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FOUNDING COMMUNITY: In 1883, four Sisters travelled from Perthville to Lochinvar to form the first community in the Diocese of Maitland (now Maitland-Newcastle). They were Srs Mary Ambrose Joseph Dirkin (superior), Imelda Flood, Baptist Dugan and Aloysius Cahill. While none of these Sisters met or personally knew Mary MacKillop, all four knew the personal influence of Tenison Woods through his association with the Sisters at Perthville from 1877 to 1882. They therefore passed on to the Lochinvar Sisters a particular awareness and tradition of Tenison Woods as founder.
Traditionally, as Sisters of St Joseph, our spirituality is centred on the person of Jesus and acknowledges the place of Mary, Mother of God, as His first disciple. Constitutions of Sisters of St Joseph
HISTORY IN MINISTRY...Then: In the decades after 1883, the Sisters drew their new members from the local diocese and other areas they served and with growing numbers, foundations were opened from Lochinvar in scattered rural districts, mining areas and Newcastle suburbs. All were in the Maitland Diocese except for a few in the Lismore Diocese and Sydney Archdiocese. Always the Sisters opened a primary school, visited the sick, bereaved and those in need. Some schools were extended into secondary schools, beginning with Lochinvar in 1914. Music was taught and in some cases girls were taken as boarders so that they could continue their education We are instruments in the hand of God, and must never act as if we were more.
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