Category: Marist Action

Celebrating in Sydney

A number of Marist Sisters in Sydney gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. The afternoon began with a time of prayerful reflection during which the sisters, recalling they have been called by gracious choice to bear Mary’s name,  renewed their vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions some sisters were unable to be present but they were not forgotten as messages from them were shared. Following the prayer a scrumptious afternoon tea was enjoyed. The opportunity to gather was very much appreciated especially during these Covid times.

Jubilee Celebration in Fiji

A wonderful and joyful celebration was held recently at Mt St Mary’s parish, Nadi, Fiji, as Sr Margaret Sharma celebrated her Diamond Jubilee as a Marist Sister and Sr Marlene Giblin celebrated her Golden Jubilee.  Columban priest, Fr Frank Hoare, was the main celebrant and homilist with Marist Fathers John Crispin and Lewis Henry concelebrating.
Many Marist Sisters were present along with family members  and friends of the two jubilarians. Also part of the celebration was Sr Anna Rarasea, a Sister of St Joseph of Cluny and Sr Carmel Pilcher, a  Sister of St Joseph from Australia who is currently teaching at the Pacific Regional Seminary, Suva. It was a beautiful sunny day. All present enjoyed the Mass and the delicious meal that followed. Special thanks to Sr Lavinia and her team for a well organized celebration.

Renewing Marist Commitment

In the presence of her Marist community, her relatives, friends and parishioners Sr Valerie Ho recently renewed her vows as a Marist Sister for two years. Her community Leader, Sr Rosemary, received her vows .  The renewal of commitment took place in the local parish church in Nadi, Fiji. Following the Mass family and friends were invited to join the sisters for brunch at the convent.

Gathering as Community

In Fiji, the two Marist Sisters’ communities of Nadi and Nadelei came together at Mount St Mary’s Nadi on Saturday 15th February to have a full days programme with two of our General Councillors, Sisters Anne McCabe and Viennese Goldstein. It was a real privilege to have our day facilated  by Srs Anne and Vivienne.

 

The sessions were not only prayerful but enabled and empowered the sisters to share at a deep level through a process of sharing, role play and a video clip. The process was a very creative way of building community. We learned that what we bring to community is our own individual personalities that can blend to uplift our Marist lifestyle. The video clip and handouts helped us to reflect on Effective Listening. Listening is a skill that will help us to listen carefully and purposely.

 

Our final prayer of Consecration to Mary was a fitting end to a day inspired by the Holy Spirit. We felt the presence of God in our sharing and listening.

Jubilee Celebration in Sydney

A group of Marist Sisters living in Sydney recently gathered to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Sr Vivienne Goldstein and the Diamond Jubilee of Sr Anthony Walker. During a simple liturgy they celebrated Mary, as their model and leader in “mothering the Word”. All who bear the name of Mary are called to hear the Word, to wait on the Word, to give birth to the Word, to hold the Word and to release the Word – as Kevin Bates sm reminds us in his song: “Hail Mary”.

 

Jubilee Celebrations in Fiji

Marist Sisters in Fiji gathered recently to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Sr Marlen Giblin and the Diamond Jubilee of Sr Margaret Sharma. The day started with Mass at 1.30 pm. Fr Cecil Williams, a close family friend came from Suva to celebrate the Mass. He made it very special and at the end of the Mass, he called Marlene and Margaret to the front and conferred on them a special blessing. Members of the congregation also  raised their hands in blessing.
After the Mass Sr Rosemary invited all present to come to the convent for formalities and lunch. All enjoyed the meal , the dessert and the jubilee cake. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
Congratulations Marlene and Margaret. May your Jubilee year be filled with blessings.

Sr Birisita Professes Life Vows in Fiji

Congratulations to Sr Birisita Bibi who made her Perpetual Profession as a Marist Sister in Fiji recently. Biri’s family and friends from Levuka, where Biri has been on mission over recent years, arrived in Lami in great numbers on Friday 6th December. They were accommodated at the school premises.

At 10.00 am on the 7th December, the Profession Mass began in the parish church in Lami, Suva. Fr John Crispin sm was main celebrant. He was assisted by six other priests. The church was filled to the doors with the presence of the Marist Sisters, Biri’s family and the youth choir from Levuka. The whole community  was filled with joy as Sr Biri made her final commitment to God. At the end of the Mass, all were invited to the parish hall for lunch. After lunch the sisters gathered at the convent for the unwrapping of gifts. What a happy day it was for the sisters, for Biri’s family and friends and for Biri.

For Biri, we pray that her journey as a Marist Sisters will be richly blessed as she endeavours to follow Christ by living the Gospel as Mary did.

Ministering in the Philippines

In the Philippines Marist Sisters are found ministering in Davao. It is always a joy for the sisters when they are able to connect with other members of the Marist Family. Recently they welcomed new members of the Marist Fathers community

The Sisters in the Philippines engage in a number of ministries that see them reaching out to bring hope and dignity to others. Their ministry includes spiritual and pastoral support in their local parish,  dental services for those in jail, Planning support for ex-inmates and reaching out to those impacted by a recent earthquake.

 

Congregation Leader in Australia

Congregation Leader of the Marist Sisters, Sr Grace Ellul, has just completed her visitation to Australia. During her visit Grace spent time with each sister and engaged in conversation and reflection about the whole Congregation. The Marist Sisters in Australia were delighted to have Grace in their midst over these days. At the end of her visit sisters who were able gathered at Hunter Hill. This was an opportunity to thank Grace for her visit and to celebrate her birthday a few days in advance of the event.

(Click on images below to see an enlarged version of the photo)

 

Marists at Vocation Expo

On Saturday the 5th of October, several Religious Congregations, Diocesan seminarians and young people gathered at Saint Joseph parish, Grey Lynn Auckland for a Vocation Expo. Marist Sisters in New Zealand were represented by Srs Tulua and Seini.

The day started with a mass at 8:15 am and various people from different congregations shared  on their vocation call and charism to young people. It was a lovely opportunity to meet a lot of young Catholic people and share our Marist charism. The day ended with a lovely lunch.