In the parable that Jesus told all those years ago, he answered the question, “Who is my neighbour?”
The name that Archbishop Polding chose for the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in 1857 gives expression to this parable. He invited them to respond as ministers of Christ’s mercy, the messengers of Christ’s compassion.
For Good Samaritan Sisters today, their neighbours are found next door, on the street, in the marketplaces and neighbourhoods of many cities and rural communities in Australia, Japan, Kiribati and the Philippines.
At this time, we make a special commitment to some of the most disadvantaged of our neighbours. These include:
- young children in Kiribati;
- squatters and destitute children in Bacolod, the Philippines;
- families displaced due to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan;
- Indigenous Australians;
- homeless women and children;
- asylum seekers and refugees;
- people with disability.