Dominican sisters based in Nashville start new mission in Australia

Three Dominican Sisters of the St. Cecilia Congregation have returned to Nashville after spending the last 12 months in Sydney, Australia, helping to plan and organize the recently completed World Youth Day 2008.

Two of the three sisters will return to Sydney later this month to help establish the Nashville Dominicans’ first permanent mission outside the United States.

Cardinal George Pell and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher, O.P., of the Archdiocese of Sydney, “were eager to have our sisters working in Sydney,” said Sister Mary Madeline, O.P. “What we could offer and what they needed were complementary.”

What the Dominicans offer and what is needed in southern Australia, Sister Mary Madeline said, is a “witness of religious life.”

Sister Mary Madeline was joined in Australia for the last year by Sister Mary Rachel, O.P., and Sister Anna, O.P.

Although Australian society has become increasingly secular, “there is a great interest in religious life in Australia,” Sister Mary Madeline said.

The Vocations Expo held as part of World Youth Day drew more visitors and interest than was expected, she said. “We met many, many Australian young women with an interest” in the St. Cecilia community.

Australians had an experience of faith at World Youth Day, which took place July 15-20, said Sister Mary Rachel.

“It puts a name to a hunger,” she said. “They finally see in the Church and Gospel, something they were hungering for.”

Australia is “incredibly fertile ground for teaching the faith,” said Sister Mary Rachel.

She and Sister Mary Madeline will return to Australia and will be joined by two other sisters, Sister Cecilia Joseph, O.P., and Sister Mary Sarah, O.P.

Sister Mary Rachel and Sister Cecilia Joseph will teach at Trinity Catholic College, which has 1,300 students in grades seven through 12.

Sister Mary Madeline and Sister Mary Sarah will work with the chaplain’s office at the University of Sydney, the city’s oldest and largest university.

Sister Anna will return to Knoxville to teach at Knoxville Catholic High School.

The Nashville Dominicans were invited to join the World Youth Day staff by Bishop Fisher, a fellow Dominican and the coordinator of the event.

“He really hoped that our background working with young people would help,” said Sister Mary Madeline, who served as Bishop Fisher’s assistant for World Youth Day. “He wanted to bring Dominican joy to World Youth Day.”

“Our joy comes out by being together and proclaiming the gospel,” said Sister Anna, who helped with the planning of the major liturgies of World Youth Day, which drew 223,000 pilgrims from 170 countries.

As Bishop Fisher’s assistant, Sister Mary Madeline got a behind the scenes look at every aspect of World Youth Day, she said.

Understanding Bishop Fisher as a Dominican and knowing what was important to him helped Sister Mary Madeline help him, she said, even with tasks such as making sure his daily schedule included time for contemplation and prayer.

Bishop Fisher didn’t simply want to experience World Youth Day as an administrator, Sister Mary Madeline said. “He had pastoral priorities.”

Sister Mary Rachel helped to plan the 450 Youth Festival events, including an outdoor concert series, visual art exhibits, forums and discussions, workshops, the Vocations Expo, national and community gatherings and centers of spirituality and mission.

In helping to plan the major liturgies of World Youth Day, Sister Anna worked with the young people from around the world selected to serve in roles, such as lectors and gift bearers. She also worked with the 24 people chosen to be confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI during the closing Mass of World Youth Day.

In choosing people for the liturgies, Sister Anna said, organizers wanted them to reflect the diversity of the church.

“Catholic doesn’t just mean what you see in our own parish. Catholicism permeates every culture,” Sister Anna said.

“We wanted to give everyone at World Youth Day a chance to see in those confirmed and those participating in the liturgies someone who represents them,” she said.

Sister Anna also worked with the 16 young people selected for a private meeting with the pope as he officially entered Sydney’s harbor by boat.

“They didn’t know they were going to meet him until they arrived,” Sister Anna said. “It was really beautiful to see what came out of their hearts.”

Among the highlights of World Youth Day for Sister Mary Madeline was the Stations of the Cross, depicting the last days of Jesus Christ, enacted at various locations across Sydney.

The more than 100 people who played roles in the enactment were not professional actors, Sister Mary Madeline said. “Everything about the depiction was about prayer and not celebrity.”

The goal was to make the passion of Jesus concrete in the lives of the Australian people, she said.

“It drew in so many people who were not World Youth Day pilgrims,” Sister Mary Madeline said. “Hearts were genuinely transformed by that.”

Another highlight was the evening vigil and Eucharistic adoration led by the pope the night before the closing Mass.

As the pope was at the altar with more than 235,000 people behind him, all praying silently, Sister Mary Madeline said, it was as if “the pope was leading all these people to Jesus.”

http://www.dioceseofnashville.com/wyd-domin.htm


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Yay!

(VSers: check up on this thread in Open Mic, too )

Those are "my" sisters!

I saw Sr. Mary Madeline around a few weeks ago at vows. She used to teach at my school.

Sr. Cecilia Joseph ROCKS!

The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville continues to grow.

On Friday, July 25, 11 sisters made their final profession of the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience during a Mass at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville, and this week 18 women will arrive at the Motherhouse to begin a year as postulants, said Sister Marian, O.P., secretary to the community’s prioress general, Mother Ann Marie, O.P.

The community has about 225 sisters, which is the most in its nearly 150-year history, Sister Marian said.

“Obviously, we know it’s God’s blessing,” Sister Marian said of the community’s growth.

Women from around the United States and Canada have been attracted to the community in recent years, Sister Marian said, and among the new postulants will be a woman from Australia, a first for the community.

The sisters who made their final profession were from Canada, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Virginia, Texas, Colorado, California, Missouri and New Mexico, among other places, Sister Marian said.

Whoo hoo!!! I love my sistahs!

Wohoo!

I reeeaaaaallllyyyyyyy love that they will be here to stay.

Such a blessing for Australia.

Can't wait for them to come back.

hip hip!