Newsletter #17 - October Thanks
J.M. + J.T.
A Letter from Mother Mary Bethany
Dear friends of M.A.R.Y.,
As I write this, it is the feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus of Avila, foundress of our Discalced Carmelite reform. As we celebrate, it only seems appropriate to get into “thanksgiving” mode – and I don’t mean turkeys either!
As St. Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks. For this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” How good it is to fulfill the will of God by thanking all of you members and supporters of the Auxiliary, for the amazing results of the luncheon on October 6th. From what we heard, it was a resounding success. All of you worked together to make a substantial donation to our monastery, and we are very grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for the hard work, and for your faith in us.
Projects are never lacking up here at the monastery! Whether it is re-gravelling our service road, sealing the walls on the chapel, or repairing our fire sprinkler system, we can always use your help. For your part, you can count on a remembrance in our prayers and sacrifices. Saint Teresa wanted each benefactor’s name to be made known to the Sisters, so each one could be prayed for, and we do not fail to keep her example. May God reward you as only He can.
The Sisters and I send you our sincere thanks. We pray you have a beautiful Autumn, and joyful celebrations up to the holy season of Advent. May God keep you in His provident care.
In Christ,
Mother Mary Bethany and Sisters
Auxiliary News
Dear Members,
As Mother said, our annual fundraiser luncheon was very successful. Your donations helped us raise $16,000.00 this year! That includes funds raised by donations collected at individual parishes on Sundays while selling raffle tickets for the quilt. It also includes your generous donations at the luncheon for silent auction and raffle items, as well as luncheon tickets. Please know that, except for keeping the required minimum balance in our account for operating
expenses, all money donated through this fundraiser is passed on to the Monastery. As a reminder, no one in this Auxiliary takes any payment for our work; it is all volunteer. The Knights of Columbus at St. Mel’s generously donated the food and Father Aldrin Basarte graciously donated the use of their hall. Father Aldrin also invited us back for next year so I think that’s where we’ll be once again, on the first Saturday in October. Mark your calendars now!
Besides the repair work that Mother mentioned above, we also know that there are always big ticket items on the horizon, but the Auxiliary has two pet projects that we keep in the back of our minds. We would like to put in a sidewalk that leads from the driveway down to the St. John Villa. We would also like to construct a Rosary/Meditation walk in the wooded area below the St. John Villa. We are waiting for the right time to move forward on either of those two projects, and the right people to lead them. Put another way, we are waiting on the Lord for that guidance!
Chaplain: We are happy to tell you that the Monastery has a new chaplain. He is called Father Pippin, and he is African, raised in France. He has a beautiful, lilting accent and a warm and friendly disposition. As a reminder, Mass is normally at 8:00 AM and you are always invited.
Manual Labor: If you have a day free every now and then and would like to help with tasks on the property, please email me at the email address below. Tasks include moving firewood, removing weeds, raking pine needles, refinishing the benches, etc.
Quilt-making: If you sew or would like to help us make our annual quilt, we are about to schedule two dates in the Spring to cut and sew. It’s a lot of fun! We bring our sewing machines up to the St. John Villa and sew all day. Please email me at the email address below to sign up.
Still looking for new Caretakers! No, the Sisters have not found another couple to live in the Caretaker house and be a presence on the property. It is not as big a job as you may think; there are plenty of volunteers for the labor. But the Sisters would really appreciate someone living outside their cloister to keep an eye on the property. If you know of someone, please call us or call the Monastery at 530-333-1617.
Prayer on the Mountain: We are thinking of having two events up in the St. John Villa again this coming Spring, having taken last Spring off to have the event with Father Matthew Spencer last May at the Marello Youth Center in Loomis. Please watch for our announcements about this!
Please support our Sponsors: Easter’s Catholic Books and Gifts. This is your friendly neighborhood Catholic store for all things religious. Have you visited them lately on Sunrise Avenue in Citrus Heights? Please support them! Leatherby’s Family Creamery. Only the best ice cream and luncheon place in Sacramento! Do yourself a favor and stop in soon! I would also like to thank Pottery World, Mount Saint Joseph Winery, the Chef’s Table, and countless other establishments and individuals and volunteers that generously donated to our Luncheon.
In Christ,
Patty MacEgan