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The Southern Cross : April 2011
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April 2011 Page 9 www.thesoutherncross.org.au The Southern Cross people | ANZAC DAY MASS Monday April 25, 8am St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Wakefield Street, Adelaide Celebrant: Archbishop Philip Wilson DD JCL The Catholic community of Macclesfield has said goodbye to one of its fondest family members, Sr Mary Reardon, whose departure signals the end of an era. REBECCA DIGIROLAMO reports. Sr Mary Reardon is the last of a long line of Sisters of St Joseph to have had a living presence in the Catholic community of Macclesfield. Last month she moved all her belongings from the Adelaide Hills hamlet to Kensington Gardens, where the 80-year- old education pioneer will spend her time with fellow women of the order. Poor health made the move for her after six years in Macclesfield. Reluctant to go, the former SA provincial superior ends a 143-year-old foundation of Sisters in the area. She recalled feeling an unprecedented acceptance from the Macclesfield/ Strathalbyn community from day one, which she puts down to the century-old presence of her foresisters. "This acceptance has been an extraordinary thing. I didn't come to the community as Mary Reardon, I came as part of a family that has been a living, breathing part of this community and so I was accepted as family and I think that was a wonderful, wonderful tribute to all those generations of sisters who lived and worked and related to the community -- it's beautiful." Mount Barker/Strathalbyn Parish Priest Father John Vildzius said Sr Mary has been a "beautiful gift and grace for us and indeed God has blessed us in her". "Sr Mary has been a high flyer in educational circles in Australia and overseas and has been granted the Order of Australia for her work," he said. "She is a person of great intelligence, wisdom and insight, yet a more humble person would be hard to find." A teacher and lecturer, Sr Reardon was the first woman appointed executive secretary of the National Catholic Education Committee in 1983. She was based in Canberra for six years and while there sat on a number of government and non government boards impacting on the changing nature of education in the 1980s. "I like to think I made some contribution to the methodology and curriculum in Catholic Education in Australia," she said. From 1989 to 1995, Sr Reardon was elected to the SOSJ Council and was pivotal in policy making in aged care and health. She was director of the board of Our Lady of Consolation Aged Care Services in NSW and an inaugural board member in NSW. She returned to South Australia in 1998 and was involved in the changing accreditation of aged care services for the Sisters. "I've had a terrific life," she said. "I've been so spoilt: opportunities have emerged and I wasn't scared to give it a go. It's the old Australian way isn't it!" TRIBUTE: The Macclesfield/Strathalbyn parish community farewell Sister Mary Reardon at Macclesfield's St James the Less Church. 'Beautiful' tradition
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