Sr Christina Zammit mfic

20 MAY 2017 | GENERAL INTEREST

Sr Christina Zammit mfic died on Easter Monday, 17th April, 2017 less than a week from her 73rd birthday. Christina was a deeply spiritual person, a dedicated pastoral minister, an engaged community member, and very much an individual.

Christina taught in schools in Bardon, Silkwood, Coorparoo, Kedron, Coolangatta and Kingston. She served for a time in our novitiate in PNG. Her last ministries were centred in St Joseph’s Bardon which is now in Jubilee Parish. Christina was involved in the charismatic renewal based at Bardon for many decades, and her pastoral work among the parishioners and families of the school was carried out in her own quiet way. Among the recipients of her care were the refugee Sudanese families of the school whom supported and helped to learn English.

Christina left Bardon to return to Kedron where she formed community two sisters from Iraq while they were studying at Australian Catholic University. Christina also supported the elderly Sisters at Kedron in a wide variety of ways, ferrying them to appointments and assisting them with a variety of tasks. She remained at Kedron until her death earlier this year. However, she continued her ministry to the St Joseph’s school and parish until she was no longer able to drive. She often told the Sisters that her car was her office, and she relished the freedom and opportunity her own car provided.

When she received the diagnosis of advanced lymphoma Christina accepted it and responded to it with grace and patience. Christina was a woman of deep faith and she trusted in God’s providence in all seasons. She knew that her life was not to be a long one, yet she continued to reach out to others in comfort and prayer for as long as was possible.

Christina was born in Northern Queensland in the shadow of the shadow of her mountain Bartle Frere. She often spoke of this time in her life as well as of Moruya, the home of her mother’s people, and the seaside of NSW where she holidayed with her family in the off season. From these experiences she found and valued a freedom which was to characterise her life.

Her family was of great importance to her. Her brothers Eugene and Sam and her sister Paulette journeyed with Christina throughout her life, and they were with her in the weeks and days prior to her death. She loved and was loved by them.

The Christina we knew and loved was a woman of great inner strength and spirituality shown particularly in the way that, after the initial shock of her diagnosis, she accepted her illness. She was a free woman who followed her heart unconstrained by convention.

Rest in peace Christina. Adapted from the eulogy given by Sr Josephine Rush mfic