Philippine-Australia-Saipan Province

Mass for Religious:  St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Australia
 Saturday, February 6, 2010
 

“Each year the feast of Candlemas is commemorated as the world-wide celebration of Religious Life. In the Archdiocese of Melbourne it is celebrated with a Mass for Religious in the Cathedral during the weekend nearest to this feast.  For us in the southern hemisphere this also coincides with a return from summer holidays and a recommencement of ministry for the new year. 

 

This year the celebration was on Saturday, February 6, with Mass in the Cathedral at 10 am.   The principal celebrant was His Grace, Archbishop Denis Hart, assisted by religious priests and deacons of the archdiocese.  In his homily, the Archbishop reminded us that “the candlelight procession was a reminder to us of our call to shine with the love of the Lord.”  The Archbishop spoke of the one constant in our lives, that we give ourselves unreservedly to the God whom we seek, and who is the reason for our existence, and that our mission is to have his love manifested in the world of our time.

 

Many religious women and men, and their families and friends, came to join with the religious to celebrate and give thanks.” (Taken from the report written by Sr. Margaret Dwyer rsc, Vicar for Religious in Melbourne, for the Catholic paper Kairos.)
 

 

The Pastorelle Sisters from the communities of Thomastown and Bundoora were all present at the celebration giving special thanks for the 42nd anniversary of Religious Profession of Sr. Doreen Bentley and Sr. Rita Ruzzene.  Present were also the Daughters of St. Paul and the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master. Our Sr Nelia Llanto read one of the prayer of intercessions together with five other Religious from different Congregations. The gifts were also brought to the altar by Religious representing four other Congregations. A richness of charisms that make the Church beautiful, at the service of the kingdom of God in the world.
 

 

 

At the end of Mass, light refreshments were shared in the Cardinal Knox Centre. Archbishop Hart joined us and took the opportunity to meet with so many religious of the Archdiocese.
 

From left: Sr Maria Moravski SSMI (Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate); Sr Rita Ruzzene SJBP (Pastorelle Sisters);

Sr Bernadette Wallis MSS (Missionary Sisters of Service); Fr Peter Kerin SDB (Salesians of Don Bosco);

Sr Daad El-Azzi SD (Antonine Sisters)
 

Sr Mary La Bruna sjbp