Announcer Spring 2022

The Announcer

Immaculata Community, St Thomas Becket Parish Sisters of the Immaculata LovingJesus Jesuswith Withthe TheHeart Heartof OfMary Mary Loving

Aug 2009

SPRING 2022

The Immaculata Convent, 40a ThomasArmidale Street, Lewisham NSW 2350 Ph: 0406 Ph: Srs. Mary Therese & Francis Mary on 0414 372 830 608 412 Email: sistersoftheimmaculata@gmail.com www.immaculatacommunity.org

th JoinSr.us at the January Mission School Mary Madeline on theImmaculata Beauty of Pro-Life: Reachout Augustin 152023!

January of young people gather is forSr. Mary One of Sydney’s most Every engaging andhundreds thought-provoking speakers a life-changing of prayer, praise, She talks,will be Franciscan University of Madeline, from the Dominican Sisters of time St. Cecelia in Nashville. at fellowship andparish’s fun at monthly the Immaculata St. Thomas Becket in August for the Reachout,Mission an event Steubenville that guest speaker School (IMS). aTogether they discover the love that invites all to come together to share meal and fellowship, followed by a talk on coming to IMS 2022 Jesus has for us and the beauty of the Catholic an issue of faith.

Church. Equipped and empowered to make a Fr Drake McCalister is This month’s topic, the Beauty of Pro-Life, is aworld, topic that Sr. return Mary Madeline difference in the they to theiraddresses the coordinator of the with honesty and compassion.

It is an issue that should engage us all andfire we strongly homes, parishes and communities with a new catechetical practicum encourage you to bring along family, friends, and workmates. The night for proclaiming God’sneighbours love. for the Office of also includes Adoration, with prayer ministry and confession available – it is a beautiful Could you someone know be called to start C a t e c h e t i c s a t opportunity to share in fellowship andorprayer as ayou parish community.

2023 with Jesus? There’s no better way to prepare Franciscan University and parochial vicar at Join us at 6pm in the Immaculata Centre the to right the the church) for the year ahead(tothen giveofHim first for ten a homeHoly Family Church in cooked meal ($15 for main, dessert The program begins January at 7:30pm, with days of theand year.drink).

IMS will run from 1st-10th Steubenville.

He has Sr. Mary Madeline’s talk,infollowed by a candlelight procession through Lewisham Armidale, New South Wales. worked with RCIA, youth ministry, catechist before Adoration, prayer and confession in St. Thomas Becket church.

Mary Madeline Jerome, who is 18 and currently participating on formation, andSr. has served as a writer and the Long-Term Mission School (see back page for speaker. A Pentecostal pastor in the the Sydney theChurch New for Evangelisation! more info) has been coming to the Congress IMS since heEmbracing was Foursquare 13 years, he resigned 14. He says, “IMS really showed me that there was his pastorate after five years of study, What did we learn? more to prayer than just reciting words, that prayer prayer, and reluctance and brought his wife, The first call of the Church is to share the could be a personal connection between you and God. I discovered that I could Crystal, and three daughters (now five) Good News. In order to witness to others sit in the presence of Jesus and share my heart with Him. There’s no way I’d home to the Catholic Church on December ChristSchool we first havebefore to seek out have the faith I have today if it wasn’tabout for Mission because IMS Him it 12, 2004, the Feast of Our Lady of in a personal relationship. was never anything personal, just something my family did together. I had the Guadalupe. Father Drake was ordained to What were our highlights? head knowledge but not the heart. the priesthood on December 19, 2019. To Meeting passionate religious and lay people “IMS has really helped me step out of my shell; from the first time coming just read how this was possible, visit from Australia and across the world, sitting in the corner, not talking to anyone, now it’s really made me want to step thattheymaybeone.org. This will be Fr so much about our Catholic faith – third visit to the Immaculata Mission out and reach out to people and givenlearning me the courage to start a conversation. Drake’s and seeing the Immaculata youth perform School and we are so excited for him to I’m so grateful for IMS because it has really taught me that my faith is not just in at Catholic Underground! come and share his passion for Jesus and the my head or my heart but it’s my whole being.”

Church with us!

Quote from the week:

Immaculata Youth at SCENE:

Register now at www.sistersoftheimmaculata.org.au/ims or for more “We don’t just evangelise for the day people die information, call 0406 372 608

but because the day of salvation is now – and salvation but freedom from oppression Out and about:what theis Sisters and Immaculata mission team and what is the greatest oppression? Sin.” Fr Our youngest youth, Elijah, with ThePaul Sisters andatthe mission team have Anthony, CFR & Sari Catholic Underground Fr. Christopher, CFR been serving at the University of New England (UNE), outreaching to students and bringing faith on to campus. During – join us for this month’s several different times of outreach, UNE students have been offeredSee free gathering. back page for info. hot drinks and a BBQ lunch, received • How you can help! study care packs containing little treats • Adoration at St. Thomas for the study season, like tea bags and Becket chocolate, as well as scripture versus and a prayer that they can pray for • John Mara reflects on his faith their studies. As exams neared we set journey up Adoration on campus and invited students in to pray. The mission team • Maximilian Kolbe, Saint of has also been leading a rosary weekly to the students who live at the college and also a visits to come, and recently they helped the Moree Auschwitz on campus, R as well as a formation source of support and friendship. parish with their stall at the Spring Fair, offering program for students in the basics of • rosaries Upcoming to localsevents and sharing the joy of the Gospel!

