The Motto of the Sisters of Sion is "In Sion I (Wisdom) was established (Sirach 24:8-10). The Christian church applies this text to Jesus and in a secondary way, to Mary. Sion (or Zion) is the hill in Holy City of Jerusalem where David’s palace and throne were set up. It came to mean the whole city, the heart and soul of the Jewish people. Our motto proclaims our commitment to the Jewish people and to reconciliation between Church and Synagogue.

Israel’s resurrection as a nation after the Holocaust strengthens faith in God’s promises to his people and hence to all humanity, because Abraham, the father of all Jews received God’s assurance. "In you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed", so our faith is "established in Sion"

In the theology of Fr Theodore Ratisbonne’s day the charism was seen as a desire for the conversion of the Jews to Christianity. Since the second world war and ratified by the teaching of Vatican II in Nostra Aetate, the idea of conversion is replaced by the Church’s recognition that God is always faithful to the people whom he chose as his own. Today the charism is expressed as "a threefold commitment to the Church, to the Jewish people and to a world of Justice, Peace and Love.

The Sisters work to break down prejudice between Christians and Jews and building up understanding. The vows taken are those of consecrated celibacy, poverty and obedience.

In 1887 Bishop Corbett was appointed the first Bishop of Sale, an extensive diocese which took in the whole Gippsland. In 1889 he went overseas in search of priests and nuns to work in the diocese. He returned twelve months later bringing with him seven Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion and five Priests. Soon the Sisters took over the direction of the parish school in Sale and opened a secondary school which later became a boarding school. The Sisters arrived at Sale to make their first foundation on 1^st March 1890.

Foundations were made at Bairnsdale in 1897 and at Warragul in 1905. In each place the Sisters taking over the direction of the Parish School and establishing Boarding Schools. The provision of Boarding facilities was very important for the secondary education girls, especially those from remote outback areas as there was no school bus transport and there were very few State High Schools outside the larger towns.

As with every Sionian foundation the poor were not forgotten. An orphanage was opened in Sale in 1913.

Since Vatican II there has been a remarkable change in the attitude of the Church towards the Jews. In both Melbourne and Sydney this has resulted in the establishment of the "Councils of Christians and Jews".

Further Suggested Reading:

Davies, Linda Sisters of Our Lady of Sion centenary, 1890-1990. Sale Vic: Davies, 1990

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

The Archivist

Our Lady of Sion Sisters

29 Dorking Road

BOX HILL VIC 3128

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.