Custodian of Church’s history retires

07 Feb 2013

By Robert Hiini

Sr Frances Stibi PBVM says it has been a joyful role, but now is the right time to go.

Her name is almost synonymous with the history of the Church and its conservation but, after 20 years preserving the unique heritage of the Archdiocese of Perth, Sr Frances Stibi PBVM is retiring.

Perth’s archivist completed her final day in the role on Tuesday, January 29, having been appointed to the position by the then-Archbishop of Perth Barry Hickey in 1993.

Speaking to The Record earlier this week, Sr Frances said it had been an honour to keep the history of the Church in Western Australia but that now was the right time to retire.

“I’ve been doing it for a very long time. I turned 75 last week and I was beginning to feel a little bit tired but it has been great,” Sr Frances said. “It has been very rewarding and I’ve met many interesting people. I feel proud of what I have done and I have no regrets.”

She has met thousands of people in that time – from individuals trying to trace their family trees to historians trying to make sense of dense amounts of information for their books.

She has also spearheaded the conserving of precious artefacts associated with the history of the Archdiocese of Perth. Sr Frances said she always felt a tinge of excitement when archdiocesan archives were acknowledged by authors, knowing that she had been able to help someone.

“I have also looked on the role as being about pastoral care too, listening to people and their stories and helping people find out what they needed to know,” Sr Frances said.

Sr Frances joined the Presentation Sisters in 1989 after her children had reached adulthood, her husband having died 20 years prior.

As the Presentation Sisters are a teaching order, she had expected to continue in that vein but was encouraged by her superiors to develop other skills, leading to her volunteering at the Archdiocesan archives in 1991.

Archbishop Hickey sought the permission of the Presentation Order to appoint Sr Frances to the position of chief archivist after the previous archivist, Fr D F Bourke CM, author of The History of the Catholic Church in Western Australia, died suddenly in 1993.

Sr Frances said the future of archiving was an exciting one, with new challenges.

“I’ve always said, somebody younger is [best placed] to carry it on from there. I’m looking forward to reading about things that will be done in that area.

“You always have to be looking at the best way of doing things.”

The archives’ volunteers, some of whom had been working with Sr Frances for up to 17 years, were the people who inspired her the most, Sr Frances said.

“The archdiocesan archives wouldn’t be the very good place it is now without their faithful help,” Sister Frances said.

“They’ve inspired me probably more than anybody; their commitment and their interest.”