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Article 24

July 16, 2014, 2:55 am
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With an update of Rosary Convent long overdue, we scarcely know where to begin the news update; so we’ll start at the beginning.  After all, it is a very good place to start.

The first month of 2014 was a very momentous one for us, for on January 6th we had the happiness of witnessing the entrance of postulants, the veiling of four Novices and the Temporary Profession of two of our Sisters.

Miss Elizabeth Smith from Wanganui, NZ, entered in January, along with Miss Katie Corr from San Jose, California. The latter, due to visa restrictions, is at this present moment doing her postulancy in NZ and then God-willing, will resume her Canonical year in the Motherhouse. Soon to follow and enter the convent were Miss Genevieve Erbacher from Brisbane, Australia and Miss Mary Williams from St Mary’s, Kansas. We also have two visitors staying with us - Miss Allie Reis from Canada and pre-postulant Miss Gloria Silveira from St Mary’s, Kansas.
       





Postulants are always a laugh and a half. The following incident serves as a reminder to the older generation that we are living in a modern technological world.

Postulant: (Reading list of things to bring to the convent): Bible – check, Missal – Check, Alarm Clock – Hmmm – I don’t have an alarm clock.
Sister: Oh never fear, we can always purchase one for you when you arrive.
Postulant: Oh I almost forgot, don’t worry, I have one on my I-Phone
Sister: (long pause) Um, postulants are not allowed to have I-Phones
Postulant: Oh my!  Really!

Our four little Novices, Sisters Dolores, Amata, Francis and Imelda are half way through their canonical year. Their time has been devoted to the Corporal Works of Mercy within the community, namely, feeding the hungry, washing the clothes for those in need and cooking feast day cakes! A good portion of course is dedicated to the study of the Divine Office, the 3 Evangelical Vows, Dominican Spirituality, the Rule and Constitution, Latin, Music, the Summa and Prayer. United with the Holy Family in their Hidden life, our little Novices are learning to lead a life of Holy Obedience, hoping of course to grow in wisdom and grace in their most important year of Spiritual Formation which will set the foundation for the rest of their religious life.


  


Our four dynamic Second Year Novices, Sisters Anna, Columba, Jordan and Bernard, have plunged into the apostolate with angelic zeal, ever mindful of the Dominican spirit: Contemplare et contemplata allis tradere. Sisters Anna and Columba have been busy completing a Post Graduate Teaching Diploma as well as teaching Catechism at St Thomas Aquinas College while Sisters Jordan and Bernard have been completing a Bachelor of Arts through Tabor College, juggling religious life and school classes too! They have also been a great asset this year, fulfilling the offices of Infirmarian, Chantress, Vestiarian, Sacristan and Assistant Fundraiser. Only just recently, on a trip to complete an IELTS English Test for Teacher Registration, one of the Novices was approached by a lady interested in the Catholic Faith. We are very pleased to announce that she now wishes to become a Catechumen and is preparing herself for the Sacrament of Baptism. A young girl, who recently took up the offer of tutoring from one of the Sisters, is now preparing for three Sacraments within the next few months: Confession, Communion and Confirmation. Please pray for these two souls, as well as for the Sisters just mentioned, who are at this moment studying the Vow of Obedience, preparing for the day when they will solemnly and publicly give themselves wholly and entirely to God by way of the three Evangelical Counsels. A Sacrifice, which after the Holy Mass and martyrdom, cannot be equalled in this life (Fr Louis Colin C.S.S.R.)


While we are on the topic of upcoming events, I may as well add now that we will have the happiness of attending a retreat in January conducted by two Dominican Friars from Belgium who will then go on to give the Priests Retreat in Goulburn after our 2015 ceremonies on January 18th. We are very much looking forward to Dominican Rite Masses again and seeing our Sisters from NZ who will join us, as well as our Dominican male counterparts.

Our two Professed Sisters, Srs Johanna and Thomas, were not long together after their Temporary Profession on January 6th. Sr Johanna, now O.P., was assigned to NZ to teach Maths, look after the bursar work and study, while Sr Thomas O.P. was assigned to remain at the Motherhouse house to continue her study in the Post Graduate Teaching Programme and teach at St Thomas Aquinas College.



