“The new buildings of Sacred Heart, Sorrento emerge
from the sandhills” (Fry, p36)

Over the next 20 years, two significant changes occurred which helped form the current face of the College. The first came in 1977 when the College became co-educational. This was followed with the appointment in 1985 of the first lay Principal. Whilst the change in leadership was effected, the Sisters remained directly responsible for the day to day management of the College. This arrangement remained until 1989 when the Sisters withdrew and Sacred Heart College became part of the Diocesan System of Schools managed by the Catholic Education Commission of Western Australia.

The Sacred Heart College of today has changed significantly since its inception. There has been an extensive building and rebuilding program as the College increased in size to the point where it currently caters to some 1000 students. In 2000, the last of the staff members associated with the Sisters, Molly O’Sullivan retired.

In 2001 the Year 10 Art students under the direction of their teacher and with the advice from the Sisters produced the piece of artwork shown on the right. This depicts the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Euphraise Barbier gave special significance to St Luke’s Gospel account of the Visitation as it is a wonderful example of the young woman in Mary making herself totally available to God’s will. It is also symbolic of bringing Jesus to others and that “Mary is the model of every missionary” (www.rndm.org).

This piece of artwork is displayed in the foyer of the College administration centre. Using computer technology a 6Metre x 3Metre enlargement has been produced as a vinyl wall hanging. During the year this is displayed in the College library that is aptly named the Euphraise Barbier Centre. It is also used as a backdrop for major masses, especially the Feast of the Sacred Heart where special guests are always the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions.
The symbols used in this artwork include:

The obvious figures of Mary and Elizabeth
The globe to indicate the universal nature of the Sisters
The RNDM symbol or emblem
The wattle flowers and eucalypt leaves to represent Australia
The faces are of actual staff and students and include Sister Molly O’Sullivan.

The RNDM monogram has existed from the foundation of the Order and stands for – Religieuses de Notre Dame des Missions. (Translated from the French this says – Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions).

The history of the emblem is particularly interesting. The emblem or Cross worn by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (left) was designed to celebrate the presence of God among all people across the world. This simple design was chosen in 1974 taking into account that some missions are established where the majority of the people are Moslem who cannot accept the crucifix.

The Australian Province of RNDM now use the following emblem (right) on their stationary where the eucalyptus leaf and wattle flower give a very “Australian” identity. This emblem was designed by Sister Helena Brabender in 1997 to celebrate 100 years of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in Australia (1897- 1997). Sister Brabender comments “the emblem here stands amid gum and wattle: beautiful and unique features of our Australian environment and culture. Like the reign of God which the Sisters proclaim, the gum and wattle are full of promise and potential for life”.

As previously mentioned the last Sister working at the College retired in 2000. The Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in Western Australia is an ageing population with minimal growth from the local community. This is true for most religious Orders and the future for these groups is often found in missionary work conducted in the Third World.
The current Sacred Heart College principal, Ian Elder comments, “There is something special about an educational institution founded by a religious order and the challenge before us is to maintain and strengthen the links” He went on to say that the College community needs to constantly hear about the wonderful work performed by the Sisters and we need to be part of it. This is an important part of our mission in the College.

As part of the school’s curriculum, students are taught about the work of Euphrasie Barbier in founding the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in Lyons, France in 1861. They learn of women eager to go beyond their own countries and cultures to spread their Catholic religion and faith. The driving force behind the life of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions is their conviction that they are united in Christ. They are strong, passionate women who devote themselves primarily to the foreign missions, under the protection of Our Lady. In keeping with the fundamental inspiration of their Foundress they live the Divine Missions, “in the spirit of Mary in integrity of heart, silence, contemplation and worship, and in active charity for the salvation of all to the glory of the Father” (Sr Anne Noonan RNDM, Province Leader, 2003).

They seek to acknowledge, celebrate and proclaim the presence and reign of God among all peoples. The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions was established for the enrichment and education of people, particularly the poor and marginalised in developing countries. They serve in many and varied ministries including primary and secondary education, catechesis and education in the faith, nursing health and social education, ecumenism, pastoral care in cities and villages, working with refugees, facilitating in parishes, counselling and presence in prayer. “Let us be with the poor as they seek to empower themselves and to transform unjust structures” (Sr Anne Noonan RNDM, Province Leader, 2003).

It was one of the goals of Mr Elder to continue to support the Sisters and provide an opportunity for students to become involved in, and to see first-hand, their missionary work. In 2002 discussions commenced between Mr Elder and Sister Margaret McInerney. Sister Margaret had been Principal of the College over an 11 year period in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then she has been working on a mission site out of Nairobi, Kenya. Preliminary planning to send a small group of staff and students to Kenya was undertaken but there was concern about the safety of this missionary group and these plans fell through. Attention was then directed to the many countries where the Sisters are located and these are: Australia, Bangladesh, British Isles, Canada, France, India, Italy, Kenya, Latin America, Myanmar, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Senegal and Vietnam.

In 2003 a Vietnamese priest Father Joseph Tran was transferred to Whitford parish, one of the major parishes surrounding Sacred Heart College. Subsequent dialogue between Mr Elder and Fr Joseph led to the College’s ‘Vietnam Mission’, first run in 2004. The students experience an immersion in another culture, a culture radically different to their own, through which they may gain better understanding of themselves and of the people of Vietnam.

