Religious

The Most Rev Bishop Gregory O’Kelly SJ, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Port Pirie, invited the Congregation of Society of Sisters of St Anne, Madras, India, specifically to work for the welfare of the Aboriginal community. The Sisters of St Anne responded to the invitation and Sr Delma and Sr Kaspar arrived in Port Augusta on 21 October 2014. Since then they have been learning and meeting the needs of the Aboriginal community in and around Port Augusta.

For the first year they worked in Centacare Catholic Family Services Country SA. They made frequent visits to the Davenport community and observed and tried to understand the real needs of this community. It took a long time for the people to accept the Sisters into their community. They asked so many questions like ‘Who are you? Where do you come from? Why do you want to visit?’ etc.. . It was really hard for them, especially coping with the dogs who don’t allow strangers in their territory. But these Sisters overcame all of these challenges and hoped for the best. While they were building rapport with the people and slowly motivated mothers to form as a group, they felt the need to concentrate on the children first, since they were to be the future. The Sisters’ passion to protect children from dysfunctional families and community threats, and to pave the way for children to have their childhood needs fulfilled, at least to the minimum levels, resulted in the formation of the Honey Ants Children’s Club; then the Women’s Group. These groups aimed to help address some of the social and educational needs of the community. Since then they have been functioning well.

Every Wednesday the Sisters visit and interact with the residents of Wami Kata. They have Art and Craft projects with the able-bodied residents. They have made Christmas cards, flower vases, key chains, jewelry, beads, etc. They conduct a prayer service every 1st and 3rd Friday and special services during Christmas and Easter when they also distribute gifts and cards. On birthdays they wish residents a happy birthday and pray for them. They also provide religious articles (chains, crosses and rosary beads) for residents who ask for them.

The Managing Committee of Wami Kata invited them to their Christmas parties the past two years and gave them presents. They feel their presence at Wami Kata is really appreciated and this encourages them to do their best for them.

Sisters Delma and Kaspar are involved in Prison Ministry at Port Augusta. They feel it’s a very great privilege to journey with the inmates at a very traumatic time in their lives and hope it may lead to their transformation. Their Prison Ministry includes some activities such as, Eucharistic celebrations, prayer services, and RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Through this ministry, they bring their own personal gifts and qualities and bring God’s love into the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized people. They’ve heard stories of pain and disappointments. They want to know God and see God at work in their lives. Sometimes the sharing and reflections of the inmates inspire the Sisters. The faith of those people is deep and the Sisters learn much from them.

The Sisters also conduct recreational activities with the elderly prisoners at AIU, Port Augusta.

The Women’s Group is essentially formed to create an atmosphere where every woman in the community has the opportunity to YARN, PLAN, LEARN and EARN. It is conducted every Tuesday between 1:00pm to 3:30pm at the Women’s Shed, Davenport. Nearly six to ten women participate in the activities. The women have different educational and skill training sessions such as: Tree of Life activities, talks on diabetes, kidneys, re-think your drink, healthy eating, budgeting, domestic violence, and dementia among Aboriginal communities. They also do: Drumming, cooking, Food REDi, Seasons of Growth, self-esteem, depression, knitting, bracelet making, card making, etc. The resources were provided from some of the NGO’s in Port Augusta as well as individual volunteers. The International Women’s Day of 8th March 2016 was the first great celebration they organized in the community. It was a memorable experience and touched many hearts particularly those of the participating women. It also motivated them to learn more skills for their way of living. As a community, they commenced their own small business to inculcate the nature of learning and earning. Some of the business ventures are: Dot paintings, bracelet making for NAIDOC week and making Christmas cards. The women have agreed to take 50% of the income as their wages, which in turn, will encourage them to work harder as well as inspire other women to participate. The other 50% of the income goes to the group to buy resources for their future projects. Sincere thanks to the Port Augusta community, especially the various church communities for encouraging and supporting these projects.

The Sisters visit Willsden Primary School on Tuesdays and Carlton Primary School on Fridays for the Well-Being sessions, where children learn about Kimochis (feelings). Kimochis is a playful way to help children learn how to identify and express their feelings. When kids can voice their feelings effectively, they develop positive social skills that lead to lasting friendships and success in all aspects of life. These Well-Being sessions help to improve the well-being of the children. The Sisters also provide services for the most vulnerable ones. These sessions promote opportunities for children to use their own strengths and expertise to enable them to become responsible and achieve positive change.