IN 1811 MARIA MADDALENA CAPPONI, A WEALTHY FLORENCE MATRON WHO HAD BEGUN CHARITABLE SOCIAL WORK UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP MOVEMENT, OPENED THE RETREAT OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, REPENTANT TO REHABILITATE YOUNG WOMEN WHO HAD FALLEN INTO PROSTITUTION. CONVINCED OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK SHE DREW UP PLANS FOR AN INSTITUTE OF RELIGIOUS TO CONTINUE HER APOSTOLATE AND GAINED THE APPROVAL OF POPE PIUS VII FOR ITS ESTABLISHMENT. IN 1815 THE FIRST FOUR YOUNG WOMEN TOOK THEIR VOWS AS THE 'HANDMAIDENS OF THE PASSION' AS THE INSTITUTE WAS THEN KNOWN. IN 1819 MARIA MADDALENA HAD TALKS WITH THE PASSIONIST SUPERIOR GENERAL AND LATER SPENT TIME WITH THE PASSIONIST NUNS AT TARQUINA TO STUDY THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST PAUL OF THE CROSS. AS A RESULT OF THESE STUDIES SHE DREW UP THE RULE OF THE INSTITUTE IN THE SPIRIT OF THE PASSIONIST FOUNDER. MARIA MADDALENA DIED IN 1839. FOR MANY YEARS AFTER HER DEATH THE INSTITUTE STRUGGLED TO REMAIN ALIVE AND EVEN CLOSED FOR A BRIEF PERIOD IN THE 1860's BUT THE SPIRIT OF THE FOUNDRESS WOULD NOT DIE AND IN 1872 THE INSTITUTE WAS REACTIVATED AS THE PASSIONIST SISTERS OF ST PAUL OF THE CROSS. IN 1819 THE SISTERS MADE THEIR FIRST OVERSEAS FOUNDATION IN BRAZIL AND TODAY THE CONGREGATION HAS HOUSES THROUGHOUT EUROPE, AFRICA, NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, ASIA AND AUSTRALIA.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE PASSIONIST SISTERS IN AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN A RECENT PHENOMENON. IN THE LATE 20th CENTURY AGED CARE BECAME A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN FOR THE CHURCH AND AMONG THE MANY FACILITIES SET UP BY THE CHURCH FOR THIS PURPOSE WERE THE SEVERAL VILLAGES ESTABLISHED BY THE SCALABRINIAN MISSIONARIES FOR THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY. THE SCALABRINIANS NEEDED DEDICATED RELIGIOUS TO MINISTER TO THE HEALTH AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE VILLAGE RESIDENTS AND THUS IT WAS THAT TWO GROUPS OF PASSIONIST SISTERS, ONE FROM THE PHILIPINES (2000) AND ONE INDONESIA (2002) CAME TO AUSTRALIA TO UNDERTAKE THIS APOSTOLATE. A THIRD GROUP CAME FROM INDIA IN 2002 TO HELP THE PASSIONISTS IN GLEN OSMOND PARISH IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. THUS HAS THE SEED OF MARIA MADDALENA'S CHARISM BEEN PLANTED IN AUSTRALIA.

THE ORGANISATION OF THE PASSIONIST SISTERS IN AUSTRALIA IS UNUSUAL IN LACKING ANY UNIFIED AUTHORITY. THE VARIOUS FOUNDATIONS HAVE EACH BEEN MADE FROM DIFFERENT PROVINCES AND ACCORDINGLY EACH FOUNDATION IS INDEPENDANT BEING ANSWERABLE DIRECTLY TO THEIR PARENT PROVINCE. THE FOLLOWING IS THEREFORE SIMPLY A LIST OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE DIFFERENT PROVINCES OF THE PASSIONIST SISTERS OF ST PAUL OF THE CROSS.

ALLAMBIE HEIGHTS
2002

BEXLEY
2000

PARKSIDE
2002