As for the Building of the Motherhouse, this has become a number one necessity of late. With more ladies and a Sister on the way this year, and at least 3 Postulants booked in for next year, we have absolutely no room. It has become imperative therefore that we build at least half of our Motherhouse by January 2015. At present we have 16 living in a house which includes Sisters outside in cabins, one in a walk-in-wardrobe, some sharing rooms etc. This is what it looks like in the morning when we all zone in for breakfast. As you can see, it is far from ideal for a house of religious formation.


Thankfully, a kind parishioner donated a caravan and a spare vehicle which have proved very very handy indeed, although we do have a very funny tale to add here. New to the prospect of Caravens on our property, what was our utter astonishment one morning, when after carefully preparing it for a visitor, we found on going to Chapel the next morning that the Caraven had tilted. The occupant had turned over in the night and the Caraven, not fastened to the ground, had moved with her like a see-saw. What we saw in the morning was a hilariously funny sight, one end on the ground and one end high in the air: we wondered how the poor inhabitant had survived. She had; for during meditation we heard a huge thud. She had awoken, moved, and with her came the Caraven. She came in for Mass as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Needless to say, the Caraven is now secured firmly to the ground.

Since the beginning of the year, we have been busy trying to fundraise the necessary 1.5 million for at least half of the Motherhouse plan to be completed. In the first school term a Bike-a-thon was organised which raised over $90,000.


In the second term we organised a Jewellery and Alms Fundraiser which raised over $30,000. For the remainder of the year, Fr Fullerton suggested a “Sponsor-a-Room” Fundraiser which we have now launched and have been promoting these last few weeks. What we have done is divided the whole plan into sizable portions so benefactors can then “sponsor” a whole room ie: cell, office, parlour or part of a room ie: kitchen, library, lecture room etc. Slots range in price and the benefactor has the opportunity of having their name on a plaque in our convent so that they will always be remembered by the Sisters. The idea behind this fundraiser is that many little contributions add up and if all do their little bit, our Motherhouse would be a reality (hint, hint).  Almsgiving too is always rewarded abundantly by God (hint, hint, hint) AND covereth a multitude of sins (hint, hint, hint, hint). Here is a link to our Australian Brochure and Australian Sponsor-a-Room Form. For the U.S, N.Z, Singapore and other countries, please e-mail Mother Mary Rose [sistermaryroseop@gmail.com] for more information.  You will certainly not regret this investment.







So far, diggers have been in to clear the way for the foundations. Preliminaries with a Fabrication Company are underway and we could be building within a few months.  We therefore humbly ask for the following:

1) Your prayers
2) Your sacrifices
3) Your alms

This is so that that we may continue our work of religious formation and Catholic Education. Once our Motherhouse and Teacher Training Institute have been established, many more foundations can be made.

We will pray much over the next few months, and ask that you do too. This one is always useful.

O Lord grant us priests
O Lord grant us Holy Priests
O Lord grant us many Holy Priests
O Lord grant us many Holy Religious Vocations
AND
A Motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters at Tynong, by January 2015





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July Events at Signadou Boarding School

August 9, 2014, 7:45 pm
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Impromptu Drama Competition


On July 2nd, St. Dominic’s held an impromptu drama competition as a chance for the girls to gain points for their houses - Bologna, Calaroga, and Prouille.

The girls were given an hour and a half to write and rehearse a short play
about Mother Aubert.


 This was a wonderful opportunity for the girls to learn about Mother Aubert - who will hopefully be the first canonized saint of New Zealand. They all did a marvelous job, but the judges had to pick a winner. 


1st Place - Bologna
2nd Place - Calaroga
3rd Place - Prouille

A Day of Recollection: 

“All of the glory of the king’s daughter comes from within.”  
On July 16th, girls from the school, with the Children of Mary, spent a day of recollection given by the sisters. Throughout the day, they attended a variety of conferences on various topics regarding the dignity of a woman. 

A sampling of a few of the topics spoken on are shown on the following slides.








In addition to the talks, the girls attended Mass, rosary, and were able to make several visits to the Blessed Sacrament. 



Happy Feast of Signadou!


The boarders celebrated their feast day early with the Sisters on July 20th. On coming back from a week holiday, the boarders were surprised with presents, a decorated refectory, delicious dinner and dessert with the Sisters. 


