How It All Began

The story of the Australian branch of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary began long before any Sister set foot on Australian soil.

In 1963, during a visit to Mount Sinai, God laid a clear burden on the heart of Mother Basilea Schlink. Standing at the place where God had given His commandments to Israel and to the world, she sensed the grief of the Father as those commandments were being increasingly disregarded among the nations. In response, she felt called to intercede — and to send her spiritual daughters into the world to establish new branches, casting out once again what she described as the “golden lifelines of Mount Sinai”: God’s commandments, lived out in love.

At that time, Mother Basilea prayed specifically for a future branch in Australia — even though there was no visible sign such a branch would ever exist. Few Sisters knew anything about Australia, and hardly anyone here had heard of the Sisterhood. Yet the seed was sown in prayer.

A Seed Takes Root

In the late 1960s, a young Australian theology student, read an article about the Sisterhood in a Christian magazine, along with a newly published book by Mother Basilea, And None Would Believe It. Both deeply moved him and stirred a longing to know more about the life, faith, and message of the Sisters.

In 1970, through a series of remarkable circumstances, he and his wife travelled to Germany to attend a ten-day retreat at Canaan. There, they encountered a tangible sense of God’s presence. Everything spoke of His goodness. They knew they had found something precious.

Before returning to Australia, they were invited to become Canaan Friends and to support the ministry locally. Their “small” beginning involved caring for a mailing list of just 127 people across Australia and New Zealand and sharing Canaan’s audio-visual resources. God, however, had much more in mind.

God Opens the Way

In 1974, Sister Pista visited Australia to launch the film God Lives and Works Today. Interest in the Sisterhood grew rapidly. Churches and groups began to invite presentations, and visits to Canaan in Germany followed. Through preaching, testimony, and faithful behind-the-scenes service, many helped spread the message — often unseen yet deeply valued by God.

Requests for a permanent Canaan centre in Australia soon followed. In 1979, Mother Basilea received a clear inner assurance: the time had come. Australia would not only host a branch but serve as a gateway for ministry into New Zealand, South-East Asia, the Pacific Islands, and beyond.

The Australian Branch Is Born

Later that year, Sister Josepha arrived in Australia to begin the legal process of establishing the Sisterhood. On 5 September 1979, the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary Ltd. was officially incorporated.

Even before the first Sisters arrived, God was already preparing a home. Through an unmistakable prompting, accommodation was found — spacious, surrounded by gardens, and perfectly suited for the community that was about to come. Faith moved ahead before confirmation arrived. Beds were made, cupboards filled, and the house quietly prepared.

On 14 November 1979, the first three Sisters designated for Australia stepped onto Australian soil. The Scriptures received in prayer for this new beginning captured God’s promise and purpose:

“My presence will go with you.” (Exodus 33:14)
“You will be my witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.” (Acts 22:15)

And so began the Sisters’ Australian journey — a story marked by obedience, faith, prayer, and the quiet faithfulness of many.

You can read more on our history in the book Realities -"Down Under"