Communio Calling: Recent Episodes
Good Samaritan Education
Infused with the values of our Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition, Communio Calling is a dynamic conversation and connection point for the Good Samaritan Education community and beyond to nurture and share story, faith and life.
To honour Scholastica Gibbons, co-founder of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, on the anniversary of her death (October 15) this episode is a treasure trove of rich conversation on the life and legacy of Mother Scholastica.
Host Gabrielle Sinclair welcomes Joanna Mead, Paul O’Shea, and Fran Vella, who together share fresh insights and personal reflections on Scholastica’s journey - from family in Ireland, her arrival in Australia, and her collaboration with John Bede Polding to establish the first order of religious sisters founded on Australian soil.
Together we consider Scholastica’s motivations, formative years, and the challenges she managed while remaining grounded in service. Her inspiring legacy continues to enliven our Good Samaritan communities today.
In this episode of Communio Calling, we bring you our first keynote presentation from the Triennial Conference, Weaving Educational Baskets: Centering Indigenous Knowledges in Leadership, Learning and Systems, presented by Kelly Humphrey.
Kelly Humphrey is a proud Gomeroi woman, and the inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) at Australian Catholic University. With degrees in Education and Theology, she’s dedicated to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in achieving their futures. Kelly’s research on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school leaders reflects her commitment to advancing their educational leadership. She’s lived in rural and regional areas, engaging with communities and being responsive to their needs.
Kelly’s presentation explores Aboriginal ways of knowing, being, and doing, through the Basket Weaving as an Aboriginal Methodology and Theoretical Framework (2023). This framework of basket weaving are not only theoretical tools but also invites educators and system leaders to reflect deeply on their practice and purpose.
Hear from our Prophetic Voices 2025 students at the Triennial Conference, ‘Ever Ancient Ever New’—now available in the latest Communio Calling episode.
This year’s topics:
• Mental Health: Stewarding Supportive Communities
• Access to Education for All: Rural, Remote, and Vulnerable Communities
Students answered audience questions and shared honest reflections. Listen in to discover their perspective.
In June, GSE Staff Immersion participants journeyed to Timor-Leste, taking part in the first staff immersion since 2019. The group included staff from our GSE schools, the Good Samaritan Schools Network (GSSN) and, GSE. The 8-day immersion saw participants learn about the country's rich history and witness the impact of the work of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, particularly the work of Sister Rita Hayes sgs.
In this episode, host Gabrielle Sinclair is joined by participants Megan Goodwin from St Mary Star of the Sea College, Eliza Johns from Mater Christi College, and Adrian Peachey from St Scholastica's College. Together, they reflect on their journey and share their experience, learnings, and relationships they formed.
In this special NAIDOC Week episode, we invite listeners into a reflective conversation about reconciliation with members of the GSE Reconciliation Action Plan Working Party.
Recorded in the lead-up to National Reconciliation Week 2025, this insightful and honest conversation is filled with both hope and frustration, reflecting on the imperfect journey of reconciliation that each of us—and Australia as a whole—is on.
Host Gabrielle Sinclair is joined by fellow RAP Working Party members: Libby Denny, GSE Governing Councillor and Chair of the Working Party; Sharon Cooke, State Manager for Aboriginal Education at Catholic Schools NSW and a proud woman of the Ngemba people; and Dr Joanne Hack, GSE’s Executive Director.
Ten years ago today, 24 May 2015, Pope Francis's letter to the world about Care for Our Common Home, Laudato Si', was born. In this episode our host Gabrielle Sinclair is joined in heartfelt conversation with Jacqui Remond and Beth Riolo. Recorded days before the conclave which elects Pope Leo XIV, they reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis as a 'Pope of Creation' and our ongoing journey towards integral ecology.
Jacqui Remond is lecturer at ACU and Co-Founder of the global Laudato Si' Movement. As the Co-Chair of the worldwide 'Schools Working Group’ of the Laudato Si' Action Platform, she is passionate about accompanying communities to live an Integral Ecology through a culture of care for all creation.
Beth Riolo is an educator, Good Samaritan Benedictine Oblate, and Board Director of St Mary Star of the Sea College. With over 35 years in Catholic Education, she is currently the Professional Officer for Environment and Liturgy (K-12) for the Diocese of Wollongong.
You can learn more about the 10-year anniversary celebrations of Laudato Si' here: https://laudatosimovement.org/news/laudato-si-week-2025/
In this episode, Judith Sutera OSB joins Gabrielle Sinclair to explore how the Benedictine tradition offers a grounded, inclusive, and deeply human lens for understanding who we are and how we live together. In this enriching conversation, Sr Judith shares her own Benedictine journey and highlights the importance of articulating faith and tradition with care and intention.
