Newsletter #26 - October 2020
Dear friends in Our Lady’s Auxiliary,
Let’s not sugarcoat this: this has been a challenging, painful year for many of us! Plans have been thrown haywire, graduations erased, weddings postponed, get-togethers cancelled, and the ever-present threat of a “second wave” or a “third wave” of Covid infections with subsequent lockdowns hanging over our heads. Heatwaves brought electrical blackouts, then wildfires brought threats of evacuations, and meanwhile our country has been riddled with violence.
All right, already, enough with the Book of Job! Jesus is ever-beautiful, and God is in control. Some very wonderful things have happened, including our postulant Alison receiving the holy Habit on September 15th. In case you were wondering…here’s what a young woman can look forward to while discerning her vocation as a Carmelite. From the moment she makes her first contact to us, and shows a substantial interest, she is called an aspirant. Through visits to the monastery, letters, or virtual meetings, she is introduced to the community and comes to learn about our Order. This phase lasts a minimum of 12 months. Then, if she enters the monastery, she is called a postulant. She lives with us, shares the life and schedule, and deepens her knowledge of all things Carmelite. This phase must be at least 12 months all the way up to 24 months. If she wishes to continue, and the community finds her suitable, she receives the Habit, receives a new name, and starts her Novitiate in earnest. After two years, she may be approved to make her Temporary Profession of vows for a period of three years, all the time studying, reading, praying, working, helping out in the Offices around the house. Temporary vows must now be renewed twice for one year at a time, before coming to the point of being approved to make Solemn Vows. In case you’re counting, that adds up to a minimum of nine years of formation before becoming a permanent member, and the number could extend to twelve years. Whew! Imagine marriage preparation for nine years before you could hold the ceremony!
Sister Maria Guadalupe of the Holy Cross
Alison’s new name is Sister Maria Guadalupe of the Holy Cross. We pray that she will be joined by more “younger sisters” in Carmel, but as you can see, it’ll take a little while!
Thank you for your amazing support. Donations of money and food have doubled since the pandemic. You are taking very good care of us, and I’m not exaggerating. We are so grateful that we can’t begin to express it, so we’ll “pay our debt” with prayers and a Mass offered for your intentions once a month. Take care of yourselves, don’t let the Covid Blues get to you, and “thank God ahead of time,” as Blessed Solanus Casey used to say. Happy feasts of St. Therese (October 1st) and St. Teresa (October 15th). God bless each and every one of you.
In Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Teresa,
Mother Mary Bethany and Sisters
Auxiliary News
You know that we did not hold a fundraiser luncheon this year, due to the virus. I thank all of you sincerely who have made donations directly to the Monastery, in lieu of what you might have contributed at the luncheon. There is still time to do that if you haven’t sent them a donation, and we are entering into the season of giving so the timing is good! While the Sisters do not especially need food or paper products now, thanks to your generosity, they still have capitol expenditures to cover, leaky roofs, cracking driveways, repairs on generators and other capitol expenses like any home owner. As you think about your charitable contributions this year, please consider the Sisters first! This is a primary goal for our Auxiliary. Remember to make your checks payable to the Carmelite Monastery of Georgetown, and please mail directly to the Sisters at their post office box.
Our quilt did not turn out very well this year. We had to work on it remotely by mailing pieces to each other and we did not have our seam allowances exactly perfect. So the whole thing did not line up! Turns out that is one thing that could not be handled on Zoom!!! The quilt had to go to the quilt doctor for emergency surgery, and its condition is still unknown! But never fear; one of our members had a sister who is contributing another lovely quilt. We can make it available for bidding in the near future.
I am looking for a volunteer to manage an online auction in a limited sense. This is something beyond my ken, so I need someone to step forward for this. If no one does, we will save the quilt for next year, when, God willing, we will be able to hold a luncheon.
This also calls to mind other features for our Auxiliary that you may feel we could add, such as a prayer chain, etc. If you have a good idea for the Auxiliary, and feel motivated to bring it to life, please let us know!
Finally, there is a symposium on St. Teresa of Avila (for the 50th anniversary of her Doctorate) that will be taking place on Monday, November 16. The symposium will be online. The cost is around $40.00 per person, but there is a discount for 10 people in an OCD community. There will be several eminent Carmelite speakers from London, Oxford and Pittsburg, and it will be very spiritually uplifting! If you would like to learn more about this symposium, please contact Ruth at ruth.preston@carmelite.org.uk, or visit this website: https://www.oxcacs.org/ .
In Christ,
Patty MacEgan
President, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Auxiliary