2001

Early beginnings as a parish-based community

In 2001 at the invitation of Fr Michael Butler, Karin (now Mother Mary Therese) became the Pastoral Associate at St. Thomas Becket Parish in Lewisham, NSW. Recognising the need for spiritual renewal, she initiated Eucharistic Adoration, youth groups, and faith formation activities. Her passion to see young people fall in love with their faith led her to organise a pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2002 in Canada. The pilgrimage became a turning point, drawing together a diverse group of young people and igniting a movement of faith, prayer, and community. This led to the formation of the Immaculata Community, which grew organically as young people, families, and individuals began dedicating themselves to lives of prayer, holiness, service, and evangelisation.

2008

Foundation of the Sisters

Throughout 2003-2007 the Community’s mission flourished and grew as they led retreats for families, young people and parishioners of all ages; weekly adult prayer groups; a youth and “junior” youth group and a live annual Easter Stations of the Cross.

In 2008 the Sisters of the Immaculata were formally established when Karin and another young woman from the Immaculata Community, following a desire to belong completely to Christ as Religious Sisters, began a process of formation in the religious life. In this they were assisted by other well-established religious communities, particularly the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia (Nashville, USA), where Mother Mary Therese completed her noviciate formation. Thus the gift of the mission which had organically grown through the Immaculata Community was brought to a new flowering under the banner of the Sisters of the Immaculata.

While the Sisters of the Immaculata continued to serve the community of St Thomas Becket, Lewisham, they also began a youth outreach in 2008 known as the Immaculata Mission School, which now runs annually and has given hundreds of young people the opportunity to experience the love of God.

2013

A New Home, a New Outreach

In 2013, the Sisters relocated from Lewisham in NSW to Franklin in Tasmania, about 50 kms from Hobart, and began serving the youth of the Archdiocese of Hobart, while continuing to run the annual Short Term Mission School for participants from all over Australia.

Mother Mary Therese for some time had been praying about a longer Mission School: a way to help young people be formed deeply through prayer, formation, community life and mission that wasn’t possible through the 10 day mission school. This finally came to fruition in 2016 when the Sisters ran the first long-term Mission School from September to January. These now run annually, providing participants with the opportunity to discover and be formed in their gifts and talents, so that they can go back and help support, strengthen and bring renewal in their parishes and the Church.

2018

Foundation of the Brothers

In 2018, a lay member of the community stepped out to become a Brother of the Immaculata. After completing postulancy and noviciate with the Sisters, he made first vows on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, 11 February 2021. There are currently two Brothers, one first professed and one postulant who began in early 2021, with another man joining in July 2021, and others expressing interest.