Bonum Commune Award for Sr Brigid Rose Tiernan SND
By Mark Potterton – Sr Brigid Rose Tiernan SND de Namur has been honoured with the Bonum Commune Award, the highest distinction St Augustine College (University) can bestow. This award celebrates her remarkable and lifelong contribution to the common good, her dedication to justice, and her tireless work in transforming Catholic education in Southern Africa. Her impact extends across several decades of leadership, social advocacy, and scholarly achievement, all of which have left a lasting imprint on society and the Church.
Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to a Rhodesian father and an Australian mother, Sr Brigid Rose grew up in Zambia before completing her secondary education as a boarder with the Sisters of Notre Dame (SND) in Kroonstad, South Africa. She later earned a BA in History from Rhodes University before joining the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1963. Her novitiate training took place in England, after which she returned to South Africa in 1967, where she devoted her life to teaching, social justice, and educational leadership.
In her early years as an SND sister, Sr Brigid Rose taught high school for over a decade. Her commitment to education was deeply shaped by St Julie Billiart’s pedagogy, which became a guiding light throughout her career. However, in 1971, the Notre Dame schools in South Africa were forced to close due to their bold Mission Statement opposing apartheid. This experience was a painful one for Sr Brigid Rose, and it marked a turning point in her vocation.
Following the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Statement of Commitment to the transformation of South Africa, Sr Brigid Rose shifted from teaching to advocacy work. For nine years, she worked with the Justice and Peace Commission, serving both in the Archdiocese of Cape Town and for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Pretoria. These were challenging times during apartheid, and Sr Brigid Rose’s formation was deeply influenced by the call for social justice that her congregation’s sociologist, Marie Augusta Neal, championed.
Her journey as an advocate for justice continued in adult education, where she played a significant role in the Christian Education and Leadership Training movement in the Western Cape. Through her work with adults from various Christian backgrounds, Sr Brigid Rose embraced a more inclusive, ecumenical approach, believing that narrow views of faith betrayed Jesus’ teaching and mission. She was particularly influenced by the 1971 Synod’s declaration that action on behalf of justice is a constitutive part of evangelisation. Her experiences in marginalised communities—such as her time spent with tent dwellers in Crossroads and her work in the Langa Magistrate’s Court—deepened her commitment to empowering the oppressed.
In 1986, Sr Brigid Rose embarked on a sabbatical that broadened her horizons. She spent time in Jerusalem studying scripture and later joined the Columban Fathers’ Faith and Justice Programme in Ireland. These experiences enriched her spiritual and professional life, offering new perspectives as she continued her work in South Africa.
When she returned, she took up a leadership role in the newly formed Catholic Institute of Education (CIE). For the next 13 years, Sr Brigid Rose led the CIE through the closing years of apartheid and the early years of South Africa’s democracy. Her participatory leadership style, deeply rooted in the SND tradition, involved collaboration with both lay and religious colleagues, as well as international support networks. Sr Brigid Rose travelled extensively across the country, visiting Catholic school communities in some of the most remote areas, helping to reshape the Catholic education system during this critical time.
Her leadership was not confined to education. Over the years, Sr Brigid Rose has held various positions within her congregation, including serving on the Executive of the Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life (Southern Africa). Her understanding of leadership as a form of service, rather than a pursuit of status, challenged conventional hierarchical norms, especially within the context of African cultures. Her belief in counter-cultural living, inspired by her congregation’s founders and the legacy of the French Revolution, has been a guiding principle in her life.
Sr Brigid Rose’s contributions extend beyond leadership and advocacy; she is also a historian and a dedicated archivist for her congregation. In 2004, she edited The Empandeni Journal, an early diary of the first SNDs to arrive in Southern Africa, and has since published several historical works, including Journey under the Southern Cross. This book, widely regarded as her seminal work, provides an in-depth exploration of the lives of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Southern Africa from 1975 to 2001. Her writing not only chronicles the evolution of religious life but also offers a valuable feminist perspective on the history of the Church in Southern Africa. By weaving together archival materials, interviews, and personal reflections, Sr Brigid Rose paints a vivid picture of the congregation’s role in addressing social injustices during turbulent times.
Her historical work highlights the importance of women in the Church and serves as an inspiration to new generations of sisters. Her documentation of the Notre Dame congregation’s journey in Zimbabwe and Botswana, as well as the broader context of Catholic education in South Africa, adds a critical chapter to the region’s religious and social history.
Now residing in Johannesburg, Sr Brigid Rose continues to serve her community in various capacities, including managing the archives of her congregation and remaining active in the two Notre Dame schools in Kroonstad. Her commitment to education, justice, and the transformation of society through faith continues to shape her work and inspire those around her.
Sr Brigid Rose Tiernan exemplifies the values of the Bonum Commune Award. Her lifelong dedication to education, her fearless pursuit of justice, and her leadership within the Church and beyond have made a profound and lasting impact on society. Through her scholarship, advocacy, and ministry, she has embodied the spirit of service, working tirelessly for the common good and leaving a legacy that will inspire future generations.
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