Our Sisters - Adorers of the Blood of Christ
Croatian Sisters, Adorers of the Blood of Christ, who followed their compatriots to the land under the Southern Cross over twenty years ago, and who worked fruitfully in Sydney for seven years, sold their house in the city’s suburb Casula and, while the church was still being built, erected their monastery of the Sacred Heart which is located across the road from the entrance to the church parking lot.
The monastery was blessed and officially handed over to the Sisters for use by Mijo Škvorc, the Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb. The monastery is a spacious, double storey house. The Sisters’ rooms are on the top floor, while on the ground floor there is a chapel, a room for group meetings which is regularly used for practice by the church choir, a guest room, a dining room and a kitchen.
The artistic design of the chapel is the work of the academic artist and architect Ante Starčević from Zagreb. A special feature of the chapel is a huge stained glass panel which occupies the entire wall behind the altar. The stained glass panel comprises four parts. The first part (left to right) represents an outline of Australia, coloured in bright orange which represents the dryness and bright sun of this continent; above Australia is an outline of a heart which represents the chain which the Sisters Adorers wear as a sign of their consecration. The other part depicts the crucified Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary under the cross. The third part depicts the founder of the order the Blessed Maria de Mattias. She is kneeling turned towards the Cross from which she drew her life energy, and above her is the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove. The last part of the stained glass panel depicts a boy and a girl rushing towards the Founding Mother. This is a depiction of the apostolate of the abandoned children that the Sisters took special care of.
Other than in Sydney, the Sisters Adorers are also active in Adelaide. They came to Sydney from Melbourne in 1977 and settled in the city’s suburb of Casula. Upon discovering that a large apostolate field was opening up in the pastoral centre St. Nikola Tavelić, they sold their house in Casula and built the house they live in today, that is, the monastery[as1] .
There are five Croatian Sisters in St. John’s Park. All the Sisters are involved in the pastoral work of the church and hold scripture classes for those preparing for their First Communion and Confirmation, youth and adults, engagement courses, and attend to families and the frail, while three of the Sisters work in the