Judith is a member of Mount St. Scholastica monastery in Atchison, Kansas, is a retreat leader, counsellor, and one of the first women to earn a master’s in monastic theology. She recently completed a tour in Australia where she ran, alongside Elizabeth Carrillo OSB, a series of retreats and workshops across three states, focusing on the connection between Benedictine spirituality and eco-spirituality.
Catherine McCahill sgs, Sisters of the Good Samaritan Congregational Leader, sits down with host Gabrielle Sinclair to unpack their Statement of Directions for 2023-2029. Discerned at last year’s Chapter, the statement gives shape and direction to the Sisters of the Good Samaritan's lives and ministries.
In conversation, Catherine shares with us her own journey and stories of the audacious women she’s met along the way.
In this episode, we hear Sister Antonia Curtis OSB share with us the journey behind her new book ‘I Give You My Word’. A practical guide in Lectio Divina. Written with educators, parishes and lay people in mind, I Give You My Word is a culmination of Antonia’s learnings and experience of sharing and teaching Lectio Divina. It is a remarkable gift to the world. You can purchase your copy at the link below: https://www.jamberooabbey.org.au/shop/
Special guest Dr Carmel Bendon, academic, author, and presenter, sits down with host Gabrielle Sinclair to discuss the life and legacy of 13th-century Benedictine abbess, Hildegard of Bingen.
Hildegard’s vast knowledge, mystical teachings, and body of works has made her an inspirational model of holy audacity, she is one of the four female ‘Doctors of the Church’. Carmel’s expertise and profound insights has made her a leading expert in Medieval Mystics. Wanting to provide a way into these amazing stories and lives has resulted in her latest book ‘The Mystics Who Came to Dinner’.
You can find Carmel’s works on her website:
https://carmelbendon.com/
You can also find Hildegard’s artworks and music in the links below:
https://www.wikiart.org/en/hildegard-of-bingen
https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/hildegard-von-bingen/
https://youtu.be/5zdUZ9WEyfM?si=74Fh5dlRYCRZ-ZQs
In this episode, GSE shares the special presentation ‘Liturgy of the Hours and the Psalms’ by Sisters Elizabeth Brennan sgs and Elizabeth Murray sgs. Originally presented at the Mission Leaders Conference, this powerful session provides insights into the Prayer of the Church, the communal prayer that plays a vital role in the spiritual life of Benedictines and many others.
The presentation launches ‘The Psalm Project’ developed by Gabrielle Sinclair and Elizabeth Brennan as another tool of communio, that we may sing in one voice.
For our first episode of 2024, we are in captivating dialogue with Sr Aquinata Böckmann OSB. With our host Gabrielle Sinclair, Aquinata graciously shares her compelling narrative and profound insights. Together they reflect on the essence of Holy Audacity, with a specific focus on the themes of Hospitality and Peace.
Aquinata Böckmann OSB, a distinguished member of the Benedictine Missionary Order of the Sisters of Tutzing, stands as an esteemed academic, author, and educator. Notably, she achieved the milestone of becoming the first female professor at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, Italy.
In our final episode of Communio Calling for 2023, GSE delegates discuss their whirlwind South American adventure to this year’s BENet Conference and visit to Chile's lay Benedictine Manquehue Community.
Hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in October, about 180 representatives from 16 countries gathered to share their insights as educators in the Benedictine tradition
On route to Rio, the GSE group spent time with the Manquehue community in Santiago, Chile, forming deep connections while exploring another expression of Benedictine education and community.
Following the success of the 2022 program, GSE’s Prophetic Voices student forum initiative returned in 2023 and was expanded to consist of three online student sessions that culminated with a two-day in-person gathering at Mt Carmel Retreat Centre in Varroville, NSW, in July.
In this episode, host Gabrielle Sinclair chats with four GSE students who participated in the program to reflect on their experiences and the process they undertook to create their final position statements on the three issues chosen for the year:
- First Nations: Country, Connection and Custodianship
- Homelessness: Encounter beyond financial aid
- Diversity: Human dignity
You can find more information on Prophetic Voices and the final student statements on our website: https://goodsameducation.org.au/prophetic-voices/
Special guest Carmel Posa, lecturer, author and Good Samaritan Sister, shares her wisdom and insights on St Scholastica in the lead-up to the release of her new book due in 2024, ‘The Lost Dialogue of Gregory the Great: The Life of Scholastica’.
In this conversation with host Gabrielle Sinclair, Carmel walks us through the process of shaping this new hagiography of the life of Scholastica. Many people have asked "Why don't we know more about Scholastica?"; Carmel answers this question and more as she walks with and reclaims the voice of Scholastica.
