BY JUDE HENNESSY It was with deep sadness that we learnt, across the Diocese, of the passing of Sr Martina Sarkis RSJ on Saturday 27 September 2025, a muchloved Sister of St Joseph, and former CCD Diocesan Coordinator for our Diocese, who entered eternal life after a short illness. Sr Martina’s faith in Christ shone brightly throughout her life and ministry. She served with generosity and love, inspiring all who knew her by her prayerfulness, dedication, and gentle spirit. Her years of service within the Diocese of Wollongong, particularly as CCD Coordinator during the 1990s, touched countless lives, and her legacy of faith will continue to bear fruit. At the funeral Mass on 3 October 2025, held at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Rosemeadow, her brother Fr Chris Sarkis along with members of the Josephite community, lovingly remembered Sr Martina as being dedicated to ensuring that the love she had for Jesus was boldly and generously shared, especially through her efforts in making Jesus known and loved as a catechist in state schools and parish sacramental programs. In 2012, Sr Martina was appropriately honoured by the Catholic Conference of Religious Education in State Schools (CCRESS) for her significant contribution in the 1990s to the establishment and development of agreed training programs used across NSW dioceses, equipping catechists in this ministry. The legacy of these developments has been a growing robustness in formation and resourcing for catechists ever since. Sr. Martina dedicated her life to ensuring that the love she had for Jesus was boldly and generously shared. Speaking on behalf of twenty special guests who were awarded with medallions for their contribution to the leadership of the ministry, Sr Martina noted that while she was honoured to receive the award, she regarded herself as doing so on behalf of all Catechists. Powerfully, she encouraged us all present, emphasising how as a Sister of St. Joseph, she was absolutely certain that the work of SRE teachers in State Schools would continue to be dear to the heart of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – seeing a need and doing something about it! I was blessed to be able to visit Sr Martina just two days before her passing. It was a privileged moment that I got to share with some of her family and fellow Josephites. Her faith was expectant, and she was truly looking forward to meeting Jesus in the heavenly banquet. In travelling to see her, I recalled the many times over my now fifteen years in this CCD ministry in the Diocese, where I had encountered her at daily Masses, at diocesan events, at CCD celebrations and the like. Whenever she spoke with me, it was as if she regarded me as the most SR MARTINA SARKIS RS J witness A life of powerful 10 | CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE • CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF WOLLONGONG
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