Sisters Will Work In Smaller Homes

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30977, 5 February 1966, Page 1

Sisters Will Work In Smaller Homes

Big property transfers within the Roman Catholic Church were announced in Christchurch yesterday. The Mount Magdala home at Halswell will be taken over by the “Marylands” home for retarded boys now at Sockburn. It is expected that the Government will buy about six acres of “Marylands” for extensions to Sunnyside Hospital, and that the buildings and remaining 40 acres will be put up for sale.

All these changes are expected to take 12 to 18 months. Girls at Mount Magdala go back to community life after training and few more admissions will be made. The re-education work of Mount Magdala will be undertaken in smaller homes and a new centre may be built later ■ near Christchurch. “Marylands” will move into Mount Magdala when it becomes vacant.

After 80 years of service at Mount Magdala in Halswell, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd are transferring their personnel to other centres. This will affect 33 members of the order. These sisters will supplement other communities working at re-educa-tion centres at “Marycrest,” Te Horo, Mount St. Joseph’s, Auckland, and at a hostel for unmarried mothers, “Rosanna,” at Waiwhetu, Wellington. REASONS FOR CHANGE The principal factor influencing this, decision, said Mother John Eudes, the Mother Superior of the Good Shepherd Order, was the unsuitability of the buildings at Mount Magdala for the modern techniques of re-education of younger girls. Because of the changing emphasis of social work, the sisters had long felt the need to develop smaller institutions. “This is part of a worldwide trend in our order to assist individuals to develop their own resources in coping with their social situation. This cannot be done satisfactorily in a large institution,” she said.

To implement this plan

other centres had been gradually established from Mount Magdala. About 40 girls were occupied at the Re-education Centre at Mount Magdala at present, Mother Eudes continued. About 50 elderly people who had made Mount Magdala their home would be staying, she said. Arrangements were in hand to ensure this.

The Good Shepherd sisters on the staff of the Boon Hay parish school would be continuing their work. Moreover, said Mother Eudes, the Reeducation Centre of the Good Shepherd Sisters would be substituted in due course by a new centre designed to provide the specialisation modern social work required. This would include counselling for young women and girls on contemporary problems and would work in conjunction with the social service programme directed by the diocese. BOYS’ WORK EXPANDS The decision of the Good Shepherd Order to realign its New Zealand programme has initiated a major expansion of the work of the Brothers of St. John of God. This expansion had been planned for some time, said Brother Andrew, the Superior of the Order in Australia and New Zealand. Over the 10 years since arriving in Christchurch, the Brothers have cared for 165 moderately-retarded boys at “Marylands.” The acquisition of the buildings and grounds at Mount Magdala was a decisive moment in the development of the order in New Zealand, Brother Andrew continued. He expressed his delight that a property of such quality should have become available. It would provide a wonderful environment for the boys under their care.

Other plans now seemed possible over a period of time, Brother Andrew said. The possibility of providing short-term care for moderate-ly-retarded boys now appeared imminent. This service could relieve devoted parents for a time in case of a much-needed vacation or some other exigency.

Facilities would also be available for the care of the aged including some hospital facilities at some future date. The care of hospitals was one of the principal works of the St. John of God order, said Brother Andrew.

NOVITIATE AND PROVINCE With the increasing number of New Zealanders joining the order (there are already 11) he foresaw the possible institution of a novitiate for entrants being established in Christchurch. This would most likely be allied to the declaration of New Zealand as a distinct province of the order, Brother Andrew said/ The Most Rev. B. P. Ashby, Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, said the decision on Mount Magdala had been under consideration for several years, and had been made by the Superior General of the Good Shepherd Order, the Rev.' Mother Thomas Aquinas, in consultation with Mother John Eudes and members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy of New Zealand. “Having had a close

acquaintance with the newer houses in New Zealand and the work of the order overseas in re-education I can appreciate the trend towards more compact buildings to implement the modern techniques of Good Shepherd work,” he said, “One has only to think of small buildings yv'th a ‘cottage mother’ to realise that it would be difficult to adapt the existing Mount Magdala. “The diocese is proud of the contribution made by Mount Magdala over the years since its foundation in 1886. It was a pioneer in the social services field, and has continued to be an important asset to the community.” The Bishop congratulated the St. John of God brothers and welcomed the expansion of an order that had "already endeared itself to the Catholic community.” By the very nature of the work of both orders the greatest thanks for their wonderful apostolate would come from “little people”—girls who were now happy mothers and grandmothers; boys who have become useful and loyal members of the community and families down the years that gained comfort and assistance from these “ministering angels in religious habits,” Bishop Ashby said. MAYOR’S THANKS “I am convinced that the decisions made by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and the Brothers of St. John of God are obviously progressive and forward-looking,” said the Mayor (Mr G. Manning). “In these days of social change, in which the family unit in many instances is under pressure, institutions for re-education and care of the aged, are unfortunately urgently needed. These new developments in meeting the problems are a most worthy contribution to social welfare.” The photograph shows the Mount Magdala property as seen from the air. The area is bounded by the lines of trees. The buildings at the top of the picture belong to St Joseph’s Orphanage, which is conducted by the Nazareth sisters.