After nearly one hundred years of faithful loving service the last representative of the Sisters of Saint Joseph has been farewelled in Baradine. 

Sr Madeline Breen’s retirement to Bathurst marks the end of the Josephite presence in the town. 

Students at St John’s School and members of community gathered at a farewell Mass held on Thursday, 4 April to thank her for her service.

Sr Madeline said she feels that the friendship and spiritual support she has been offering Baradine for more than 13 years has been good value.  

“I would normally go out there once a week for a prayer group; I don’t care how small it is because it is so lovely to recall faith and life and the group has been very life and scripture focussed,” she said. “That has been one of my highlights, as well as visiting community members, especially those who are not well or struggling.

“People do need someone to talk to at some point in their life and I have found the whole experience life-giving for me and I think the people I talked with would say the same thing. I think we have gained a lot by mixing into the community the way we did. 

“Of course, we still work in the spirit of Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods, who co-founded the congregations of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The needs today might be different, but they are still there and it is up to us to work out where that takes us.  

“Although we need to consider the challenges of an unfolding future, the church still has a strong presence in Baradine and it is the people who are doing it.” 

Sr Madeline said she is looking forward to the new stage in her life and having time to relax and indulge in her digital photography hobby.

“I love photography and make cards using the images I have printed,” Sr Madeline added. “I get a lot of satisfaction and joy out of it.

“I have felt so at home in Baradine with the people that I have spent time with. There is something about the closeness of small communities. The hardest aspect of leaving is that the Sisters of St Joseph are pulling out of so many small rural communities and my leaving is adding to it.  

“I feel a great sadness about going; saying farewell to everyone has been quite emotional. The only thing I asked for in Bathurst was a two-bedroom unit so that I can have visitors!”

New era

In 1926 a community of three sisters of St Josephs arrived in Baradine at the request of then parish priest, Father Loneregan opening up a new era in education for the children of the district.

The first nuns were Sisters M Mechtilde, M. Koska, M.Therese and M.Anthony. They held their classes in the original timber church and the current church. 

Local residents Becky Featherbe and Nea Worrell represent fourth generation families to be taught by the nuns. Nea’s mother, Esme Rice was one of the first students to attend St John’s School.  

“My mother was present when the nuns first arrived in Baradine in 1926,” Nea said. She was a shy girl from the bush when she started at St John’s School as a boarder in 1928.

“There were five nuns then including Sr Mechtilde, Mother Superior and music teacher and Sr Anthony, who did most of the cooking and giving religious instruction. 

“When mum started there were 14 borders at the convent. It was during the great depression, but eventually she was the only boarder left. She said everyone liked Father Loneragan and on sports days the nuns would join in with the students, even playing tennis with their long black habits pinned up over their knees!”

1935 saw the introduction of secondary classes. Records show that Sr Basil was the first to teach those classes with Sr Clare Askew the last teacher when the secondary school closed in 1963 and St John’s became a primary school.

The times and needs of community and congregation were changing and in 1981 the Baradine community gathered to farewell the remaining teaching sisters of St Joseph. 

“There was a big send off when the nuns left Baradine, although they still had a presence in Coonabarabran,” Nea recalled. “In more recent years, Sister Madeline was one of them. She was no longer in a teaching capacity but continued her work among our Baradine congregation through prayer groups and providing support to anyone in need.

“My mother was there when the nuns first arrived in Baradine and now I represent my family as we farewell Sr Madeline, the last nun in our parish.  

“We are sad saying goodbye to her but wish her well as she commences a new stage of life in Bathurst. It is the end of another era.”