Seiwa

Seiwa History

In 1857, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict were founded by Archbishop John Bede Polding, a Benedictine monk and the first bishop to Australia. The sisters are called to bring love and compassion to their neighbour wherever they live and minister. For over 164 years, they have served in many parts of Australia.

Towards the end of World War 11, on 9th of August 1945, an atomic bomb devastated the city of Nagasaki, Japan. The city had a high catholic population and the tragedy killed 140,000 people.

In 1948 at the request of the bishop of Nagasaki, six sisters of the Good Samaritan responded to his call for help and set sail by ship from Australia to provide relief and support to those struggling from the lasting effects of the devastation.

The sisters, aware of the needs to educate the young, established Seiwa College for young women at Sasebo, North of Nagasaki in 1953. In 2021, Seiwa College continues as a diocesan school. However Japanese Good Samaritan sisters continue to share peace and compassion in their country.

Canberra Catholic Girls High was opened just six years after the establishment of Seiwa College, with Sister Clare Slattery, a sister of the Good Samaritan, as its first Principal. Therefore, it was fitting to name a house within Merici after Seiwa College to acknowledge the educational ministry of the Good Samaritan sisters in Japan.

The Good Samaritan:

Today Seiwa House looks to the parable of the Good Samaritan to guide us. We aim to be neighbours to all, not just to our close friends and family. Going out of our way to look out for those in need, helps guide us in our behaviour, our inclusivity and in the way that we welcome all to Seiwa House and Merici College. Seiwa House supports the Good Sams Foundation that does work in Australia, such as at the Good Samaritan Inn in Melbourne, which is a refuge for women and children, and in remote communities to support sewing programs, school breakfast programs and outreach. They also work in Kiribati, Timor Leste and The Philippines, especially with education scholarships and assistance for businesses start-ups for women.

SEIWA CURRENT NEWS

The following is script for the current Seiwa House news:

[In Seiwa House we like to celebrate our links to Japan. During 2020, the Year 11’s have made kokodama balls (indoor plant balls) to use as a fun and meditative activity to create their own study buddies. We celebrate Seiwa House Day in Term 3 when all the cherry blossoms are out. We have had a Japanese Game Show activity where students were challenged in eating smarties with chopsticks, making paper cranes, sudoku puzzles and music trivia. The winning PC class won a yummy hamper of exotic Japanese treats and drinks.

Recently we had a go at Kawaii drawing to create cute and helpful messages as we might gain in Japan who like a cute and polite aesthetic. A message for our times was ‘Wash Your Hands’.

We have focussed on the Japanese art of Kinstsugi; the unique and ancient Japanese art of repairing broken, chipped and cracked pottery using lacquer mixed with gold. It is part of Japanese philosophy of the tea ceremony which comes from a belief in the beauty of imperfections. Pottery repaired using Kintsugi techniques are seen at museums and many of these pieces are recognised as highly treasured antiques and cultural assets. Students reflected on the related concept of Wabi Sabi – that there is beauty in imperfections. We reflected on how human beings are not perfect and perfectionism can be a burden that will stop us from trying new things and being confident in ourselves. We tried to acknowledge that we have all been shaped by our own unique journeys, that we can try to work on our imperfections to turn them into a point of difference and cultivate them into an asset. The students and staff made our own versions of Kintsugi plates to remind us of the wisdom in these Japanese concepts. We continue to look to Japanese culture, art and language for inspiration and to enjoy our time in Seiwa House.]