Good Samaritan Oblates from around Australia and the Philippines gathered for the first time in eight years this month, with guest presenter Sister Teresa Jackson OSB from Idaho in the US challenging them to move beyond old paradigms and take Benedictinism to a spiritually hungry world.
By Debra Vermeer
The Oblate Gathering took place at the Good Samaritan Congregational Centre in Glebe from 4-6 October and attracted participants from Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Philippines, exploring the theme ‘The Spirit Unfolding: Who are we Now?’
The weekend was woven around four themes: Gathering and Listening; Naming and Claiming; Shifting and Shaping; and Living and Relating in Relationship with God, Neighbour and the Universe.
It was the first time the Oblates had gathered since the formation of the Good Samaritan Oblate Leadership Team and Oblate Council in 2023, which marked a significant evolution of the Oblates’ governance and future direction.
The Oblate Leadership Team, from left: Marie Milne, Pat O’Gorman and Marie Mohr.
Marie Mohr, the Oblate Community Coordinator and member of the Leadership Team, which also includes Marie Milne and Pat O’Gorman, said the Gathering was a joyful coming together for the Oblate community.
“On the Friday afternoon when everybody arrived, it was just lovely to see everyone so happy to see each other after such a long time. There was a real sense of excitement in the air,” she said.
The weekend began with the Welcome and Opening Liturgy, with the liturgy booklet featuring a painting entitled Gathering by WA Oblate Ivy Dalgety. It was followed by an address from the Congregational Leader, Sister Catherine McCahill SGS, who urged the Oblates to reflect on what they were seeking in their Oblate journey.
“In some ways each of us is searching for the good life. We might want to say the God life,” she said. “Yet so often the good life is not always where we expect it.”
Catherine said that only “immersion in Jesus” could sustain the way of life the Oblates have chosen.
Sister Teresa Jackson OSB. Image: Monastery of St Gertrude.
On Saturday, Sister Teresa gave three reflections, with the first two focused on ‘Naming and Claiming’ the Oblate story in this Good Samaritan Benedictine moment.
“I first had the privilege of getting to know some Good Samaritan Oblates and Sisters when they came all the way to Idaho back in 2019 for our ‘Oblates for the Future’ symposium. Since then, it’s been a great gift to be able to stay in touch and hear about the incredible things you all are doing as you move into the future with such creativity and courage,” she said.
Exploring the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Teresa invited participants to look at each of the characters in the story and see beyond the villainous betrayal of the priest and Levite, recognising instead that their actions were understandable, but still requiring deeper love and commitment.
Looking at the future of the Good Samaritan community, both Oblates and Sisters, she urged participants to take risks and embrace the transformational power of sacrificial love.
Highlighting the declining numbers, uncertainty and changing landscape of traditional religious life in Western culture, including in Australia, she called for Oblates to adapt and pioneer a new form of spiritual life that meets the deep spiritual hunger of modern society.
From left: Maureen Scott, Elizabeth Vasta, Marites Lagrito, Sister Eugennie Levinson SGS and Eileen Stevens. Image: Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
“In the past few years, there has been a real shift to building your own leadership and being less reliant on the leadership of the Sisters. You are beginning to create your own leadership structures and styles, and this is a huge, slow, energy-intensive undertaking,” Teresa said.
“You are creating a new way of life in which you live the Good Sam charism and Rule of Benedict in your own way, not simply as an auxiliary of the Sisters and yet more than friends of the Good Sams.
“You are all together, Oblates and Sisters, in a liminal space. A liminal space is one that is at the boundary, a boundary or threshold. You’re neither here nor there. It’s an in-between space and time.”
Teresa highlighted the ongoing value of the Rule of St Benedict, characterising it as a radical document which upends social mores, but also a profoundly practical guide for growing in holiness through prayer, community and transformation.
Participants watch a video presentation by Sister Teresa Jackson OSB.
“I invite you to set out on the way with the Gospel for your guide, because the world truly needs Benedict today more than ever, and you are His ambassadors,” she said.
Marie said Teresa’s presentations struck a chord with those present, both Sisters and Oblates.
“We were challenged by some of the conversations Teresa was bringing to us,” she said. “But it was also infused with a strong spirit of hope as we move forward.
“It was wonderful having Sisters present with us over the weekend and delving together into the Parable and Rule.
“We are still very connected to the Congregation, but we are together looking at how we as Oblates can become a more sustainable community into the future.
“We Oblates need to support the Sisters’ decisions as they move forward and foster that sense of owning the future for us all. That can be a challenge for people, but there is a strong sense that we are on the road to stepping into that future.”
From left: Eileen Stevens, Kathy Beeck, Jan Gorza, Ivy Dalgety, Elaine Walley, Sister Helen Mills SGS and Marilyn Davies. Image: Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
Sunday’s program began with Sister Michelle Reid SGS, the Oblate Delegate, presenting on the Congregation’s Statement of Directions and Strategic Intentions from last year’s Chapter, followed by interactive sessions led by Oblates, delving further into the four key pillars of the Statement of Directions.
Interspersed with the program were creative times, where people could write or draw and reflect on the conversations of the Gathering.
Queensland Oblate Faye Wilkes-Johnson said the highlight for her was the opportunity to get together with other Oblates and Sisters from all over Australia.
“To be able to see old friends was wonderful but also to get to know what Oblates in other places are doing and to share some of what we are doing in the Pomona group in Queensland,” she said.
“And Sister Teresa was just wonderful. She really made us all sit up and think.
“I also enjoyed it when we broke into groups on Sunday and the group I was in was looking at Ecological Conversion with Beth Riolo (NSW Oblate). That is one of the areas that my Oblate group is working on so it was good to be a part of that conversation and it’s something I can share when I go home.
“I came away feeling quite good and I’ve been energised to see if we can encourage our three Queensland Oblate groups to get together a few times through the year and build on that sense of community and journeying together.”
From left: Wendy Carter, Ann Chatham, Moira Anderson, Judi Hall and Liz Nimmo. Image: Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
West Australian Oblate Penny Carroll said the whole weekend was “a beautiful experience”.
“There were whoops of joy when we arrived and saw those we knew and loved, and it was wonderful catching up with the Sisters and Oblates. I think that initial sense of excitement, wonder and possibilities didn’t leave us during those three days. The Welcoming Liturgy was beautiful, and the Leadership Team were absolutely superb in all that they’d done.
“The time with Teresa Jackson was amazing. Her insights and questions brought us to deep thinking about the choices we make and asking what is happening here, now? It was very formative.
“She asked a lot of questions but did not propose solutions, instead allowing us to do our own Naming and Claiming and Shifting and Shaping and to move with whatever God is doing with us.”
Penny said she came away feeling encouraged to continue inviting others to come and share the Good Samaritan Oblate experience, continually asking, ‘who is my neighbour?’.
“It was a wonderful Gathering. And as we sit with it and share it when we go back home, it will continue to enliven us and deepen who we are.”
If you would like to know more about becoming an Oblate of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, click here.
The theme of the 2024 gathering was ‘The Spirit Unfolding: Who are we Now?’ Image: Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
