Sister Christine Henry offers a listening ear and practical assistance to rural families recovering from natural disasters
Story By Heather Grant
Down the track she comes, mud clinging to the four-wheel-drive undercarriage, tooting the horn in a cooee. A blue heeler comes out from the shade to investigate the new arrival who, once parked, proceeds to remove a bag of pantry items and another of toiletries, calling out: “Hoo-oooo, it’s me: Sister Christine.”
A door opens and a woman emerges, arms open for a hug. It’s like an old mates’ reunion but this is Downs & West Community Support (DWCS) pastoral care in action, supporting farming families facing yet another natural disaster.
The visitor is Sr Christine Henry, a nun from the Sisters of Charity congregation and coordinator of DWCS. ‘Coordinator’ is a grandiose title: organisationally, she is ‘it’, relying on a network of volunteers in the state’s rural south-west to relay information about families in dire need.
This story excerpt is from Issue #92
Outback Magazine: Dec/Jan 2014
