Newsletter #3 - Advent
J.M.+J.T.
A Letter From Mother:
Dear friends who belong to M.A.R.Y.,
To begin with, we must thank you for your outpouring of support and prayers since the death of our prioress, Mother Christine, last month. Almost immediately, we began to receive donations of meals and foodstuffs, which were such a help to us in those first busy days. It was such a comfort to have your friendship that it greatly lightened our burden. From the bottom of our hearts, we all say, “Thank you and may God reward you!”
It was a great consolation to Mother Christine to have the Auxiliary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel begun again, under the capable leadership of Patty MacEgan and Jana Devereux. Thank you for responding to Our Lady’s invitation to live a prolongation of her life centered on Her Son, and to concretely assist our community in our needs. May your fellowship with each other serve as a stimulus and encouragement in your spiritual lives, for as our Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus said, “A good means of having God is to speak with His friends, for one always gains very much from this” (Way of Perfection, ch. 7, 4).
Photo courtesy of: Potthast Studios
The great season of Advent is just around the corner, opening our hearts to the lesson of waiting. As we wait, we can offer Jesus little acts of love, of silence, of sacrifice, as so many straws for His cradle. We can reach out to someone is need, we can forgive someone who has harmed us, we can become more loving people with the help of His grace and following the example of His mother…
Again, the Sisters and I thank you sincerely, and assure you of our daily prayerful remembrance. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is being offered for all the Auxiliary members once a month in our chapel. We ask God to grant you a holy Advent and a joyous Christmas season.
- Mother Mary Bethany and all the Sisters
AUXILIARY NEWS
Happy Advent! Let’s make Advent our very special season by prayer and quiet reflection whenever possible.
Prayer Opportunities
The Rosary ladies in Foresthill pray the Rosary on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM. The next one will be on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the Lutheran Church, on the right as you drive in to Foresthill. If you are in the area, please come! And remember, you can make a pilgrimage to our Monastery any morning for Mass at 8:00 AM. You are always welcome!
Also, Mary Faraldo of Greenwood is hosting the famous Pur Lady of Fatima’s Pilgrim Virgin Statue on Thursday, December 10, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. All are welcome. Please email us for more information.
Quilt News
Kudos go out to all the women who are working on the quilt that we hope to auction off at our luncheon next summer. After two full days of work, it is not done yet! But thanks go out to Pat Boynton who hosted the last sewing date in Cool, and to Toni Collins and Jana Devereux for their labors. Each person took home a stack of squares to make into bigger squares before we meet again.
Next Meeting
Speaking of meeting again, our next meeting is on Saturday, January 9, at the Monastery in the St. John Villa, at 9:00 AM (come to Mass first if you can!). This is an important meeting as we will be planning the fund raiser luncheon and we really, really need all hands on deck. If you know how to do a fund raiser, or have experience in making tickets, advertising, event planning in any way, or just have a willing heart, please help with this effort. Many hands make light work! After the meeting, we will finish putting the quilt face together. Anyone who would like to stay and help is welcome!
Rosary Doctor
We are very blessed to have Bill and Carol Gilsdorf from Auburn in this Auxiliary. Bill is a Knight of Columbus, and he has a special ministry: he fixes broken rosaries and he makes new rosaries. He is called the Rosary Doctor, and you can reach him at wimpyg@pacbell.net. He would love to fix your broken rosary!
Donations
We have had questions about what the Sisters may need at this time of year. They welcome any gift: staples for baking and cooking, canned or frozen fish or shrimp, fresh fruit or vegetables, or any donation. As a reminder, please mail checks to their Post Office Box #4210, NOT to the address. Thank you for remembering them! God bless you and keep you safe throughout this holy season.
In Christ,
Patty MacEgan