Good Sams Anne Dixon and Grace Marcello, sit down with host Gabrielle Sinclair to share stories of their ministry work in the Philippines in Bacolod on the island of Negros.
Set up in the 1980s by two Japanese Good Samaritan Sisters, the Bacolod community and Good Samaritan Education continue to have a strong partnership, with student immersions to the region set to return in 2024.
In this episode of Communio Calling, host Gabrielle Sinclair is joined by Rosebank’s Dean of Ministry, Paul O’Shea, and GSE’s Fran Vella to discuss the life and works of John Bede Polding.
Together, they discuss the legacy of Polding as the first Archbishop of Sydney and co-founder of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, who's teachings live on in our mission today.
It is said that It is in the sharing of story with others that the deep meaning of pilgrimage takes root, both in the pilgrim and the community.
In this episode of Communio Calling, host Gabrielle Sinclair is joined by Natasha O’Donoghue, Alan Ibbett and Rita Armen to reflect on their recent pilgrimage experience.
The GSE Benedictine pilgrimage followed in the footsteps of St Benedict, St Scholastica and John Bede Polding across England and Italy. Our pilgrims came from staff and governance leaders from our GSE community and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, all participating in this life-changing adventure.
In our latest episode of Communio Calling, host Gabrielle Sinclair is joined by two of our GSE school’s principals, Iris Nastasi of Rosebank College Five Dock and Tony Fitzgerald of St Mary Star of the Sea College
Together, they unpack our new Schools of Welcome statement and share their reflections on its conception and impact on the GSE community.
In this episode, host Gabrielle Sinclair is joined in conversation with three company members within our GSE schools; Leonie Keaney, John Driscoll and Elizabeth Delaney sgs.
This conversation is a great reflection on the important role of a company member in a GSE school. Hear the insights, and in and outs of the role and their stewardship of the charism.
Communio Calling is back with our first episode of 2023, where we unpack Good Samaritan Education’s Formation Cycle theme, A Year of Neighbour. In conversation with Geraldine Kearney sgs, we explore what it means to be neighbour and to truly embrace the ‘other’.
Host Gabrielle Sinclair talks with Mary McDonald sgs in a wide-ranging conversation, from sharing her story of growing up in the family Pub in Northern Queensland to her love of education. Mary is the author of the GSE history - Journey to Good Samaritan Education – and shares her insights on the challenges of today and the fundamental essence needed to be held onto into the future.
Communio Calling guest Patty Fawkner sgs, congregational leader of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, shares her leadership journey and the insights she has gained along the way, from acknowledging her gifts and weakness to empowering others. This a great conversation for all seeking to develop their leadership skills, particularly in the Good Samaritan Benedictine charism.
After a short break Communio Calling is back with Prophetic Voices.
Host Gabrielle SInclair chats with Jen Petschler of St Scholastica's College and Students from six of the GSE schools regarding their experience of Prophetic Voices.
The inaugural Prophetic Voices – Student Form was held in conjunction with the 2022 Triennial Conference on Friday, July 22, hosted at St Scholastica’s College Glebe.
Prophetic Voices was established to provide an open platform for students to articulate causes, projects, and issues they are passionate about and embody Good Samaritan Benedictine values. Each school is invited to pitch one issue or idea that formed the content for cross-school dialogue and discernment. The initiative culminated in a two-day event, firstly a student forum, with the second day requiring students to participate in the Triennial Conference, presenting their common voice on issues they want to raise with the whole GSE community.
Special guest Joan Chittister OSB shares her insights on what the Benedictine way of life can teach us beyond the cloisters.
In her eighties now, Joan has authored an extensive list of books, from commentaries on the Rule of Benedict to the call for action on climate change. Her words, insights and reflections have shaped, challenged, and inspired many to reengage with the monastic worldview.
Join us in conversation.
This recording is produced and distributed with permission under license to Benetvision and Sr Joan Chittister OSB. Accordingly, this recording will only be available online for 3 months once released. This recording remains copyrighted to Benetvision and Sr Joan Chittister OSB. Reproduction and/or unauthorised distribution of this work in whole or in part is not permitted. http://www.joanchittister.org/
This episode's conversation is with two of the superstars of the GSE community, Sue Lennox, Principal of St Patrick's College Campbelltown and Kate Rayment, Principal of St Scholastica's College Gelbe, as we have a look at GSE's Philosophy of Education.
The Good Samaritan Education Philosophy of Education sets the bar high as we seek to create, sustain and nurture communities of learning enriched and inspired by the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition.
