It was a wonderfully happy occasion last Saturday when members of the surrounding parishes joined Bishop Toal, Bishop Murray, Fr. Tom and Fr. Roddy  in St. John’s, Caol,  to celebrate Sister Therese’s fifty years as a Josephite nun in God’s service.  Sister Margaret, a Josephite sister,  and colleague of Sister Therese, came from Ireland to share in the celebrations
Sister Therese McConway, who is from New Zealand, and Sister Audrey Thomson, from Australia, came to Lochaber eighteen months ago, and fell in love with the people and the area. They  are making a great impression on everyone  by the warmth of their love, their kindness and great hospitality—all very much in the mould of their foundress, Blessed Mary MacKillop.  The two Sister have done much already to tell people about Blessed Mary’s life and the impact she had on children, their education and the life of the  Church in general.  Her life story is that of a saint who committed her whole life to God, and in the course of it was to suffer so much. Her title in religion, Mother Mary of the Cross, was well chosen, for truly she had many crosses to suffer.
Sister Therese was a primary school teacher for many years, and she must have been a great hit with all her pupils because of her tremendous sense of fun and her great gift of humour—and always smiling. Her prayer, and our prayer also, is that this year, 2009, the 100th anniversary of Mary’s death, will be the year when she is canonised as Australia’s first saint. The canonisation will probably be in Rome, and I am sure Sr. Therese and Sr. Audrey will organise a group form the diocese to take part.  
God bless you, Sister Therese, and may you and Sister Audrey be granted a long extension to be with us in Lochaber for many more years to continue your good work!