J.M. + J.T.

A Letter from Mother

Dear Friends of Carmel,

Image: Pink roses courtesy of Sacristies of the World.

Greetings to you on Laetare Sunday, a happy reminder that our Lenten journey is more than halfway over. We’ve celebrated Saints Patrick and Joseph, the Annunciation of Our Lord, and the birthday of our Holy Mother, Saint Teresa (March 28th). The solemn beauty of Holy Week lies ahead, and then the discovery of the empty tomb! What a joy to live in the northern hemisphere, and have the season of Spring correspond with the unfolding of Lent! For those below the equator, it’s autumn, and Easter is likely marked with falling leaves and cooling temperatures.

Thank you for such a good attendance at the Prayer on the Mountain day in March. It’s so beautiful to see your hunger for a deeper spiritual life, and for extending the “flowering vine” of Carmel to your homes and families, and spheres of activity. May Our Lady of Mount Carmel bless each one of you with many graces!

One of the riches of this season is being reminded to unite all the “pins and needles” in our lives to the Passion of Christ, so that every little inconvenience or irritation, lovingly borne, can become a source of graces for the Church and the world, so desperately in need of them. With God’s help, we can strive to become more conformed to Jesus the Suffering Servant, so that we may also rise with Him when the last trumpet sounds!

Thank you, again, for your many acts of generosity and fortitude, “seen and unseen.” Nearly everyone has suffering in their lives. We nuns are not unmindful of the sacrifices you make to support us, and we promise you our prayers in gratitude for the gift of your friendship.

United with you under the mantle of our Sorrowful Mother,
- Mother Mary Bethany, OCD, and Sisters

AUXILIARY NEWS

Prayer on the Mountain
The next Prayer on the Mountain event will be fast on the heels of Easter. Fr. Art Wehr, SJ, of St. Ignatius Parish, will talk with us about Ignatian Prayer. This will be a great talk to launch us into the Easter Season! Please join us at 11:00 AM at the Monastery, St. John Villa.

The events are FREE, and if you can bring a salad to share, we have a refrigerator to keep them cold. We meet in the St. John Villa below the monastery. Register by email: carmelitehelpers@gmail.com

April22: Father Art Wehr, SJ, Ignatian Spirituality
May 13: Deacon Mark Van Hook, St. Rose Church, Prayer and Sacramentals
** May 13 is the 100th Anniversary of the first of Our Blessed Mother’s Apparitions! Please check the internet for the indulgences associated with this important feast day, and consider coming up to the Monastery for Mass that morning.

Quilt-Making Opportunity
We are meeting on April 8 in the St. John Villa at 9:00 AM to assemble the new quilt! Pat Boynton is the contact person, so if you can help us make the quilt please email us. We need ironers and cutters as well as sewers. It’s a great way to make new friends!

Women’s Cursillo
Are you ready to go deeper in your faith journey? Cursillo is a national movement of Catholics that begins with a three-day weekend away to study our Catholic faith more deeply, and with a community of like-minded women. “Cursillo” means a little course in Christianity. Find out more at www.sacramentocursillo.org. Next Weekend April 27-30.

Website News
The website will be where we can upload photos from our events, keep a file of all our newsletters, and keep everyone up-to-date on the events at the Monastery. You will also be able to sign up for the Auxiliary and for events. It is almost ready. Visit www.carmeliteauxiliary.org, and watch our progress as it prepares to go “live”.

This Year’s Luncheon
Save the date! This year’s luncheon will be held on October 7, 2017, at St. Joseph’s Hall in Auburn. Mark your calendars for this event! Last year was such a beautiful success, all because of you and your friends. Please join us again this year. Tickets will be on sale this summer.

Sincerely,

Patty MacEgan
Carmelite Auxiliary

P.S. Please visit our sponsors, Easter’s Catholic Books and Gifts, Leatherby’s Ice Cream Parlor, Pottery World, and Advantage Printers in Auburn.

Newsletter #11 - Laetare Sunday