There is no doubt that the word 'obedience' has a lot of baggage to the modern ear. Today we will broaden our understanding through the lens of St Benedict.
Join host Gabrielle Sinclair and guest Christine Manning as we reclaim obedience helping to provoke some helpful reverberations in our community and society, if we live it well, inclining ourselves toward the other, through Christ loving example.
Good Samaritan Education's Formation Cycle draws us into a Year of Lectio.
In our conversation today Elizabeth Brennan sgs and Pat O'Gorman help us navigate what we mean by Lectio Divina and how the regular practice can provide a rhythm for deepening our relationship with God and all of creation if we attend with the ear of the heart.
As 2022 begins to find its rhythm this bonus episode, is something completely different, giving you the opportunity to pause and truly listen with the ear of the heart and be open to what you are being called to respond to.
Find a quiet place and give yourself permission for 10 minutes to retune your listening heart.
Listening to God and listening to our neighbour are interrelated! When we make space to listen receptively to our God, we find our hearts gradually softened and converted into the ‘good soil’. We are thus made able to be attentive, to notice and to hear God speak in Scripture and in the ‘neighbour’ we encounter in our daily life. We are also made able to respond. As well, when we are attentive to our neighbour, in love or in listening, we hear God say, ’You do it to Me’. There is a wonderful double meaning in the urgent plea of Benedict ‘ to put the love of Christ before all else'. Are we being invited to give a eucharistic ‘AMEN’ to both the Divine Christ and to the Body of Christ? I find this deep connection between loving and listening to be powerful! - Carol Tomlinson sgs
Continuing the celebrations of Good Samaritan Education's 10 year anniversary we reflect on where we have come from and a look into the future regarding the continual challenge and necessity of being alert to the signs of the times.
Join host Gabrielle Sinclair with guests Sr Clare Condon and Moira Nadjecki for our final full episode for 2021.
In this bonus episode, we will hear from a few familiar voices as we celebrate the feast of All Benedictine saints. Guests were asked to share about a favourite or perhaps lesser-known Benedictine Saint, so sit back for some reflections on others that have traced the path of Benedict before us.
Featuring:
Elizabeth Brennan sgs
Christine Manning sgs
Pat O'Gorman
Clare Condon sgs
and Moira Nadjecki
In conversation with Catherine Slattery sgs and Frank Pitt we take a look at the foundational Good Samaritan Education document - The Statement of the Voice and Experience of Women in Leadership.We take a look at the realities that shape this document and the accountability it calls us to. It is a unique and living document that challenges and informs the necessary social critique to be attentive to the signs of the times and claim our voice.
In this episode of Communio Calling we hear from the former congregational leader of the Good Sams, Clare Condon sgs. Clare's intimate grasp of living the Good Samaritan Benedictine life and her deep understanding and history with Good Samaritan Education make her a unique person to speak to our community of discernment and breaking open a clarity on not just doing discernment, rather, the Benedictine concept of discernment as a way of living, ever listening and responding to the call of God.
Clare's content for this episode is from a presentation given to the Good Samaritan Education Assembly Members at the beginning of 2021.
Good Samaritan Education's formation theme for 2021 is Communio. In conversation with host and colleague Gabrielle Sinclair, GSE's own Director of Formation and Mission Integration, Pat O'Gorman, shares her insights and story as we explore what this word "communio" is all about.
Join Gabrielle and Pat as they take deep dive into what communio means for GSE and our community of communities.
BONUS EPISODE
We just couldn't wait to share with you, our new sound.
Continuing our 10-year celebrations we commissioned a song to celebrate and capture elements of our Good Samaritan Benedictine charism.
'How do you capture a dynamic living charism in a few verses?', I hear you ask. Find out as we chat with singer-songwriter Gen Bryant and be the first to hear 'In All Things' in full. It is sure to complement the already strong culture of music and song in our communities prayer, liturgies and eucharist celebrations.
Communio Calling presents In All Things by Gen Bryant.
In All Things is available through Willow Publishing
Communio Calling's inaugural episode coincides with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Good Samaritan Education by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
In celebration of the journey of the last 10 years, we will hear from two vital voices who helped shape the story of Good Samaritan Education - Terry Creagh, Good Samaritan Education's inaugural Governing Council Chair and Kay Herse, our first Executive Director.
A rich conversation sharing the journey of discernment of the Good Sams that resulted in the establishment of Good Samaritan Education. Terry and Kay's passion and deep faith are inspirational and their experience and insight teach us a great deal about the legacy and treasure entrusted to Good Samaritan Education.
Good Samaritan Education's new podcast series Communio Calling, sharing stories of faith and life in the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition, will launch on July 22, 2021, marking its 10th anniversary.