Marie Madeleine died in 1858 and although the Society’s numbers and foundations had increased on the Continent and in the British Isles, it was left to her successor to fulfill the fourth call ‘to work in foreign lands’, the first of which was Australia.

Due to the passing of the Victorian Education Act of 1872, the Catholic schools were placed in a very difficult situation. With encouragement from Dr J.A. Goold, the Archbishop of Melbourne, Rev. Fr. J. Dalton S.J. sent an urgent invitation to Rev. Mother Josephine Petit FCJ (2^nd Superior General) asking for some Sisters to come to Richmond to take charge of the Girl’s Primary School. In answer to this twelve F.C.J Sisters mostly English and Irish, came to Australia on the S.S "Liguria" arriving in Melbourne on 1^st June, 1882. Except for the Superior, Mother Mary John Daly, who was forty-nine, they were a young group, the youngest being barely twenty. They were warmly welcomed by the priests and people, and were soon settled in their convent which they called "Mount St. Joseph". On 12^th June, the Sisters took charge of St. Ignatius Girls’ School and opened the Convent of Secondary day school for girls with eleven pupils in the two-storey weather-board house on the property.

Between 1882 and 1897, five parties of FCJ Sisters arrived in Melbourne, a total of forty nuns. Richmond became the centre of the sisters’ rapidly expanding apostolate. From there, they went out by foot, horse-drawn cab and, in the case of Willamstown, train to Port Melbourne, then sailed across the bay in a small steamer. This journey was undertaken each morning and evening and was the reason why they relinquished this school after three years until 1900. In 1899 the F.C.J. Sisters took charge of St. Joseph’s School in Power Street, Hawthorn, travelling each day by train from Richmond. They were there until 1923 when the Brigidine Sisters replaced them. St. Mary’s Convent and a fee-paying school which catered for all classes up to Junior Public were established in Wattle Road, Hawthorn in 1911 until 1921. Other involvements were the small St. Stanislaus infants’ School 1903 - 1912 and St. Ignatius’ Kindergarten 1951 - 1977.

With the blossoming forth of the new foundation of Genazzano at Kew, in 1889, where a first-class boarding and day school for girls which begun, the Sisters also took charge of St. John Berchmans, Camberwell, 1897 - 1902, Sacred Heart Primary School, Kew, 1899-1984 and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Deepdene, 1924-1981.

The next foundation was at Benalla in 1900 where they still have a flourishing co-educational Secondary College. The Sisters also took charge of St. Joseph’s Parish Primary School but relinquished charge of this in 1988.

In 1914 the Sisters re-opened St. Brigid’s Convent School, at Healesville which had been closed since the departure of the Sisters of Mercy in 1910. Other foundations were Stella Maris Convent Boarding and Day School at Frankston in 1968 from which the Sisters travelled to St. John’s Primary School, East Frankston, 1970-1981 and St. Anne’s Primary School, Seaford, 1968-1982. The Stella Maris Girl’s School amalgamated with the Marianist Boys’ College nearby to form the present Catholic Regional College under the name of John Paul College (1979). A small F.C.J. Community resides on the property still and is involved in both the school and parish.

In 1978 a Community of five F.C.J.’s formed a Frontier Group at St. Jude’s Langwarrin to get a Parish Primary School established.

In 1980, St. Raphael’s Nursing Home was opened on the grounds of Genazzano for the F.C.J. Sisters, today it is a Hostel under the care of the F.C.J’s which includes accommodation for lay people.

As apostolates have broadened since Vatican II, two small Communities have been formed at Fairfield and Port Melbourne, several Sisters are living in apartments in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, there are Australian F.C.J’s in Mission areas of Indonesia, Romania, The Philippines, South America as well as three working in England.

Many changes have taken place since the F.C.J.’s came in 1882 but one thing has not changed - the reason why they came, as the F.C.J. Rule tells the Sisters, "Our mission from the Church is to help bring Jesus to those whom we are sent……As we communicate the Gospel message of Truth, we endeavour to discern and impart permanent spiritual values to the world of our times." (Constitutions 3)

References:

O’Connor, M. Clare Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus in Australia

Melbourne: FCJ 1982

If further information is required about individual Sisters, the following address is given:

The Archivist

FCJ Sisters

Convent FCJ

Darlington Parade

Richmond Vic 3121

In writing to the Archivist it would be appropriate that a financial contribution be made for the Archivist’s time and expertise.

Religious Orders or Congregations have released the details on their members. It is understood that the copyright of any material (including the listing of the names of the Sisters) relevant to a particular Order or Congregation in this publication remains with the relevant Order or Congregation.