The students who have become a part of the ‘Vietnam Mission’ are committed people with youthful enthusiasm who are energetic, idealistic and imaginative. They are concerned about poverty and justice issues, and are anxious to become involved both in short-term alleviation and long-term answers to these problems. The ‘Vietnam Mission’ allows them to turn their social concern into ‘positive action’ and gives them a means to express their social conscience; to give something to another community of underprivileged people. A yearlong process of fundraising, raising awareness in the local community of the Mission and instruction in evangelisation and missionary work culminates in two weeks working with the Sisters in Vietnam.

Vietnam 2005: Family with Fr Joseph Tran, Ian Elder and Nicole Smith (Year 11)

Student members of the inaugural Vietnam Mission together Vietnamese Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (October 2004).

By being involved in the ‘Vietnam Mission’ and seeing the way in which the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions live their lives, the staff and students learn a very important lesson from them. It is hoped that the Sisters will inspire the ‘missionaries” and that they bring this inspiration back to the College, the parishes and the wider community.

Like any acts of evangelisation it is important that the evangeliser has an understanding of the culture they are working in. As the students at Sacred Heart College prepare to enter Vietnam and carry out God’s mission, it is imperative that they have an understanding of the system by which Vietnamese culture has been formed.

Today in Vietnam the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions are mostly native Vietnamese. Their goal is to have Vietnamese people looking after and ministering to Vietnamese. They feel that their own people must solve the problems of poverty, corruption and social injustice in their country. There are short-term and long-term problems. To solve problems long-term the Sisters are increasing the numbers of young women entering the Congregation. Unlike here in Australia and in other Western nations, in Vietnam they have a growing number of women joining them in their pastoral and evangelisation work. By the early 20th century, the number of Christian followers in Vietnam had risen to nearly one million. Today, the Roman Catholic Church in Vietnam consists of 28 archdioceses that serve over six million people. This comprises about 8% of the country’s population. It has some 2,300 priests, 1,500 seminarians, 9,300 sisters and 1,200 brothers.

In and around Ho Chi Minh City the Sisters live among the people. This daily, direct contact is crucial for missioners in Vietnam. At most of the sites visited by Sacred Heart College, whether in the city or in the country, the Sisters have three to five year old children in their charge. Not only do they educate these pre-school age children, they go out into the communities to visit the families, care for the sick, hold classes for the children who cannot afford to go to school, teach the young adults skills so that they can obtain employment and earn some money to help feed and clothe themselves and their family. While the Sisters are permitted to teach children from the age of 3-5 years, they cannot continue with their schooling as all students must attend a Communist school from 6 years of age onwards.

The Sisters also take care of drug addicts and people infected with HIV. They provide shelter for young pregnant women who have been abandoned by their families or forced to live on the street. The alternative for many of these young people is to go into prostitution. The Sisters work with vulnerable, poorly educated people who are all too easily taken advantage of by unscrupulous people in more powerful situations. They have become an important part of these people’s daily lives, a part of their culture.

The Sacred Heart College ‘Vietnam Mission’ has had a great effect on the students and staff who have so far been involved with it, especially for those who actually have had the chance to see first hand the poor conditions and difficult situations some people have to live in. Travelling to Vietnam and meeting the kind, caring and loving Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions who have such a strong faith in God and who are prepared to put their faith in action in a very practical, unselfish way, is a very powerful lesson for them. The experience also shows how in times of adversity and oppression the Church can become strong and relevant for a significant percentage of the population. During reflection sessions comparisons are made between the active parishes in Vietnam and the declining attendance in Australia. It gives the students a renewed faith in human nature and makes them appreciate more fully how fortunate they are living in Perth.

This 3 storey building is located in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City and is run by Sister Dominique RNDM. The young girls referred to in the paragraph above are taught sewing and hairdressing by the Sisters. Money raised by the Sacred Heart College community has gone towards the purchase of this building (Photograph taken in October 2005).

As previously mentioned the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is one of the most significant events that defines the spirituality of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. During the first “Vietnam Pilgrimage” in 2004 the staff noticed a painting that appeared in many of the Convents and schools where the Sisters were working. While there were some words written in Vietnamese underneath, the staff did not have the ability to translate this. Upon questioning, Sister Andre told a wonderful story. The Sisters wished to have a painting done to capture the story of the Visitation. They approached a local artist, a Buddhist with no real understanding of the Christian message. After telling him the story he went away and painted the picture shown below. Each time the College returns to Vietnam they bring back prints of this painting to be sold in the school and the surrounding parishes. The money raised is taken back to Vietnam the following year as part of a major donation to the Sisters. There is a large copy of this painting in the College foyer with the following inscription underneath:

Mary brought Jesus with her when she visited Elizabeth. She brought holiness with her to which both Elizabeth and the yet unborn John the Baptist responded. She brought joy with her, which overflowed into Elizabeth’s greeting – ‘Blessed are you among women’ and into her own reply, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord’.

In examining this picture with its mud floor, Vietnamese hat, chickens in the background and Asiatic facial features and then comparing it to the Visitation picture shown earlier, it is possible to experience a feeling of embarrassment due to cultural blindness. This can also happen when viewing Australian Aboriginal or African pictures of Mary and the infant Jesus – where they are depicted with black skin.

The Sacred Heart College Mission to Vietnam continues to grow and evolve and the contents of this article with its recorded history and symbols, will form the basis for future education and direction.

This article was written by the Principal of Sacred Heart College Mr. Ian Elder.

Reference
Fry, A. 1997, United for Mission – Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, Scott Four Print, Perth, Western Australia

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