Junior Josephites
Introduction
A new movement is developing in different schools of Junior Associates. In general the schools have a Josephite tradition and teachers are working with their students to maintain and develop their links.
Some examples are:
Victoria
Mary MacKillop Group - Holy Child School, Dallas
Holy Child School, Dallas has always had a special connection with Mary MacKillop, as it has, since its establishment, Josephite Sisters on the staff. The Mary MacKillop group, the first children's Josephite Associate group in Australia, is well supported and resourced by the school's principal and staff and enjoys a high profile in the life of the school community. The group has its own banner, which is displayed in the office foyer and used at special liturgies and outings, such as the recent visit of the World Youth Day Cross, Icon and Message Stick to Penola College, Broadmeadows.
The group has two main areas of focus:
-spiritual: coming together in the spirit of Mary MacKillop, in friendship, prayer and service
-educational: learning about Mary MacKillop, her life and work.
Membership of the Mary MacKillop Group is open to students in Years 4-6 who meet fortnightly at lunchtimes and are inspired by Mary's Motto; "Never see a need without trying to do something about it". The group strives to respond to immediate needs of people in the school community and beyond.
Mary MacKillop's feast day (August 8th) is a significant day for the school community in general and the Mary MacKillop Group in particular, as children who have been members for some time re-confirm their commitment to the group, while new members make their commitment.
A very exciting project for the future, is the creation of a prayer garden dedicted to all the Sisters who have taught at Holy Child School. The garden will also focus on the spirituality and sayings of Mary MacKillop.
Junior Secondary Programme: Junior Josephites (JJ’s)
Inspired by the work and great success of the Junior Associates’ group that had long been a feature of Holy Child Primary School in Dallas (a northern suburb of Melbourne) a new secondary school program with similar aims is currently being developed, with a view to being piloted during the second half of 2008. After many years of dreaming and discussions, the program has become a reality as a result of the formation in 2006 of AJASS, the Association of Josephite Affiliated Secondary Schools. This Association has provided the necessary network within which the program could be developed and also provides opportunities for the students involved to understand just how widespread living out the Josephite charism is!
The Junior Josephites - or ‘JJs’ - will be a group of Years 7 and 8 students, with Years 10-11 leaders, meeting on a fortnightly basis to look more deeply into one aspect of the Josephite charism. The program has been developed around the ‘see, judge, act’ framework, with each meeting beginning with a story, song or video clip depicting some aspect of the story of Mary MacKillop, Julian Tenison Woods or the Josephite Sisters. The students will then discern how that story can become part of their own lives and decide on a course of action to begin to live out that aspect of the charism in a real and active way. During terms three and four this year, the pilot programme will include such topics as ‘Mary and Julian – daring to be different’, ‘Mary’s compassion for all’ and ‘What makes our school Josephite?’ Towards the end of term four a group gathering of all of the Junior Josephites from each of the schools, will be organised. JJ’s badges will be presented to the students this day. Then, for the Year 8 students and the senior student leaders, there will be a pilgrimage to all of the important Mary MacKillop and Josephite sites around the City of Melbourne.
From Years 9 to 12, a Young Josephites - or ‘YJs’ - program is being developed to commence in 2009. It is intended that this will challenge students to embrace the Josephite charism in an even deeper way. Years 9 and 10 will concentrate more deeply on the various ways in which many people, vowed and lay, have responded to the challenge to ‘be’ Josephite in our world. Being a YJ until the end of Year 10 will culminate in a pilgrimage to Penola, to walk literally in the footsteps of Mary and Julian. In years to come, the focus in Years eleven and twelve will all be about discerning vocation and working out how the charism can become a permanent part of the way life is lived post-secondary school. For those who are still part of the program at the end of Year 12, a pilgrimage to Sydney will be organised, during which the YJs will take part in a commitment ceremony beside the tomb of Mary MacKillop.
NSW
Some groups of junior associates are also forming at primary school level.
The Lithgow group began in 2005.at St Patrick’s School. The children were invited to be a part of a group to be known as the Junior Josephite Associates. Gatherings take place approximately once a month for about 20 minutes in the children’s lunchtime. There is an opportunity to learn more about Mary MacKillop, to pray together and to perform some form of charity work. A number of children chose to attend and after several meetings a dedication ceremony at a School Assembly was celebrated with the children. They were presented with a badge, with an image of Mary MacKillop, that they wear proudly as a part of their school uniform.. When the children were asked why they joined the Junior Associates, they replied: “To learn more about Mary and to be good Catholics who care.” As part of the school mission statement we have Mary MacKillop’s saying, “Never see a need without trying to do something about it.” In endeavouring to live by this example we hope to achieve and fulfil our school motto of Charity and Truth. The Junior Josephite Associates are a special part of the school community. It is changing as the children move through the school, but hopefully it will be a part of the school for many years to come.
Moree: Junior Josephite Associates (JJA)
Moree: Junior Josephite Associates (JJA) had their first meeting of the JJA from Year Three and Year Four at St Philomena’s Moree in 2007. 49 students joined the group. Coordinators for the stamp collecting and prayer intentions were appointed. In the session students were introduced to the family of Mary MacKillop through creative processes.
