Born: 14 June 1927

 First Profession: 28 April 1950

 Death: 12 January 2025

 

 

We give thanks for Sister Julienne, a valiant woman who gave her life in service of God’s needy ones, who gave herself completely to what was asked of her, but who never took no for an answer.

 

Julienne Santos was born on 14 June 1927 in Tongatapu to Jokim Santos (born in the Cape Verde Islands of Portuguese nationality) and Mele Ikahihifo Young of Tongatapu who were blessed with fourteen children. Sister Julienne was the eleventh child of this loving family. The family lived in Fatai on Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga. Her youngest sister, Theresa Rose who spent some years as a SMSM, is the only surviving sibling. 

 

Sister Julienne received her initial schooling in Nuku’alofa when the Marist sisters were still there. She began her postulancy in Ma’ufanga, Tonga on 28 April 1947, and entered the Novitiate a year later taking the name of Sister Malia Pelenato (Bernard). Her first Profession took place on 28 April 1950 at Ma’ufanga.

 

After profession Sister Julienne was sent to teach at various places throughout Tonga: Lapaha, NiuaToputapu, Ma’ufanga, Vava’u, Ha’apai. In 1962 she went to Wahroonga, Australia where she worked at the Altarbreads and no doubt improved her English in preparation for study at Loreto Hall Teachers’ Training College in Auckland from 1964-66. After graduation she continued teaching in Nuku’alofa and ‘Eua.

 

As the Tongan government was committed to universal education for all primary children and the Diocese could not afford to pay just wages to the teachers in Catholic schools, the decision was taken to close primary schools and to offer the school buildings for government use. The focus for Catholic education could then be on secondary schools. To provide the faith formation for the children, emphasis was placed on catechetical work, particularly in the preparation of adults to teach Christian living.

 

In mid-1971 Sister Julienne joined a group sent for catechetical training by Bishop Finau to the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila, Philippines. There Sister Julienne also gained an interest in media work, especially newspaper and radio and gained further diplomas to add to her resources for mission.

 

On return in 1972, as a member of the Education for Christian Living (ECL) team, with other team members, she visited the Catholic families in each parish in order to find out the real needs and difficulties of the people. They commenced with a village Eucharistic celebration before giving a series of twelve evening talks over a period of two months. 

 

Besides this, Sister Julienne was involved with a group in establishing and preparing the Catholic Radio Hour weekly on the Government radio station A3Z. The team organised interviews, topics for discussion, items of interest, news and suitable devotional music with Sister Julienne closing each session with a five-minute reflection. Along with the radio project, Sister Julienne was asked to work with a group to resurrect the Catholic Newspaper, Taumu’a Lelei which had been out of circulation for several decades.

 

Sister Julienne was seconded for a short-term mission assignment in Jamaica in 1976 and 1977, where she was involved in both teaching and pastoral visitation in the poorer mountain areas of Seaford Town. Along with her SMSM companion she began conducting Communion Services and funerals for the people in two of the parishes because of a shortage of priests. As a member of the bishop’s adult education team, Sister Julienne worked with a priest and a lay person giving talks and lessons around the diocese. This was extremely challenging work but she loved her time there very much.

 

Returning to Tonga, Sister Julienne continued her ministry working on a Religious Education course for secondary schools in 1980. In 1982 she had the opportunity to attend the National Pastoral Institute in Melbourne, Australia. It was a defining moment for her, resulting in the achievement in 1988 of her dream to be missioned to work with the Aboriginal People of Australia. 

 

Initially Sister Julienne prepared by visiting the mission in Bathurst Island and then worked with the FMM sisters in Palm Island and later in Mt Isa. She was involved in literacy programmes and with programmes for those addicted to alcohol and the street children. Encouragement was given to the adults to teach their children about country and how to hunt and survive in the bush and in the sea, to learn about native plants and medicinal plants. Sister Julienne was invited to their little feasts especially when a snake was caught describing the taste of snake as a little like eating fishy chicken. She wrote about her work: The work with the Aboriginal peoples is my number one priority because they are the poorest of the poor (in an affluent country)… They share their total poverty with you as a sacred trust … but the point is that these people are timeless like their culture. They can bring themselves to accept you and open their hearts to you only if you are willing to spend time and even waste time with them. 

 

Mt Isa was a long way from Sydney so in 1990 Sister Julienne transferred back to Sydney to work with Aboriginal people in a more suburban environment. At this time too she had the opportunity to take part in a Senior Sisters Renewal in Rome and France and for that opportunity she was most grateful. Sister Julienne joined the Pastoral Care Team at Mt Druitt Hospital in 1997 and made it a special mission to be with those dying with no one with them and for Aboriginal patients. This time at the hospital was one of her happiest and most fulfilling ministries and she continued working there until 2014 when her health began to deteriorate. When Sister Julienne was admitted to Palliative Care in Mt Druitt Hospital on 31 December 2024 many of the staff still remembered her with affection. 

 

Sister Julienne, although a small person, was a force to be reckoned with and when she was determined to do something, she let no person, nor anything stop her from achieving her goal. In these latter years as her health declined, she spent more and more time in her ‘prayer corner’ at her unit at Southern Cross, Plumpton. The death of her brother Vincent was a great sorrow and she looked forward to when they would meet again…

 

Sister Julienne had prepared well for her long-awaited day of death. By 2018 she had already written her own Eulogy and her funeral Mass was ready to be printed.

 

Sister Julienne, you have fought the good fight and you have won the race. May you rest now in the loving embrace of the One who called you to be Missionary, Marist, Religious.

 

Among other peoples and in our own country,

in respect and dialogue

we try to be bonds of communion

between peoples, races, and cultures,

and witnesses to universal love.     

        (SMSM Constitutions, Art. 22)

 

Srs Janice Ruff and Margaret Ryan smsm