Ruthmission team There Brendan & Pat have also been other opportunities for the Christian Yuti faith.& The live across the road from St Albert’s mission locally, which has included running In September, over 60 young people came to a College, a Catholic residential college various events at the Cathedral, such as talks healing retreat the Sisters held in Armidale, sharing at UNE, and regularly eat meals there, on the Divine Mercy and the Shroud of Turin. times of Adoration, praise and fellowship. Guest run different events and pray the The Sisters and Long-Term Mission School speakers Vince Fitzwilliams and Simon Carrington rosary three times a week in the participants have visited some local schools in spoke on topics such as obstacles to healing, college chapel, being a Christian witness Armidale, Tamworth and Moree, with more holiness and wholeness and Theology of the Body.

Community Day photos

Read on … wha t’s inside:

15 young people give their YES on the Immaculata Long-Term Mission School 2022 Grounded in prayer, journeying together in community life, learning the faith, bringing the Gospel to others … these things are at the heart of the Immaculata Long-Term Mission School.

This year the LTMS began on the feast of St Jean Vianney on the 4th August.15 young people travelled to Armidale from Melbourne, Albury, Sydney, Toowoomba, Brisbane and even Chicago, USA, to spend over five months learning about God, themselves and the mission of the Church.

Each day begins with Adoration and the Rosary, features daily Mass and classes on different faith topics. The first six weeks of classes were on Christology, the Holy Spirit, Mariology, Ecclesiology, Evangelisation, the Catechism and the Creed and Theology of the Body. Now the participants will join the Sisters on the road for a time of mission, as they visit different parts of the Armidale diocese and places such as Sydney and Albury. After this time of mission, classes will resume, as well as preparations for the January Immaculata Mission School.

Two of our participants share about their experiences so far:

News in brief Sr Gemma Marie makes final vows On the 13th July 2022, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Sr Gemma Marie Apostle of Divine Love made her solemn profession of vows.

“The Long-Term Mission School is God’s answer to my prayers for an opportunity to grow deeper in my relationship with Him and live out that relationship like never before. God has been working in my heart to teach me the power of prayer, trusting in His goodness, and how it is possible to be a saint through this experience of living in an uplifting and edifying community of other people striving for sainthood.” Anton, Chicago “During Long-Term Mission School I have learnt that I don’t need to be scared of God’s will, in either the big things of the little things He is asking me to do each day. I am learning that if He is calling me to do something, I can trust that it will be the best thing for me and that He will give me the strength to do things I would normally find impossible.”

Shannon, Brisbane

Sr Mary Josephine makes first vows On the 16th July 2022, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Sr Mary Josephine of the Paschal Mystery made her first profession of vows.

Participants on the Immaculata Long-Term Mission School 2022

“Journeying to Jesus with Mary” … come with us to World Youth Day in Lisbon next year!

The Sisters of the Immaculata will be travelling to World Youth Day next year!

We are going as part of the Armidale Diocese pilgrimage and you are invited to join us. The pilgrimage is open to young people aged up to 35 and is also open to pilgrims from outside the Armidale Diocese.

The details are: “Journeying to Jesus with Mary” 22nd July - 13th August Rome (2 nights) - Assisi (4 nights) - Fatima (2 nights) - Lisbon (7 nights) - Lourdes (3 nights) - Paris (1 night) Estimated cost: $5990 (for pilgrims flying out of Sydney) Inclusions: return flights, all internal travel, accommodation (including simple pilgrim accommodation for WYD week) and all meals.

destination is Assisi, a spiritual oasis and powerful place of prayer and peace. Before WYD week kicks off we will visit the shrine of Fatima, drawing ever-closer to Mary, from whom the 2023 WYD takes its theme. After our celebration with millions of other young people in Lisbon, we head to Lourdes in France, a place famous for miracles of healing, for a postWYD retreat. We will finish our journey with a visit to Paris and some beautiful sites such as Rue de Bac, the home of the Miraculous Medal, and the Basilica of Sacré Coeur.

Our trip will include daily Mass, Adoration and the Rosary, so that our physical pilgrimage will be accompanied by a spiritual journey. There will be pre-pilgrimage catechesis and formation, with the opportunity to join even if you don't live in the Armidale diocese, either via gathering together in some places like Sydney, or joining via Zoom for those who don't live near other pilgrims from our We will begin our pilgrimage in the heart of group. We will also prepare the way in prayer the Church, at the tomb of St Peter and before we go, so that we can get the most out among the saints of Rome. Our next of this amazing experience!

Immaculata pilgrims among the olive groves of Assisi on the WYD 2016 pilgrimage