Joyful platinum jubilee celebrations for Sr Margaret Cousins RSJ
By Wendy Shaw
Kindness, compassion and deep faith are some of the hallmarks of Sr Margaret Anne Cousins’ 70 years of religious life.
Family, friends, parishioners and fellow Sisters of St Joseph gathered at the Church of the Apostles in Launceston on 14 February as Sr Margaret, 89, celebrated her platinum jubilee.
Victoria-Tasmanian Regional Leader Sr Sue McGuinness congratulated her on a ‘remarkable milestone’.
“We can look at a long list of the various ministries that Margaret has been involved in including her teaching—both primary and secondary—administration as principal, pastoral work in parish, leadership of the congregation as sister guardian and federation president and spiritual director,” Sr Sue told those gathered on St Valentine’s Day.
“In all these roles, Marg gave of herself totally and unconditionally. I wonder what it was that motivated her?
“I suggest we look at the gift for charism to which Margaret was attracted. The Josephite way of being is one of simplicity, hospitality and solidarity with the people to whom she was ministering.
“This is the lens through which she lives the gospel. She has modelled for us what it means to live with a Josephite heart, one that is compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others.
“The source of her energy for mission and ministry has been her spirituality which has emerged from her persevering, constant and consistent prayer life.”
Launceston Parish assistant priest Fr Vinco Muriyadan, who concelebrated Mass with Parish Priest Fr Shammi Perera, said it was a day of great joy.
“The way she offers her life for society—for the people in Tasmania and especially Launceston—is a marvellous gift,” he said.
“We are here to remember that, to honour that and to thank God for the gift of Margaret.”
Sr Margaret was born in Launceston, the second eldest of five children of Edgar and Sarah Cousins.
She was educated at St Thomas More’s School at Newstead.
Inspired by the Sisters of St Joseph there, she went to Hobart to enter the novitiate at New Town on 2 July, 1953. She was professed on 4 January, 1956, as Sr M Campion. Her final profession was on 4 January, 1962.
Sr Margaret taught at Sacred Heart School Ulverstone, Our Lady of Lourdes School Devonport and St Thomas More’s at Newstead. She was the Tasmanian congregational leader for ten years, served as a pastoral associate at Devonport and later ministered in spiritual direction and pastoral care while living at the Emmanuel Centre in Newstead, before moving to a Launceston retirement village.
Sr Margaret said she wanted her 70th anniversary celebrations at the Church of the Apostles as she had been baptised and confirmed there and her extended family had many connections with the church.
As well-wishers, including former students, flocked to congratulate her after the Mass, Sr Margaret said that she derived great joy from being part of the community of the Sisters of St Joseph and took inspiration from the order’s founders, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods.
“I was always very happy with what I was doing, whether that was teaching or pastoral work,” she said
“I also travelled to Papua New Guinea, helping out our Sisters there, and then later I was asked to do a sabbatical in the Holy Land and I lived in Jerusalem on the street where Jesus started on the trek to Calvary.
“I was there for four months. We climbed Mt Sinai in Egypt. It was a wonderful experience.”
Sr Margaret said that in recent years, Sr Carmel Jones had been a marvellous support to her in daily life.
Sr Sue, who presented Sr Margaret with an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Leo, added:
“The Sisters of St Joseph are proud to call you our Sister.
“We thank you for your generosity, your kindness and compassion, and above all, your modelling for us the Josephite way of life.
“Enjoy today in the company of so many of your family, friends and Sisters. And may you enjoy deep peace, hope and lots of love as the future unfolds.”