Introduction
Sophia was established in 1991 by the Dominican Sisters of Holy Cross Congregation, South Australia.
Sophia is an ecumenical feminist spirituality centre and was named Sophia to honour the female personification of the Divine. Sophia is situated in a specially designed terracotta spiralling single storey building, in Cumberland Park, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
Sophia stands on Kaurna land, to which we have been welcomed by Kaurna elders.
Sophia is staffed by volunteers: a Coordinating Team of three women, more than ten other volunteers and women who teach courses, facilitate activities and offer counselling services.
Sophia is a circle of women, not an institution.
Sophia is committed to honouring diversity and the women who come to Sophia are from a range of backgrounds. Older women, young women, Indigenous women and women from non-English speaking backgrounds are part of the Sophia community and children come with their families. Some courses are open to men and women and some are offered for women only.
While some women are church members, others no longer go to church and some do not name Christianity as their heritage. Whatever their backgrounds all of these women are committed to nurturing their spirituality and working constructively to create a better world. It is here that they share their concerns, develop friendships, contribute their time to voluntary work, work for justice, participate in study and interest groups and meditate and celebrate together.
Sophia began with the intention that it would unfold from the experience of the women who came. Their wisdom, experience and needs continue to create the community and shape the life at Sophia.
A cursory study of the Sophia programme shows our understanding of spirituality as that which embraces the whole of our humanity and touches every aspect of our lives.