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Summer 2003

Nuns

Varroville Carmel

From the vantage point of completing fifty years of Profession in Carmel last Easter, 2002, I look back with both amazement and gratitude to Our Lord that I should have reached this point. It was tempting sometimes in earlier years when the going was tough and life was much more austere than it is today, to have walked away and sought an easier path, but somehow I could not do so and felt I would regret it. How glad I am today that the Lord held onto me, though I was not conscious that he did so!
What brought me to religious life and to Carmel specifically? As far as I can see, the influence came from my brother, who after World War 2 joined a religious order. As he was sorting out his own future, he started going to daily Mass and I started tagging along with him. This attendance at daily Mass and Communion began building a relationship with Jesus and a habit of prayer. At that time I would not have been able to articulate this nor would I have known anything of Teresa's definition of prayer as friendship and relationship with Our Lord, but somehow the Lord works in our lives without our realizing it.
Why Carmel? It seemed to be the only option for some reason or another. My second name in Baptism is Thérèse and devotion to her was strong in both my parents. About this time I am speaking of, when I was 18 years of age, I read The Story of a Soul and Thérèse and her example were an powerful inspiration. She can certainly lead us on in our journey to seek the Lord and develop our own relationship with him with the help of his grace. I believe that Thérèse has been a significant influence in the vocation of many a Carmelite Nun and probably Friar also. It was before her relics when Thérèse was at our Carmel at Easter 2002 that I renewed my vows on the fiftieth anniversary of my Profession.
Joan, Varroville Carmel.

Sister Joseph Mary (RIP) – a vignette.

Joseph Mary was born 3rd December 1920; entered Nedlands Carmel, 8th December 1937; professed 8th December 1939 and died 27th December 2002.

When a sister of our community dies, we have the custom of gathering together to share our memories of her. We like to arrange a table of mementos of her life as the centrepiece of the room. We did this recently for Sister Joseph Mary, who, I am sure you know, had Parkinson’s disease and who has been in nursing care at Gertrude Abbott Nursing Home since 1999.
In our sharing, while we smiled about a few of her foibles, we also remembered some of the more serious aspects of Sister’s life. I had helped her at night-time in the days when she was still able to look after herself for the most part. One night she confided to me that she feared the future as it was so uncertain and her disease caused her to be concerned. I sympathised with her as I realised it was not easy. Other sisters remarked how Sister never complained and when we thought of the many things that had happened to her — she broke her hip and because she had many falls it was put out and to do it again with the state of her bones was difficult. Again it was observed that she did not complain. She had to go to rehabilitation and I was one who visited her there. It was so different from our sheltered life and I almost felt shocked to see Sister there. When we spoke to her, as she was sitting on a veranda with the other patients I almost expected to hear her ask us to take her out of there. No such thing happened. She did not make any comment about the patients or conditions. Again, when she had to go to nursing care as we were not able to manage it ourselves, she did not complain although she felt the wrench very much. When we visited her at the nursing home she made no complaint although she found it hard to settle into such a different kind of life. After some time she did begin to take part in activities and to enjoy them. But there had never been any complaint.
As this truth came home to us we saw the real Sister Joseph Mary who had lived her life of prayer for so many years and acquired virtues that went unnoticed until Our Lord chose to bring them to light.
Patricia, Varroville Carmel.

Summer 2003 edition

Reflections of the Regional Vicar

This little reflection shares with you some experiences of my new role as vicar.
Read this article by Aloysius Rego.

Friars

The Carmelite Friars have three houses in the Australian Region.
Box Hill - Morley - Varroville (Retreat Centre & Parish)

Nuns

Read personal sharings, community profiles, general information, jubilee news, and lots more for the following Carmelite communities of nuns:
Bomana Carmel
Launceston Carmel
Christchurch Carmel
Goonellabah (Lismore) Carmel
Ormiston Carmel
Nedlands Carmel
Varroville Carmel

Other Sections

The Southern Cross Association
The Young Carmelite Group
Welcome to Aspirations

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