Calvary to acquire Mary MacKillop residential aged and disability care in South Australia
4th May 2017
Above L-R: Sr Louise Reeves, John Watkins AM and Sr Monica Cavanagh sign the agreement transferring the MMC Ministry to Calvary
Little Company of Mary (Calvary), Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites) and Mary MacKillop Care SA (MMC) are pleased to announce that Calvary will acquire MMC in South Australia.
Calvary and the Josephites have signed an Agreement under which the MMC ministry will transfer to Calvary, and Calvary will assume responsibility for the operation of MMC facilities in Adelaide and Berri.
This will ensure that the high quality care that has come to characterise MMC facilities over many years of operation will continue to be provided to residents into the future under Calvary’s experienced management.
The work of MMC is one of the many works of SOSJ founded by St Mary of the Cross MacKillop in 1866. The values dear to the heart of Mary MacKillop and her sisters are shared equally with those of the Little Company of Mary and Calvary ministries. These organisations share common beliefs and an intrinsically linked purpose in:
- Assisting the most marginalized and vulnerable
- A commitment to rural and regional communities.
Calvary is a charitable Catholic organisation with over 12,000 staff and volunteers, 15 public and private hospitals, 15 retirement and Aged Care facilities, and 22 Community Care Centres operated across six states and territories within Australia.
Calvary continues the mission of the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary who first arrived in Sydney in 1886 from Nottingham to undertake social work where it was most needed. The Sisters have been a presence in South Australia since 1900 when they opened Calvary Hospital in North Adelaide. Calvary operates four hospitals in Adelaide today and has a significant Calvary Community Care presence in South Australia.
Calvary will approach this new relationship in a respectful and inclusive way to continue the Catholic ministry of aged care in South Australia. Within the church community, this acquisition is understood as a transfer of ministry.
“The future projects of MMC are fully supported by Calvary. We will continue their momentum towards providing culturally specific offerings for older people of Vietnamese ancestry at Flora MacDonald Lodge, Community and Disability Care services and the Redevelopment plans for the new St Catherine’s in Berri,” said Mr Bryan Mc Loughlin, National Director for Calvary Retirement Communities.
Mr McLoughlin said “Calvary has four private hospitals and a staff of community care workers in South Australia, so for Calvary strategically this allows us to deliver on our mission and purposes to offer our residents, clients and patients’ wider healthcare services within the region. We look forward to integrating MMC staff with our own and to the contribution they will make to Calvary’s work.”
Commenting on the sale and transfer agreement, Sister Margaret Cleary, Regional Leader of St Mary MacKillop’s Josephite Sisters, said “It was not an easy decision for MMC to transfer management of our ministry in South Australia but it is the right one for our residents and staff.
“Over recent years, residential aged and disability care has become an increasingly complex undertaking. As a larger operator Calvary has the financial resources, specialist expertise and scale to ensure continuing, high- quality care is provided to our residents on a sustainable basis well into the future. Our residents and employees will be in highly capable hands once the transfer takes effect,” Sr Margaret said.
The solid foundation of a shared approach to mission and values with MMC is the key to a successful future along with Calvary’s ability to provide the best possible healthcare services in Adelaide and Berri SA.
