Over the last four Sundays, St John has taken us on a journey of discovering Jesus as the living Word of God who nourishes and strengthens us on our journey; as the living bread who gives his very self (flesh and blood) for the life of the world; and, today, as the bread of faith. Those who share the bread of faith are those who have chosen to believe in Jesus and follow him. Only by drawing life from Jesus can one be drawn into the life of God. Read more
Celebrating At Home 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
This weekend, the Carmelites are not only celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, but also the 20th anniversary of the Australian Carmelites taking responsibility for the East Timor Mission and the Timorese Carmelites. The Indonesian Carmelites who founded the mission in 1999 and In January 2001, asked the Australian Carmelites to take responsibility for the Timor-Leste mission and the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Zumalai. Their request was made in the light of the changing political circumstances in Timor-Leste and the struggle for independence from Indonesia. The Australian Carmelites voted unanimously to accept this responsibility and on 15 August 2001 formally took responsibility for the Timor-Leste Mission and the Timorese Carmelites. More story
In difficult situations we look for hope. Who or what will deliver us? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? In the pandemic we have looked to health authorities and governments, to lockdowns, mask-wearing and social distancing. More recently, we have looked to vaccines. The Assumption of Mary is a great feast of hope! In the scripture and related writings for this feast, we learn that God’s plan is that we, like Mary, are destined to share the same glory of heaven, through Christ’s resurrection. Read more
Celebrating At Home Assumption of BVM [PDF]
Celebrating At Home Assumption of BVM [ePub]
This Sunday the Church in Australia celebrates its first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop who was declared a saint on 17 October 2010. Born in Fitzroy, Victoria in 1842, Mary worked from the age of 16 to support the rest of her family. In 1866 she travelled to Penola, South Australia, and with Fr Julian Tenison Woods, opened a school in a disused stable. Eventually other young women came to join her and the Sisters of St Joseph began to take shape. The Sisters spread in groups to small outback settlements and large cities around Australia. Read more
Celebrating At Home Solemnity of Mary MacKillop [PDF]
Celebrating At Home Solemnity of Mary MacKillop [ePub]
As we prepare to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, we also celebrate and give thanks to God for reaching 3,200 Instagram followers... we remember all our social media followers and their families in our prayers. "At Pentecost, the Spirit made the apostles go forth from themselves and turned them into heralds of God’s wondrous deeds, capable of speaking to each person in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit also grants the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel with boldness (parrhesía) in every time and place, even when it meets with opposition. Let us call upon him today, firmly rooted in prayer, for without prayer all our activity risks being fruitless and our message empty. Jesus wants evangelizers who proclaim the good news not only with words, but above all by a life transfigured by God’s presence." - Pope Francis
In the month of July when we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we also celebrate and give thanks to God for reaching 220,000 Facebook followers... we remember all our Facebook followers and their families in our prayers.
"The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew." Pope Francis Follow us on Facebook | Follow us on Instagram
When Cyclone Seroja’s high winds and torrential rain hit Timor over the Easter long weekend, communities throughout the country experienced a big storm sustained over several days. While there was no severe flooding in Zumalai sub-district, which is on the south coast of East Timor, there was still damage caused to farming land and several schools.
Three Catholic primary schools in Zumalai are linked through a network of schools with one principal, Carmelite Br Antonio Olavio Exposto. When Br Antonio described the extent of the storm damage at two of those schools, Carmel Impact was able to develop a School Roofing Project to respond to the need. More story & photos | Donate here
Flood waters rushed through Dili and neighbouring areas during the Easter long weekend this year. The floods caused by Cyclone Seroja was reported widely in Australia, with over 25,000 households displaced from their homes and 45 fatalities. Susan is a small hamlet situated in Hera, on the outskirts of the capital city Dili and was also impacted by the cyclone. It is home to 12 households and 80 people. Susan hamlet has a river running through it and as a result of the floods, several homes built on the banks of the river were completed washed away. More story & photos | Donate here
When Cyclone Seroja’s torrential rain and high winds caused damage throughout Timor-Leste last Easter, communities were impacted in different ways. In addition to homes, shops and offices being inundated with water, other vital community infrastructure was also damaged in several places.
In Dili, the Carmelites observed problems with the drains that run along the street where the Carmelite community house is located. The drains were blocked and in general disrepair, which meant they impeded the flood water from flowing away from the neighbourhood, affecting several households in the area. More story & photos | Donate here
Over the Easter weekend this year, Cyclone Seroja hit Timor causing extensive flooding in Dili and storm damage in communities throughout the country. With generous donations from Australia and around the world, we have been able to respond with several projects implemented through Carmel Impact.
A primary focus of our response to the floods was immediate and direct support to flood victims and their families. Our Carmelite brothers assisted and visited over 2,000 people across 500 households during the initial weeks of the disaster response. More story & photos | Donate here