The girls also had a surprise of their own for Mother Madeleine for her upcoming feast day. They put on a short musical concert featuring several songs from the musical Oliver.


How Signadou got its name...

On July 22nd, 1206, Saint Dominic prayed to the Blessed Mother for a sign to show him what exactly he should do and where he should centre his work. It was then that a flaming ball appeared in the sky hovering over a little abandoned church of Prouille. This happened three times before St. Dominic took the sign as authentic and not a product of his imagination. This miraculous vision is know as Signadou - the sign of God - and was the foundation of the Order of Preachers.



Similarly, the addition of the boarders here at St. Dominic’s has been a work of divine providence. We are very blessed to have such wonderful and loving girls! 

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St Dominic's College ~ a look behind the scenes...

August 18, 2014, 4:31 pm
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Communication between parents and the school is always important, and the Sisters used the recent parent teacher interviews as an opportunity to both outline the Catholic ethos that guide their work and to give parents a glimpse into the school environment into which they entrust their children.  We thought you may enjoy a "look behind the scenes" as well. 

First some Catholic principles 

"Education is essentially a social and not a mere individual activity".  
 Pope Pius XI, Divini Illius Magistri / On Christian Education 


The Sisters made reference to the Encyclical on Catholic Education by Pope Pius XI to stress the necessary importance of co-operation which should exist between home and school. The sisters expressed their gratitude to the parents who share and support their goal of forming good Catholics, true subjects of Christ the King.  

Our thanks to parents who support the school and school activities as well as parishioners who show an interest and participate in our endeavours.

“Whatever a Christian does, even in the order of things of earth, he may not overlook the supernatural; indeed he must according to the teaching of Christian wisdom, direct all things towards the supreme good as to his last end…….;”   St Pius X

Hence, the importance of a Catholic environment, - assembly with prayers; beginning and concluding lessons with prayers; having the crucifix and images of the Saints and Our Lady in the classrooms; offering our duties and activities to God. 

Weekly assembly (above) and School Mass (below)
“. . . without proper religious and moral instruction, every form of intellectual culture will be injurious - for young people not accustomed to respect God, will be unable to bear the restraint of a virtuous life…….” 
Leo  13th

Equally important then is Catholic doctrine and learning the true faith before all else. 



Examples of class activities in Catholic Doctrine:



Senior classes refuting the errors of evolution...
















Junior classes appreciating their faith by looking into missionary activities and the importance of promoting the Catholic faith....  

... fostering love for Our lady as an inspiration for true art and finding examples within a New Zealand context.....

... and increasing their knowledge and love of the Sacred Liturgy.


In particular, the focus of the girls’ school is beauty of the soul, which shines over the body by modesty. That sense of interior beauty is essential, since it gives the Catholic woman the only true beauty which does not fade away. The supernatural life shines through and manifests itself in an atmosphere of honesty, joy and trust.  


One of our pupils received a top achiever award for attaining the highest mark for IGCSE Latin within New Zealand.


Students who received medals in the recent US Latin Examinations  
Academic ties for those achieving an A grade average and with no subject below a B grade.

In selecting subjects for the senior girls we strive for a balance between mastering on the one hand, a good level of depth, and on the other hand, a wide range of topics, for a two-fold purpose:
Firstly -  To ensure as potential mothers, natural and supernatural, they have the necessary abilities to ensure the running of a good catholic home and assist the children with their education.
Secondly - To allow them the entry requirements to university if that be the path God wishes them to choose.

Whatever their future, a good and balanced education will give them a sound understanding of both natural and supernatural truths. This is so that they realise that all truth comes from God and no truth they learn in the world can contradict the truths of the faith.  

Photos from our inter-house competitions and activities – looking at both academic and social aspects:  




 


Photos from the debating competition for the senior girls and public speaking for the junior 
girls on the feast of St Thomas Aquinas.  The adjudicator seems more interested in eyeing the choc-chip biscuits .  


The college also continues the Home Economics course, where the girls do both cooking and sewing programmes; house competitions are aligned with this aspect – the cooking competition during April feast of St Catherine of Sienna – you can see the joy on the faces of the pupils, their happiness and “hungry looks”.















