ENGADINE
Engadine is a hilly, southern suburb of Sydney. In 1959 four Salesian Sisters opened a convent and St John Bosco Primary School in the Salesian parish there. For some years now the school is run by a lay principal and staff who, together with parents and children have continued to create a vibrant Salesian family atmosphere.
Three Sisters and three novices form the Engadine community. The community leader is also the novice formator. The community is involved with young people in a variety of activities, age groups and settings. Three elderly Sisters reside at the nearby St Vincent's Care Services located within the parish of Engadine, and are visited by community members.
Teaching
Sr Hieu Luong is the Novice Formator. She also teaches the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at the nearby Montessori Academy on a weekly basis.
St Maria Mazzarello Novitiate
The novitiate of the Salesian Sisters of the South Pacific Region is at Engadine. It is dedicated to St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello, the first Salesian Sister and co-foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. The novitiate is a two-year period where the young women deepen their understanding of their call from God and where they discern if God is calling them to live their lives in consecrated vowed life as Salesian Sisters.
Together with their religious studies the novices work voluntarily in St John Bosco Primary School, in the parish youth groups and religious education.
At the end of a two-year period the novice and the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters are able to discern whether the novice is ready to make her first profession as a Salesian Sister.
Teaching at St John Bosco Primary School
Srs Hieu Luong and Patricia McCusker work at St John Bosco Primary School. Sr Hieu is a Teachers Aide for children with special needs and Sr Patricia works in the library.
Sr Hieu also teaches the Children of the Good Shepherd programme at the Montessori Academy next to the convent.