Daughters of Sion: connecting worlds apart

 The special call of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion is to bring about better understanding between Christians and Jews, and to endeavour to build a world of justice, peace and love for all peoples.

The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion was founded in France in 1847 by Theodore Ratisbonne.  Theodore grew up in a Jewish family at a time when, as a result of the French revolution, many Jews were assimilated into French society, losing sight of their Jewish roots.  As a young man, Theodore was baptised Catholic and soon after was ordained a priest in Strasbourg. From there, he moved to ministry in a parish in Paris.
 
Seeking to respond to requests from Jewish families for instruction in the Catholic faith, Theodore gathered some women to assist him. And hence, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion came into existence. As the numbers of requests for baptism decreased, the growing number of Sisters moved into education of girls and works for the poor. At the same time, they continued to pray for the conversion of the Jewish people. Any form of proselytism in the schools was, however, strictly forbidden.
 
Following World War II the vision of the Order underwent a radical change.
 
Sister Mary Barbuto, Provincial of the Sisters of Sion in Australia/Philippines explains what led to change.
 
“During the War, many Sisters of Sion in France, Belgium and Italy came into contact with Jews, fleeing from Nazi persecution. Risking their own lives, the Sisters harboured them in their Convents.
 
“In the wake of the enormous suffering and extermination of the Jewish people, the Sisters began a deep soul-searching:  was prayer for conversion the right way to express their love of the Jews?"
 
During the Second Vatican Council, the document, Nostra Aetate (1965), became a blue-print for the Sisters’ future apostolic ministries with the idea of conversion being replaced by the Church’s recognition that God is always faithful to the people whom he chose as his own.
 
It said: “The Church can never forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the People with whom God in His inexpressible mercy deigned to establish the ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that good olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild olive branches of the Gentiles.  (cf. Rom.11:17-24)”
 
“Mindful of her common patrimony with the Jews, and motivated by the Gospel’s spiritual love ..., the church deplores the hatred, persecutions and displayed of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews at any time and from any source.”
 
Today, the Sisters express the charism as a threefold commitment:  to the Church, to the Jewish people and to a world of justice, peace and love.
 
Their spirituality is biblical. The Word of God is central to their lives and enriched by both Jewish and Christian interpretation. Sion Sisters conduct a Centre for Biblical Formation in Jerusalem and both the Old and New Testaments are a focus for scripture study and reflection. Two Australian Sisters are currently working in the Centre.
 
 Seven Sisters of Sion came to Australia in 1890 at the invitation of Bishop Corbett, the Bishop of Sale, Victoria. Soon after their arrival, the Sisters took over the direction of the parish school in Sale and opened a Secondary school which later became a boarding school.  In other Gippsland towns, Bairnsdale (1897) and Warragul (1905) the sisters assumed the direction of the parish school and established boarding schools to assist with the education of girls from outlying areas.
 
Sister Mary Barbuto first met the Sisters of Sion when she was a young primary teacher at St Mary’s, Ascot Vale.
 
“’I saw the spirit of Sion lived by those Sisters – their openness to all peoples regardless of ethnic background and religion, their  friendliness and, acceptance of difference, their respect for migrant people, especially the children in the school; all had a genuine human touch.”
 
Today, the Sisters have a presence in Sydney and Mildura and in eight Melbourne suburbs – Box Hill, Box Hill North, Elsternwick, Kensington, Kew, Kings Park, North Balwyn, and Pascoe Vale South.
 
The Sisters are involved in, and committed to the staff and students of Our Lady of Sion College, Box Hill, a Secondary Catholic College for approximately 750 girls. An Australian Sister is currently serving on the Congregational Leadership Team and is stationed in Rome. In 1990, two Australian Sisters founded Sion in the Philippines. The community there now numbers six.  An international Congregation, the Sisters have a presence in 22 countries in all five continents.
 
Sion’s ministries world-wide, include Jewish Christian Dialogue, ecumenical and interfaith development, biblical and theological formation in parishes, education at all levels, Scripture reflection groups, spiritual direction, pastoral and justice ministries.
 
 Info: http://www.sion.org.au/ 

http://www.catholicreligiousaustralia.org