The day of recollection also promoting and focusing particular on the role of women in Catholic society and motherhood.




One subject which has recently received some development in both the boys’ and girls’ schools is music. Since the days of St Mark, who founded the Catechetical school of Alexandria, with the Gospels, the Apostles’ Creed, and Ecclesiastical Chant as his curriculum, music has been one of the basic subjects in Catholic education. In making music an academic subject in the girls’ school, we are not intending to overburden the pupils but simply to focus their and your attention, more seriously on something, which has always been part of the education offered in the parish.

Our parish has always been blessed to have priests who were devoted to the Sacred Liturgy and instructed the faithful, adults and children, to a like devotion. By formalising the music programme, we hope to continue the parish tradition of participating intelligently and devotedly at what the Dominican Mother Francis Raphael calls, “the solemn and thorough celebration of those sacred offices which, in themselves, comprise a body of unequaled religious instruction.”


Besides continuing from previous years, lessons in music appreciation, which introduces the girls to good music, which they can sing, play or listen to for recreation, we have introduced a new programme, the Ward Method, for teaching sight-singing of both Gregorian and Modern notation.


The hope is that this will gradually make it easier to learn new pieces in the part of the Chant lesson which is devoted to learning new polyphonic and Gregorian pieces for use at Mass.


Pupils are encouraged to use their God given talents to represent the school and themselves in other activities outside the school arena.  "Jam it down" represented the College in a music competition.  


This year the school blazer has been introduced for senior pupils, and worn by pupils when representing the school.


Other activities for this first part of the year included:
 The Impromptu drama competition earlier this month which looked at the life of Mother Aubert –  on whom the theme of the school camp due to take place later this year is based.



        The school have 2 netball teams entered into the Secondary schools competition
          – Our thanks to Mr Foster and Mrs Tangira for coaching.




We conclude by thanking all our families, friends and benefactors for their support and hope to report back soon on our St Dominic's Day celebrations and annual Teachers vs Students  netball game, the spelling bee competition and bike-a-thon fundraiser - all of which is taking place before the end of August which also means the start of term break, and a period of well deserved rest to both pupils and teachers. 
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Our Adventurous Actions in August

September 27, 2014, 10:37 pm
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August is always a special month to look forward to in any Dominican Calendar!  Not only do the words Arise, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, for winter will soon be over and the rain over and gone come to mind, but it also means celebrations of the most solemn kind for the Feast of Our Holy Father on August 4th. At this time, any true daughter of St Dominic will always be preparing days in advance, sometimes even weeks, for this most joyous day when not only the order, but the whole Church will celebrate the founding of the Order of Friars Preachers. 



Our preparations here in Tynong began with a little surprise. Never does it snow due to the temperate climate, even in Winter, but one late day in July we had a rather odd hail storm which left our surroundings looking like it was covered in a white blanket. For our Singaporean Sisters it was pure delight and we resolved then and there to try to fit in a day when we could take them to see and experience “real snow”. True is the saying that the most simple things in life give one much joy. What joy one experiences too when one gives up all earthly possessions and consequently all temporal cares in order to devote oneself entirely to obtaining heavenly treasures.




At last the Vigil came and First Solemn Vespers was chanted in the evening at the Church along with dedicated Dominican Tertiaries and devout faithful, with Rosary and Benediction following soon after. We were fortunate enough too to have Fr Marc Nely SSPX visiting at that time from Menzingen. Father naturally presided over Vespers and also celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass the next day. It was a lovely liturgical start to the Feast Day, since a Dominican is first and foremost a contemplative. The Sacrifice of the Mass is always the climax of our day and the Divine Office a preparation and continuation of that Sacrifice. Some authors have compared the Mass to the Sun and the Divine Office, to the sun’s rays, which spread far and wide the glory of the sun.  Our Holy Father St Dominic Himself, once a Canon Regular, would tend to the Sacred Liturgy with much devotion and He always made the Mass the Centre of His life to the point that witnesses would frequently see him celebrate Mass with tears in his eyes.

