Profiled in July 2006

I entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St Joseph on March 19th 1960.  My first assignment was Levin. Sr Majella, who had taught me as a five-year-old in Hawera, was my mentor.  I learned a lot during 25yrs teaching in rural places such as Manaia, Ohakune, Mahora, Waipukurau, Taihape, Mairangi Bay, Aramoho, Otaki, and St Mary’s, Whanganui. I learned that the education system I was part of did not cater well for Maori children. In my classrooms I encouraged the children with taha Maori, music, art and concentrated on the big four ‘R’s – reading, writing, arithmetic and religion.

During the 60’s and 70’s I studied widely.  I needed to make radical changes to my theology and life. When you think about it, I probably worked my way through huge attitudinal changes towards myself as a woman and my role in the church, the purpose of religious life, and questions of justice.  These were the days of the Vietnam War, Apartheid, the Springboks’ Tour, and Maori Renaissance.

In 1986 I went to the Columban Missiology Seminary, Sydney, to study and renew my energy and commitment.  Creation and liberation theologies, justice issues, ethical issues and Biblical Studies were exactly what I needed, and being amongst lay and religious men and women from around the world was an inspiration.

On return I was invited to join a community of Sisters piloting new apostolates.  This was to live in a disadvantaged neighbourhood and to focus on the needs of women and children. We, in the Auckland community found that Onepoto, a state housing estate, in Northcote, was the place for us.  There, I took on the role of running holiday and after-school programmes, fund raising for the building of the Onepoto Community House and applying for salaries for the workers. 

By 1990 my concern about the state of the environment led me to begin organic gardening in our backyard and in our neighbours’ backyards.  I employed a Taskforce Green worker at the community house to encourage the community to take an interest in gardening.  Then I explored the principles of permaculture, joined an eco-village research group, and began exploring the spirituality and insights of cosmologist, Brian Swimme and geologian, Thomas Berry.

Moving in environmental and social justice groups in the wider community and sharing “New Visions” at the Auckland Peoples’ Centre created the opportunity for me to work in partnership with a group of people at Kingfisher Farm, Wellsford, in 1994.  Over the next nine years we worked to build up grass-roots support for Kotare Trust, a Research and Education Centre for social change. Spiritually, this was a time for me to connect deeply with the land and creation, to get to know tangatawhenua and to become conversant with local history.

In 2002, when the request came from the Sisters for me to think about coming back to Whanganui, I decided it was time to move on. I still travel to Wellsford several times a year for Kotare Trust meetings and working-bees.  It is like returning to a place where I know something wonderful is happening amongst a small group of very committed visionaries, and I value the nourishment and challenge the Kotare community gives me.