Welcome to the latest issue of our newsletter.
The Gift of New Life - the difference is you!
Serving outback & Indigenous communities in FNQ
Coming together for Timor-Leste
A Gift of a Lifetime
We offer you our May newsletter in a slightly different format!
The symbols of Australia and Timor-Leste are used to illustrate the difficulties encountered by our neighbour Timor-Leste in developing its independence and the struggle for recognition of its sovereignty over maritime borders.
This is a story you can listen to or read.
'The Crocodile and the Kangaroo' is the story of the relationship between Timor-Leste and Australia written by Br Agedo Bento, OCarm. The story is told by the Crocodile (national symbol of Timor-Leste) and the Kangaroo (national symbol of Australia). It focusses on the negotiations between Timor-Leste and Australia over a just share of oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.
Click here to listen to the story.
Our Carmelite Liturgical Calendar and the Liturgy of the Hours for Carmelite celebrations are now available on the Universalis app for your smart phone and tablet.
Over the past few months Carmelite Communications has been working with Universalis to produce the Carmelite calendar and breviary in English. Some Scripture readings are yet to be added. “Eventually, we hope to add texts for the readings and prayers from the Carmelite Missal as well,” Fr David Hofman (Director, Carmelite Communications) said.
Carmelite superiors and delegates of the Asia, Australia and Oceania Region of the Order are gathering in Melbourne from 11-14 April.
Present are: Fr Benny Phang (General Councillor, Asia Australia, Oceania), Fr Michael Kissane (Provincial, St Elias), Fr Ignasius Budiono (Provincial, Indonesia), Fr Artemio Jusayan (Provincial, Philippines), Fr Paul Cahill (Provincial, Australia & Timor-Leste), Fr Jacob Robin (Indian Delegation), Fr Joseph Tran (Vietnam) and Fr Marlon Lacal (Philippines).
The new Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Zumalai, Timor-Leste, is nearing completion. Fr Manuel Almeida Da Costa (Parish Priest) says that the Church will be blessed and opened by Bishop Norberto do Amaral on 16 July - the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The former temporary Church which stood in front of the new Church, has now been relocated for use as a parish hall. See more photos.
This month we are celebrating the gift of the Earthsong Library to the Carmelite Library in Middle Park. "This donation is a great responsibility and a great potential learning experience, enabling the Library to be the best ecospirituality library in Melbourne."
Today, as we take risks for the sake of something greater than our separate, individual lives, we are feeling graced by other beings and by Earth itself.
Joanna Macy
Happy Easter from the Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste!
Throughout the Easter Season we will remember you and your family in the masses and prayers celebrated in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Middle Park (VIC).
May the power of the Risen Christ continue to heal us and make us his Body.
Our liturgy has no formal beginning. We are bringing our three days to completion. We begin around the fire with the lighting of the Easter Candle, our great symbol of the Risen Christ who is our Light. In the light of the candle we listen to the Scriptures about creation (Genesis), God’s rescue of his people (Exodus), God’s love for us (the Prophets), our baptism into Christ’s death (Romans) and the Resurrection of Jesus (Mark).
In Christ, we too have died to the old ways of living and risen to be the living Body of Christ in the world.
Our afternoon liturgy is a meditation on the passion and death of the Lord. We begin listening to the words of Isaiah about the suffering servant on whom is laid the sin of all. We are struck by the brutality of the passion. We wonder at the depth of love of a God who gives up his own life that we might truly live.
We venerate the cross, not as a symbol of horrible death, but as a sign of the victory of God’s love; the end of one way of living and beginning of another. We pray with Christ’s spirit for the needs of the world. We receive again the Food that nourishes and strengthens us on our journey to Easter day.
Our ceremony has no formal beginning or end. What was begun last night will not be finished today.
