Catholic Diocese of Broome

St Joseph's School at Wyndham held a variety of celebrations on Saturday, 22nd May, to mark 40 years since its opening, when the Sisters of St Joseph arrived to teach there.
The school was decorated with balloons and streamers to welcome the large crowd of students and their families, past students and visitors. Many Sisters who had taught at the school travelled from Perth and the eastern states to join in the celebrations, because St Joseph's Wyndham has a special place in their hearts.
During the formal welcome, past and present students told what St Joseph's means to them. Marjorie Hunter, who has had a long association with the school through her children and grandchildren, presented the Principal, Mrs Claire Kelly, with a most interesting skull of a catfish, the front of which bears an image of the Crucified Christ.
Sr Maureen Meany RSJ, the first principal, and Sr Margaret Lambert RSJ, who used to be known as Sr Feargal, amazed and amused the gathering with their stories of how they coped in the early days, when the ship with supplies for the school would sometimes take their cargo on to Darwin, leaving them without necessary items for weeks.
An exhibition of photos of each decade restored memories of the "olden days", before the present, modern school was built.

Photo: Eager children await the cutting of the 40th Anniversay Cake. (Photo B.Fitzhardinge).

During Bishop Saunders' celebration of a Thanksgiving Mass with Fr Paul Boyers, he thanked God for the unselfish work of the Sisters and for the Wyndham people's great sense of loyalty to the Church and the Sisters.
Everyone had commented on the excellent behaviour of the school children during the afternoon. Their turn to celebrate came after a barbecue tea, when they entertained the crowd with a wonderful concert. Highlights were the group of young "Josephite Sisters", the dancers who traced the passage of time, and the Crocodile Song and Dance of the small children. Wearing their crocodile heads made of egg cartons painted green, with ping pong balls for eyes, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and entertained the audience, who requested encores later.
Then, after Sr Margaret and small helpers cut the huge 40th birthday cake, the bush band struck up and the festivities continued until late.
On Sunday, Marjorie Hunter and her family, who had little sleep that weekend, provided the visitors with a delicious lunch at the convent where Sr Veronica Ryan RSJ is living. Sr Veronica, who is completing a new Religious Education curriculum for Catholic schools in the Kimberley, provided a guiding hand in the wonderful St Joseph's 40th birthday festivities.