Events Category

There was cause for celebration as two Sisters in the Archdiocese achieved significant jubilee milestones last month.

On May 1, Sr Slavica Turcic ASC celebrated her golden anniversary of religious profession.

Emigrating to Australia from Croatia as a young girl with her large family in 1968, Slavica joined the Adorers of the Blood of Christ Sisters and did her formation with the community at North Fitzroy, Melbourne. Sr Slavica became a welfare worker and continued to support migrants such as herself over many years. She studied a diploma in welfare in Canberra where she also worked in a childcare centre.

In 1998 she was transferred to Adelaide, where she was a community settlement service worker and in 2005 began focusing on aged care for migrants, firstly as president of the Croatian Aged Care Association and then as manager of the Home and Community Care Program of the same association.

In an interview with The Southern Cross in 2012, Sr Slavica spoke of visiting ageing Croatian migrants in Coober Pedy and seeing the need for them to connect with each other. Fortunately, through the support of a government program, they were able to organise some regular social activities and Sr Slavica was also able to prepare some Croatian hymns for Mass.

To mark her 50th anniversary of religious profession members of the Croatian community gathered at St Patrick’s Church, Grote Street for a Mass celebrated by Emeritus Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ.

Catholic Education SA’s Family Faith Formation advisor, Sr Jenny Seal fdnsc, was guest of honour at a morning tea to acknowledge her anniversary of 40 years of professed life.

One of five Sisters of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the Adelaide Archdiocese, Sr Jenny has been an educator in various roles in primary, secondary and adult education over the past four decades.

“My work involves mentoring teams, developing resources, training workshops and ongoing formation across the 54 parishes in the Archdiocese in the areas of Sacramental Catechesis, Liturgy of the Word with Children, Family Catechesis and Faith Formation of children and their families,”
Sr Jenny explained.

“I enjoy being with people and building relationships be it with my family, colleagues, parishioners and responding to any needs which arise within these and the wider community.

“I am very interested in seeing how we can touch the lives of people who see themselves as disengaged with Church for whatever reason, as well as assisting with the integration of faith and life with people whom I have contact.”

A pastoral associate, counsellor and catechesis educator in the Sydney Archdiocese as well as working in aged care before joining the Family and Parish-based Catechesis Office in Adelaide 10 years ago, Sr Jenny is a member of the Council of Young Families and coordinates the Vocation Network of the Archdiocese.

80 year anniversary for ‘geologian’

Brother Peter Faulkner cfc celebrated 80 years membership with the Christian Brothers earlier this year.

Peter grew up on a farm near Murray Town in the mid north of South Australia where he attended the local St Joseph’s convent school before winning a scholarship to attend Rostrevor College. From Rostrevor, he went to Christian Brothers Juniorate in Sydney to begin his formation as a Christian Brother.

Peter became a very successful and much-admired science teacher, especially of Chemistry, at Christian Brothers’ schools in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. He was principal of Christian Brothers College in Fremantle and deputy headmaster of Christian Brothers College in Adelaide. A gifted athlete, Peter played football for the local Catholic league in Geelong, as well as coaching many teams in the schools where he taught. 

Peter had a deep interest in geology and for many years, especially in South Australia, conducted retreats for religious and lay leaders in the Flinders Ranges. He established strong relationships with other geologists and often described himself as a ‘geologian’. Peter was a very active member of the Diocesan Earth Care Committee and also the SA United Nations Association.

A committed supporter of the St Vincent de Paul Society, Peter introduced many of his students to its work for the poor in their local area.

Peter now resides at Southern Cross Care residential care, Carmelite, in Myrtle Bank.

Picture: Sr Slavica Turcic, Sr Jenny Seal and Br Peter Faulkner celebrating his jubilee with the Christian Brothers at Magill.