Sr Mary Anna Beard, OP, leaves for new pastures on Saturday, reported the Otago Daily Times.

"There is a sadness in our presence not being here, but the people will carry this charism on," Sr Mary Anna said.

"That's the way God works through communities. Our spirit will be carried on through the lives of these people."

Twelve members of the Dominican order attended Mass at St Patrick's in Arrowtown on April 3.

This was followed by a luncheon at the town's bowling club.

"I looked at the children at the service this morning and thought ‘Who's educating who?"' Sr Mary Anna said.

"They are so lovely, local kids whose parents want their faith nurtured.

"They might step away from it, then perhaps come back, who knows? But you plant the seeds. That's what's important."

Sr Mary Anna, originally from Invercargill, has lived in the resort for 10 years, living in Arrowtown, after serving in Asia.

"I simply devoured this place; the scenery, the people, just God's presence here."

Sr Mary Anna said she had not yet been told where her next posting would be.

"A neighbour said to me: ‘Isn't there a certain age where you don't have to move around?'

"But I said life is not about that. It is important to live fully, rather than think, now I'm 75 I better just sit down and start knitting."

St Joseph's Primary School principal Trisch Inder said Sr Mary Anna would be greatly missed.

"Her attitude about change is amazing.

"She says there's a reason for it and God knows what he's doing. We're all really sad that she's leaving, but it's part of her journey, too."

Sources

• Otago Daily Times
• Image: Waymarking.com

The papers, which were released under the terms of a $660 million settlement agreement reached in 2007, pertain to a dozen priests, brothers and nuns accused of sexual misconduct in the landmark 2007 settlement.

An additional 45 religious orders will release the personnel files of their accused clergy by this fall, reports said.

News reports added that the 1,700 pages of documents differ markedly from those disclosed in January by the Los Angeles Archdiocese to comply with the terms of its settlement with all victims.

The archdiocese handed over materials reflecting Cardinal Roger M. Mahony's meticulous record-keeping of molestation claims and treatment of accused offenders.

Although the archdiocese took the lead in the litigation of sex abuse cases, about half of the alleged perpetrators belonged to religious orders, such as the Jesuits, Salesians and Vincentians, and answered to those orders rather than the local archbishop.

The papers released this week cover the Marianists, the Benedictines, the Oblates and two orders of nuns.

The fact that the files don't reflect the misconduct alleged in civil lawsuits doesn't mean it didn't happen, said attorney Ray Boucher, counsel of the victims who posted the documents on his firm's website.

"Much of this went unreported," he said. "You're talking about kids that were terrorized and frightened in so many different ways, with no place and no one to turn to."

Sources

LA Times

AP/The Eagle

Daily News

Image:Vedict Justia