Year in Review 2024 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst 55 Sister Mary Duffy Religious Sisters of Mercy 12 May 1937 ~ 16 September 2024 Sr Mary Duffy RSM, passed away on 16 September at age 87, in the 67th year of her profession. Born in Bendigo, she completed her education at St Mary’s College, where she later became Principal. Sr Mary was the inaugural Principal of Catholic College Bendigo and played a key role in its establishment, driving the amalgamation process, securing funding, increasing enrolments, and garnering community support — an achievement she regarded as one of her greatest. Sr Mary made lasting contributions to her Religious Order and its missions. She served as Chair of the Board of Mercy Works and was elected to the Leadership Team of the Sisters of Mercy Melbourne Congregation where she supported the welfare of the Sisters and the development of International Mercy Ministries. After completing this role, she became Vice Postulator for the Cause for Canonisation of Catherine McAuley, promoting Catherine’s story and spirituality through seminars and retreats across Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Ireland. Sister Rosemary Crowe Faithful Companions of Jesus 20 August 1933 ~ 28 June 2024 Sr Rosemary Crowe FCJ, died at the age of 90 in the 70th year of her religious profession as a Faithful Companion of Jesus. Sr Rosemary spent much of her career in primary school education, teaching at Genazzano College FCJ in Kew, and later becoming the first Principal of St Jude’s Primary School in Langwarrin. She dedicated much of her retirement to St Brendan’s Parish in Shepparton, where she administered communion to the sick, visited the housebound, and worked with the Faith and Light community. Born in August 1933, Sr Rosemary was inspired by the example of the FCJ Sisters at Vaucluse College in Richmond, where she studied, and entered religious life at the age of 20. Her missionary work in the Kimberley left a lasting impact, as she co-founded the ‘Kimberley Program,’ which fosters cross-cultural understanding and promotes Aboriginal culture between schools in Kew and Broome. Sr Rosemary’s thoughtful leadership and powerful advocacy for First Nations Peoples, combined with her joyful sense of humour, has left a lasting legacy. A Funeral Mass was held for her at Genazzano FCJ College, Kew, on 9 July, followed by a Memorial Mass at St Brendan’s Shepparton on 10 July. In Memoriam Sr Rosemary Crowe FCJ Sr Mary Duffy RSM
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