Back in the 1970s, I was involved in
anti-apartheid protests against the Springboks. That was where I first met
Father Dick Buchhorn, National Chaplain of the
YCW - or, as he is known now, Richard Buchhorn.
I was a young Mum living in Toowoomba with my husband two children - the third child arrived the following year. Richard introduced me to the American "Catholic Worker" and the imitative Australian journal, "The Catholic Worker" edited by
Max Charlesworth. Writer and commentator Niall Brennan who had an involvement in Christian communitarianism was a frequent contributor. This was when I first heard of
Dorothy Day, her spirituality and daring deeds in
The Catholic Worker Movement.
A decade later I was immersed in the writings of
Thomas Merton and
William Johnston.
In reading of Thomas Merton as he sought to find a way to give expression to his God-given vocation, I recall coming across the story of Merton's friendship with Dorothy Day. One night, in need of a bed, he put up at Dorothy Day's place. However, Merton drew the short straw. He had to sleep in Dorothy Day's bath tub because the only spare sleeping pace was occupied by
Catherine De Hueck Doherty.
Catherine Doherty is noted for her book
Christian Spirituality of the East for Western Man. And we now switch to an Australian connection. Back around the late 1990s when I was living in Sydney, I had a friend, a former Catholic priest. We went for a drive one day and finished up in the Goulburn area and he took me to a place which he used to visit. We did not drop in to say hello but he just told me of his connection with this place. The place was a former Catholic orphanage.
The story of Sue Gordon Woods is quite remarkable. She flew to Canada and met Catherine Doherty and experienced her spirituality at Madonna House. This part of her story impresses me. There was, it would seem, a clear sense of direction in the life of Sue at a young age. Sue's story can be read in the
Waterhole of Hope. Here is the story of The House of Prayer - a community that was established in the old orphanage. At The House of Prayer, the community built a
poustinia in the garden.
Fast forward from my Goulburn trip to 2009 and I am living in Melbourne. I am a Quaker as well as an Anglican. Many Quakers in Australia had longed for a study centre such as
Woodbrooke in Britain and
Pendle Hill in the USA. Eventually, the centre became a reality at
Silver Wattle, near Bungendore in NSW which is only 45 minutes from the national capital, Canberra.
Silver Wattle is the result of much dedication, hard work, and sacrifice from a small number of Friends. I was the first cook at Silver Wattle. The property belonged to the Catholic Church and had been inhabited by members of the House of Prayer community who were formerly at Goulburn.
Waterhole of Hope describes the difficulties that came upon the House of Prayer communities in later times at Goulburn. The move to the property at Silver Wattle was planned as a transition as members of the community 'transitioned' from what once was. As Quakers moved in, there were still members of the community residing at Silver Wattle.
I didn't know any of the House of Prayer connections until I was at Silver Wattle, met the remaining residents, and found Waterhole of Hope on the bookshelf. And I had heard, rather vaguely, from other sources of what became of Sue Gordon Woods. It is good to know that Sue's life goes on with a strong spirituality.
Her story continues at Campfire in the Heart near Alice Springs.
