4 days ago
'Sad but grateful': Sisters of St Joseph bid goodbye to last Hunter convent
In a building made for a small community, Sister Brigid Linehan lived all alone.
Settling into the new Charlestown convent in 1969, she lived with six others from the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar.
More than 50 years on, the rooms are quiet, and Ms Linehan felt it was time to move on.
"There's a bit of grieving, but I grieve with gratitude," she said.
After 98 years in the Charlestown Catholic parish, the Sisters have decided to close their nearby convent on Saturday, August 9.
It was their last remaining convent in the Hunter, leader Patricia McCarthy said.
She believed that it was most likely the last religious living parish convent in the region, across other groups of sisters as well.
"We just don't have any sisters to live there, we are an ageing congregation," Ms McCarthy said.
The Lochinvar Josephites' numbers have dwindled since their establishment in 1883, with only 50 sisters left, 14 of whom are in care, Ms McCarthy said.
The group had looked after 50 parish primary schools and ten secondary schools throughout the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and beyond.
The sisters made a choice many years ago that they would no longer accept anybody else into their congregation.
"It just wasn't fair to do that to younger people," she said.
"It's sad, but we're grateful for what we've been able to do, grateful for the wonderful friendships with people in Charlestown for about 100 years."
A spokesperson for the Catholic Parish of MacKillop, which oversees the Charlestown church and convent, said they had not decided what to with the empty building or land yet.
The Charlestown parish and the affiliated St Joseph's Primary School were established in 1927, with a weatherboard convent built next door.
Ms Linehan joined the Sisters when she was 18 years old, more than 60 years ago.
"I've had a couple of stints at the Charlestown convent. I first came here in 1969 when we were in the schools," she said.
At the time, the newly erected convent seemed "state of the art", she said.
"Our lives were structured, we had time for prayer, we all taught in the schools that taught music, we lived a community life," she said.
"It was simple."
After travelling to other parishes such as Cessnock, Wingham and Krambach, Ms Lineham returned to Charlestown in 2015.
But life had changed.
When she first moved in, there was six sisters living there. A decade ago, only two were left.
For the past two or three years, it has been only her.
"I think this is just what's happening to us at the moment, all the other convents have closed down and the sisters have moved out," she said.
"We had a good bond together, we supported one another, and we were very much a part of the people."
In her recent time with the Catholic Parish of MacKillop in Charlestown, Ms Linehan helped in community support groups, attended liturgy meetings and took holy communion to the sick.
Similar to other Lochinvar Josphites, Ms Linehan had moved out of the convent into a unit in Mayfield, owned by the group.
She was now living next to a number of other sisters in the same block.
"I think as we're getting older, I think the emphasis now is more on the care of one another," she said.
In a building made for a small community, Sister Brigid Linehan lived all alone.
Settling into the new Charlestown convent in 1969, she lived with six others from the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar.
More than 50 years on, the rooms are quiet, and Ms Linehan felt it was time to move on.
"There's a bit of grieving, but I grieve with gratitude," she said.
After 98 years in the Charlestown Catholic parish, the Sisters have decided to close their nearby convent on Saturday, August 9.
It was their last remaining convent in the Hunter, leader Patricia McCarthy said.
She believed that it was most likely the last religious living parish convent in the region, across other groups of sisters as well.
"We just don't have any sisters to live there, we are an ageing congregation," Ms McCarthy said.
The Lochinvar Josephites' numbers have dwindled since their establishment in 1883, with only 50 sisters left, 14 of whom are in care, Ms McCarthy said.
The group had looked after 50 parish primary schools and ten secondary schools throughout the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and beyond.
The sisters made a choice many years ago that they would no longer accept anybody else into their congregation.
"It just wasn't fair to do that to younger people," she said.
"It's sad, but we're grateful for what we've been able to do, grateful for the wonderful friendships with people in Charlestown for about 100 years."
A spokesperson for the Catholic Parish of MacKillop, which oversees the Charlestown church and convent, said they had not decided what to with the empty building or land yet.
The Charlestown parish and the affiliated St Joseph's Primary School were established in 1927, with a weatherboard convent built next door.
Ms Linehan joined the Sisters when she was 18 years old, more than 60 years ago.
"I've had a couple of stints at the Charlestown convent. I first came here in 1969 when we were in the schools," she said.
At the time, the newly erected convent seemed "state of the art", she said.
"Our lives were structured, we had time for prayer, we all taught in the schools that taught music, we lived a community life," she said.
"It was simple."
After travelling to other parishes such as Cessnock, Wingham and Krambach, Ms Lineham returned to Charlestown in 2015.
But life had changed.
When she first moved in, there was six sisters living there. A decade ago, only two were left.
For the past two or three years, it has been only her.
"I think this is just what's happening to us at the moment, all the other convents have closed down and the sisters have moved out," she said.
"We had a good bond together, we supported one another, and we were very much a part of the people."
In her recent time with the Catholic Parish of MacKillop in Charlestown, Ms Linehan helped in community support groups, attended liturgy meetings and took holy communion to the sick.
Similar to other Lochinvar Josphites, Ms Linehan had moved out of the convent into a unit in Mayfield, owned by the group.
She was now living next to a number of other sisters in the same block.
"I think as we're getting older, I think the emphasis now is more on the care of one another," she said.
In a building made for a small community, Sister Brigid Linehan lived all alone.
Settling into the new Charlestown convent in 1969, she lived with six others from the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar.
More than 50 years on, the rooms are quiet, and Ms Linehan felt it was time to move on.
"There's a bit of grieving, but I grieve with gratitude," she said.
After 98 years in the Charlestown Catholic parish, the Sisters have decided to close their nearby convent on Saturday, August 9.
It was their last remaining convent in the Hunter, leader Patricia McCarthy said.
She believed that it was most likely the last religious living parish convent in the region, across other groups of sisters as well.
"We just don't have any sisters to live there, we are an ageing congregation," Ms McCarthy said.
The Lochinvar Josephites' numbers have dwindled since their establishment in 1883, with only 50 sisters left, 14 of whom are in care, Ms McCarthy said.
The group had looked after 50 parish primary schools and ten secondary schools throughout the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and beyond.
The sisters made a choice many years ago that they would no longer accept anybody else into their congregation.
"It just wasn't fair to do that to younger people," she said.
"It's sad, but we're grateful for what we've been able to do, grateful for the wonderful friendships with people in Charlestown for about 100 years."
A spokesperson for the Catholic Parish of MacKillop, which oversees the Charlestown church and convent, said they had not decided what to with the empty building or land yet.
The Charlestown parish and the affiliated St Joseph's Primary School were established in 1927, with a weatherboard convent built next door.
Ms Linehan joined the Sisters when she was 18 years old, more than 60 years ago.
"I've had a couple of stints at the Charlestown convent. I first came here in 1969 when we were in the schools," she said.
At the time, the newly erected convent seemed "state of the art", she said.
"Our lives were structured, we had time for prayer, we all taught in the schools that taught music, we lived a community life," she said.
"It was simple."
After travelling to other parishes such as Cessnock, Wingham and Krambach, Ms Lineham returned to Charlestown in 2015.
But life had changed.
When she first moved in, there was six sisters living there. A decade ago, only two were left.
For the past two or three years, it has been only her.
"I think this is just what's happening to us at the moment, all the other convents have closed down and the sisters have moved out," she said.
"We had a good bond together, we supported one another, and we were very much a part of the people."
In her recent time with the Catholic Parish of MacKillop in Charlestown, Ms Linehan helped in community support groups, attended liturgy meetings and took holy communion to the sick.
Similar to other Lochinvar Josphites, Ms Linehan had moved out of the convent into a unit in Mayfield, owned by the group.
She was now living next to a number of other sisters in the same block.
"I think as we're getting older, I think the emphasis now is more on the care of one another," she said.
In a building made for a small community, Sister Brigid Linehan lived all alone.
Settling into the new Charlestown convent in 1969, she lived with six others from the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar.
More than 50 years on, the rooms are quiet, and Ms Linehan felt it was time to move on.
"There's a bit of grieving, but I grieve with gratitude," she said.
After 98 years in the Charlestown Catholic parish, the Sisters have decided to close their nearby convent on Saturday, August 9.
It was their last remaining convent in the Hunter, leader Patricia McCarthy said.
She believed that it was most likely the last religious living parish convent in the region, across other groups of sisters as well.
"We just don't have any sisters to live there, we are an ageing congregation," Ms McCarthy said.
The Lochinvar Josephites' numbers have dwindled since their establishment in 1883, with only 50 sisters left, 14 of whom are in care, Ms McCarthy said.
The group had looked after 50 parish primary schools and ten secondary schools throughout the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and beyond.
The sisters made a choice many years ago that they would no longer accept anybody else into their congregation.
"It just wasn't fair to do that to younger people," she said.
"It's sad, but we're grateful for what we've been able to do, grateful for the wonderful friendships with people in Charlestown for about 100 years."
A spokesperson for the Catholic Parish of MacKillop, which oversees the Charlestown church and convent, said they had not decided what to with the empty building or land yet.
The Charlestown parish and the affiliated St Joseph's Primary School were established in 1927, with a weatherboard convent built next door.
Ms Linehan joined the Sisters when she was 18 years old, more than 60 years ago.
"I've had a couple of stints at the Charlestown convent. I first came here in 1969 when we were in the schools," she said.
At the time, the newly erected convent seemed "state of the art", she said.
"Our lives were structured, we had time for prayer, we all taught in the schools that taught music, we lived a community life," she said.
"It was simple."
After travelling to other parishes such as Cessnock, Wingham and Krambach, Ms Lineham returned to Charlestown in 2015.
But life had changed.
When she first moved in, there was six sisters living there. A decade ago, only two were left.
For the past two or three years, it has been only her.
"I think this is just what's happening to us at the moment, all the other convents have closed down and the sisters have moved out," she said.
"We had a good bond together, we supported one another, and we were very much a part of the people."
In her recent time with the Catholic Parish of MacKillop in Charlestown, Ms Linehan helped in community support groups, attended liturgy meetings and took holy communion to the sick.
Similar to other Lochinvar Josphites, Ms Linehan had moved out of the convent into a unit in Mayfield, owned by the group.
She was now living next to a number of other sisters in the same block.
"I think as we're getting older, I think the emphasis now is more on the care of one another," she said.
