OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - A hundred years ago the Australian Province of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was born

Sydney (Agenzia Fides) - The Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart celebrates this year the centenary of the founding of the Australian Province. Also known as "OLSH Sisters" (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart), 5 young sisters from Issoudun, France arrived in Sydney in 1885. The first Australian novice was Margaret Sweeney who made her first profession in 1888. She was the pioneer of 600 Australian women who became part of the congregation. Currently there are 160 nuns in the Province. Although their mission was elsewhere in Oceania, the OLSH took root in Australia through their schools, parish work, medical care and health care. Their commitment in Oceania was challenging and in many ways heroic. Throughout the century, they reached the most remote and isolated areas of northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, the Philippines, Japan, South Africa and Sudan. Today they are in 27 countries around the world. They are currently working closely with the local population of Angola, Kiribati, Philippines, South Africa, Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Burkina Faso where they plan to build a school and a multi-purpose training center for girls. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 27/09/2011)