Josephite school leaders focus on charism, leadership, justice

By CathNews New Zealand

March 14th, 2025

Some of the participants at JJAMM 2025

Josephite school leaders from across Australia and New Zealand gathered in Sydney recently with a focus on their schools’ charisms, leadership skills and action for social justice.

They were at JJAMM (Joseph, Julian And Mary MacKillop) 2025, a conference that looked to examples of leadership by St Joseph, Fr Julian Tenison Woods and St Mary MacKillop for inspiration.

Nearly 100 students and teachers came together last month for the largest JJAMM gathering ever. The experience strengthened connections to the Josephite tradition, and also inspired students towards action for justice in their communities.

The conference started at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney, with participants learning about the history and legacy of Mary, Julian and the early Josephites. Among the activities were a vibrant chalk mural of schools and charisms, exploring the heritage museum and attending Mass, complete with song and liturgical movement, in the chapel where Mary is interred.

Students also engaged with Josephite spirit today, in a panel session exploring interfaith dialogue, as well as disinformation and misinformation. School captains from Brigidine College (New South Wales) spoke about learning from diverse charisms.

The conference then moved to St Joseph’s Centre in Baulkham Hills, with the focus on action and social justice.

JJAMM encourages approaching complex issues through the eyes of Mary, Julian and Joseph, and their distinctive leadership styles.

The practical action of Mary can be applied, as can the creative spirit of Julian, along with the listening heart of Joseph, in order to strive for justice in local communities and the world, the organisers explain.

At Baulkham Hills, dreams were voiced, public speaking skills were sharpened and rally posters and chants were created. Students and teachers worked together to design initiatives they could bring back to their schools to carry on the Josephite spirit.

Feedback from one of the participants at JJAMM was: “I have really developed my understanding of Mary MacKillop and her teachings, which I hope to implement in my leadership.”

FULL STORY

JJAMM 2025 – Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephite Justice Network/Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart)