Many times over the past few years the East Timor Students Association has met at the Carmelite Priory in Middle Park. This time it was to hold the annual elections for President and Vice President.

A total of 24 ETSA members, including our own Carmelite students, cast their votes and elected Elsa Pinto as President and Angela Tavares de Jesus as vice president of ETSA.

The handover of documents and reports from the former officers marked a new journey for ETSA under the new chairpersons.

Our great Lenten journey has begun! It’s a journey which begins in ash and ends in light. Fire is a profound part of our national experience. We know its power to destroy, blacken and reduce to ash. We know that evil can do the same - destroy our wholeness of spirit, blacken our lives and others’ and reduce the beauty of human life to so much ash.

We began Lent in the ash of acknowledging our own part in harbouring, creating and doing evil - those places in us where the fire of anger, bitterness, selfishness or narrowness of mind and heart has left nothing but smouldering ash.

On Ash Wednesday we begin our journey to the great feast of Easter.

Wearing ashes symbolises our desire for conversion, to turn again towards God. Repentance (conversion) is not so much about being sorry for individual sins. It is about changing the direction of our hearts – away from all that limits God’s love and action in us. Conversion is about opening ourselves to a fresh experience of God’s healing love which makes us whole and restores us to our rightful place as beloved daughters and sons in the Kingdom of God. It’s about moving back into right relationship with God and neighbour.

You can download reflections for each day of Lent drawn from the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Based on the see, judge, act method each day features a short observation about one of the goals, the scripture readings for that day and a call to do some concrete action which will help make the goal a reality in our own local situations.

  pdf Download the reflections

This Lent, reflect on and transform your relationship to God’s creation through simple daily gestures and commitments. Take this time as an opportunity to live more wisely, think more deeply and love more generously. “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” (Pope Francis). The Calendar is made available by Catholic Religious Australia.

pdf Download the Calendar

This month's issue of the JPIC newsletter highlights the tragedy of global human trafficking. Sr Claire Griffin talks about the work of Catholic Religious involved in alleviating suffering and rescuing victims. There's also a video on our JPIC page about the Zimbabwean Carmelite Sisters Agape Leona project helping Human Trafficking survivors in Africa, and the February Pope Video about human trafficking.

pdf JPIC No 84 March 2019

More than 40 Carmelites gathered at Blessed Titus Brandsma community in Fatuhada in Dili to welcome 3 new candidates into the Pre-Novitiate program. They are Manuel Xavier Gonzaga, Moises Soares, and Constantino Barreto Amaral. During the same celebration of Evening Prayer our 6 first year pre-novices were also admitted to the second year of the pre-novitiate program. Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) presided at the celebration and presented a small cross and medal to the pre-novices as a sign of their participation in the program.

The pre-Novices, Carmelites and guests shared food, drink, songs and dancing after the ceremony. See more photos.

Recently all 49 Carmelites in Timor gathered at Hera for a training day about creating a safe and respectful environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults in our communities and ministries.

The day was begun by Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) with a reflection drawn from the Scriptures, and Carmelite and Church documents.

The next two sessions were led by the Forum Tau Matan, a Timorese Safeguarding training group, on child protection awareness training.

The Carmelites’ Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Commission has expressed support for the Urgent Medical Treatment Bill proposed by Dr Kerryn Phelps, MP.

Writing to politicians on behalf of the Commission, Gabrielle Fogarty (Chair) said, “We urge you along with Labour members, the Greens, and Independents to #BackTheBill as proposed by Dr Kerryn Phelps in the Urgent Medical Treatment Bill.”

  pdf Read the letter .

Brs José Natalino Freitas and Anacleto Guterres Da Costa have arrived in Australia to study English and Theology. They have begun their English language studies at the English Language School for Pastoral Ministry at Box Hill, VIC. They are part of the Carmelite community at Middle Park VIC. After completing their language studies they will study Theology at the University of Divinity, Melbourne.

José and Anacleto joined the Carmelites in 2010 and recently completed their Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Timor.

Enjoy the rich variety of retreats, seminars, reading groups and prayer on offer at the Carmelite Centre this year.

Lectio Divina, meditation, mindfulness, Carmelite Conversations, residential and one day retreats are just some of the offerings this year. As well, there are sessions on the spirituality of the Carmelite Rule, St Thérèse of Lisieux, St John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila, Evelyn Underhill, Anthony De Mello - and much more. 

You can pdf download our 2019 program . You can subscribe to the Carmelite Centre Newsletter by visiting the website and adding your email address at the end of the home page.

Over 140,000 people are now part of our Facebook Family! And over 23,000 people in Timor-Leste are now following us. Through our Facebook page people regularly ask us to pray for their needs, view our news and download our publications. We also have over 1,000 followers on Instagram.

Find us on Facebook.com/CarmelitesAET and instagram.com/carmelitesaet and click on ‘follow’ so you can see all our posts in your news feed.

In graduating from his Clinical Pastoral Education course Agedo has now completed all the requirements for his Bachelor of Divinity degree. The graduation ceremony was held at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne where Agedo completed a 3 month Spiritual Care Internship on 31 January this year. Matthew Tonini and David Hofman also attended the graduation ceremony. Agedo says that the CPE was ‘very challenging; I learnt a lot about myself; how to work in a group and how to care for people of different religions and no religion’. Congratulations, Agedo! Click the 'read more' link for photos.

Welcome to 2019 and blessings to you in the many joys and challenges ahead.

IF we are to make our nation into a cohesive and diverse one, we must honour our Aboriginal brothers and sisters as our first nation peoples. IF we are to make a nation rather than a mere economy we have to absorb Indigenous history, learn from Indigenous people, walk in collaboration with them and recognise their rights. We are grateful to Glen Loughrey, Vicar at St Oswald’s Anglican Church, Glen Iris in Melbourne, for this reflection as he shares what it means to be an indigenous man as our nation marks Australia Day on 26 January.

JPIC No 83 February 2019

New Year's Day is also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. It's the most important feast of Mary in the Church's calendar. A week after celebrating the birth of Jesus, we honour Mary as Mother of God and mother of all believers.

We wish you a very happy New Year. May it be filled with an ever deeper awareness of God's presence around us and in us. May Mary accompany us with wisdom and love throughout this new year. May it bring each of us much happiness and great peace.

Brothers Avelino Dos Santos and Agostinho Dos Santos graduated from their English courses on Friday 14 December. Avelino has completed his English studies at the English Language School for Pastoral Ministry, Box Hill (VIC). He will now begin his Bachelor of Theology studies at the University of Divinity. Agostinho will begin his final semester of English for Academic Purposes at ELSPM.

We congratulate both brothers on the successful completion of their English language study. See photos of the Graduation.

Five young Carmelites recently made their first profession of vows as Carmelites. Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) received the vows during mass in Hera, Timor-Leste on 7 December.

Brothers Samuel Lopes, João Batista Caunan, Alipio Godinho, Antonio Junias Da Gloria and Lucas Dos Santos Martins made their vows in the presence of other Carmelites, family and friends.

We warmly congratulate these young brothers and welcome their commitment to the next stage of their Carmelite journey! See photos of the ceremony.

On Monday 10 December Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) formally received Januario Maria Soares, Calisto Pereira Rodrigues, Pedro Rodrigues Ximenes, Aleixo Coli De Deus, Zebedeu de Jesus Vidigal, Donanciano Batistuta da Costa Alin, and Gaudencio do Rosario into the Novitiate at Hera, Timor-Leste. For the past 2 years these young men have been preparing to become novices in our community at Fatuhada in Dili. During the ceremony they received the Carmelite habit and were entrusted to the care of Fr Bruce Clark, Novice Director. We warmly welcome these brothers as they begin the Novitiate – a special year of learning more about the Carmelite journey of transformation. See photos of the ceremony.

Led by Fr Paul Sireh OCarm a group of 30, including 11 new pilgrims, walked the Ninth Annual 45 km pilgrimage in the beautiful Yarra Valley. The pilgrimage, organized by The Carmelite Centre Melbourne, took place over 3 days along the rail trail from Lilydale to the Carmelite Sancta Sophia Meditation Community in Warburton.

Following a commissioning liturgy led by Fr Hugh Brown OCarm and Fr Paul Sireh OCarm at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Middle Park on Sunday 4 November, the group began the walk on Friday 9 November in Lilydale.

At our recent Donors' Mass and High Tea our young Carmelites said a big 'Thank You' in words and song to our donors who support them in their studies. Over 60 people attended the Mass and High Tea at St Joseph's Church and Hall in Port Melbourne. Frs Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) and Paul Sireh celebrated the Mass. Our young Timorese Carmelites studying in Australia sang during the Mass. At High Tea, they sang a special song of thanksgiving for the generosity of our donors. Br Matthew Tonini, on behalf of all the students, thanked the donors and spoke about what their contributions made possible.