Trish looks out for her sisters

Trish Boswell has the job of her dreams.

Not that she was unhappy during 20 years at Wanganui's Pacific Helmets, where she ended up as office manager. She wasn't looking for another job and never thought she would leave manufacturing.

But when she saw the Sisters of St Joseph needed a full-time business and finance manager she applied for the job, got it, and started after a powhiri in July.

Mrs Boswell has had a long association with the sisters, through St Marcellin School and then Sacred Heart College, and she was a member of the Josephite Associates group. She knew many of the sisters, and their complex in Hillside Tce.

Now there are 36 Sisters of St Joseph, with the oldest, Sr Justin, 99 years old. The youngest is 57.

Four sisters are in Nazareth Rest Home, seven in Quinlan Court, one at Kaiwhaiki and others scattered throughout Wanganui and the North Island.

All their money is shared and in one bank account. Mrs Boswell wouldn't say how much there was, but what with property and financial investments it was a large portfolio, on a par with Pacific Helmets.

All the investments are ethical - no gambling or destroying the environment.

Mrs Boswell has 18 North Island properties to maintain, and 29 vehicles. Her office is at Mount St Joseph, where three of the sisters live and where they host workshops and seminars at the Josephite Retreat Centre, run by Adrienne Smith.

The sisters were traditionally a teaching order but later moved out into the community with jobs such as counsellor, prison chaplain and massage therapist. Most have now retired.

Their mission is fullness of life for the earth and its people. They are governed by a Congregation Trust Board that meets monthly and includes lay people, and they also elect a team of four co-ordinators for terms of four years.

The order owns the Nazareth Rest Home and Quinlan Court, each of which has its own manager, handles its own finances and has directors from the Congregation Trust Board.

The sisters' other enterprises in Wanganui include the Josophia craft shop in Guyton St, a set of archives in a special building and a wetland project on their own land.

Mrs Boswell said she had a varied work day. It could go from high-level research on financial investment to picking up a sister and taking her into town to buy a microwave oven.

"The basic business principles are the same, but I have had to learn about shares, bonds and term deposits, with the help of investment groups and local financial advisers and banking experts."

Her office is a large room at Mt St Joseph. Congregational secretary and financial administrator Karen Erueti assists her.

She said she loved going to work every day.

"The Mount St Joseph administration has a very homely and family atmosphere.

"I'm exploring my faith too, and that's fantastic."