The Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians
South Pacific Region
The Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians is a family of religious women born of St. John Bosco and St. Maria Mazzarello's love for God and young people.It follows the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales in three key aspects of his spirituality:
- An optimistic humanism
- The universal call to holiness for everyone
- A union with God based on gentleness and kindness in everyday life.
Its story began in 1872 at Mornese (a village in northern Italy) where Maria Mazzarello worked in her parish for the good of the young. In 1864 Don Bosco met Maria Mazzarello and these two people realized that they were both working for the good of the young in their respective places - Don Bosco in Turin and Maria Mazzarello in Mornese. By 1872 the religious congregation of women was formed through its founders, Maria Mazzarello and Don Bosco. Over the past 130 years since its foundation the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians has spread to the five continents and now numbers around 15,000 members in over 90 countries.
In the Church the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians brings God to young people through the field of education in a wide variety of activities: schools, camps, hostels, retreat work, youth clubs.
Its educational philosophy is based on what the Salesians call the Preventive System - an educational approach based on:
- Reason
- Religion
- Loving kindness
The Salesian Sisters in the South Pacific Region
Our province is dedicated to Mary Help of Christians and is called the South Pacific Region comprising Australia, Samoa and American Samoa. We have one house in Adelaide (our founding house in our province, founded in 1954), three houses in Melbourne and two houses in Sydney. There are two houses in Samoa and one house in American Samoa. We carry on a variety of activities for the welfare of young people: parish work, work with migrants, schools, hostels, youth centres, retreat work, child care centres,camps, etc.
Our Formation program in the South Pacific Region
Two years as a pre-novice (Period of Discernment and Orientation and Period of Postulancy):interacting in the life of the Salesian Sisters in one or more of our communities in Australia (Adelaide, Melbourne and/or Sydney). In Samoa young women interested in our life join a "Come and see program". If they wish to continue the journey with the Salesian Sisters, they work with our Sisters at Leauva'a in the St. Joseph's Primary School. After that they spend one year (pre-novitiate stage) living with the Sisters at Moamoa, Samoa before leaving for Australia to continue their journey with the Sisters.
Two years as a novice (Period of Novitiate): a more intense living with the Sisters and the study of our constitutions and deepening of the Christian faith (Liturgy, Scripture, Church etc.)
First profession to final profession (Period of Temporary Profession to final Profession): a period from six to nine years. The young Sister professes her vows in the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christian and lives fully immersed in the life of the Salesian Sisters in Australia, Samoa and American Samoa.