Consequently, In imitation of our Saintly Founder, we had a good holy start to the morning, and only then did we proceed to have a special breakfast with Father and a most jolly and recreative morning. We divided ourselves into four teams and competed in various games devised by our Creative Canonical Novices. I must say, the most amusing game we participated in involved working as a team to carry 4 eggs, one at a time, from one end of the room to the other with a tea towel – no touching eggs with hands allowed. It was very interesting to see how each group worked in order to accomplish the task at hand.  Needless to say we were eating quite a few eggs thereafter but having lots of fun nevertheless.




Just after noon we partook of a splendid meal prepared by a lovely Cook in the Parish by the name of Mrs Lisa Braaksma. It was very very difficult not to tuck in enthusiastically since we had to be mindful of our traditional SISTERS vs STUDENTS netball game at 2pm. And what a game! Neck to neck all the way until the last quarter, when the final whistle brought the game to an end and a victory for both teams, since the scored turned out to be 17-17. Might I add the point that each quarter saw a whole new team of fresh and youthful girls play, while their opponents, the gracefully aging Sisters, plodded on playing a full 40 minute game.




The presentation of the Cup was followed by an afternoon tea for Benefactors, Tertiaries, Friends and Faithful as well as Past Dominican Pupils and the enjoyable day ended with the Divine Office – II Vespers, Matins and Compline.



On the Feasts of the Assumption and Ascension, we usually try to ASSUME or ASCEND something, so on August 15th, off we went to Mt Baw Baw to give our Equatorial Sisters a chance to experience what it is like in real snow. This gave us a day filled with such wonderful memories that we sang all the way home.



Soon after, our Sister Mary Anna, accompanied the St Thomas Aquinas College School Choir to an Eisteddfod.  And for those wondering what this peculiar word is all about, it is an annual festival, with competitions in stage, speech, dance and music. The girls performed beautifully and the adjudicator mentioned that as a choir they had a rare sweet quality of voice. They proudly walked away at the end of the night with a 1st and 3rd place, two lots of prize money and a rather prominent trophy.

Now Spring is here, the flowers are in bloom, the brightly coloured parrots fly to and fro, the sun is shining, the kangaroos are hopping about once again and one feels like leaping over the hills singing the praises of God. Again do the beautiful words of the Canticle of Canticles come to mind: The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come; the voice of the turtle dove is heard; Arise, my love, my beautiful one and come……I have found Him whom my soul loveth.



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Snippets of August & September at Signadou

September 28, 2014, 2:30 pm
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Feast of St. Dominic: Vigil

In honor of St. Dominic’s feast day, the girls’ school had their annual
St. Dominic’s Vigil festivities on August 3rd.  



The theme this year was "Black and White".


The night began with Vespers and Rosary in the church. After, the girls joined the sisters, as well as priests and brother for an evening of food and games - pinatas, scavenger races and more.  



The joyous night ended with Compline at the church.

Feast of St. Dominic

A painting of our Holy Father, done by a tertiary Dominican
On Monday, August 4th, the girls of St. Dominic’s College attended morning Mass together and had the rest of the day off school.  



After the Mass, a brunch was held for the benefactors and alumni of the school and the girls and their classmates helped out by serving coffee and tea to the guests. 


Annual Teachers vs. Students Netball Game

On the afternoon of August 4th, St. Dominic’s College had their annual Teachers vs. Students Netball game. 



After many weeks of practice, both teams did very well; however, the students came out ahead 19 - 14, and celebrated with the candy filled trophy and a victorious afternoon tea. 

Bike-a-thon


The annual fundraiser went well, with sisters and girls racing to see how many laps they could accumulate.  The first round of bikers went smoothly, though some girls, who had made all-time records for most laps (108!), were a bit wobbly after coming off of their bikes.  Then the second round began and about a quarter of the way through it, the rain began as well.  

It continued and some were concerned about how much longer the biking could go on before the track became too wet to safely pedal upon.  The atmosphere was a beautifully religious one, as the bikers in the rain made their rounds, they could hear various groups of girls and sisters on the 'sidelines' (who were counting laps) singing the Salve Regina.  (Dominican pupils are well versed in the tradition of singing three Salves to beg our Lady to take away the rain)  The rain did not intensify, so the second round of bikers were able to complete their hour without too much interference.  Below is an account from one of the pupils:

"On the 20th of August, I had the most tiring (but fun...) day of my whole life. It was my first time doing a bike-a-thon. Though I usually bike around my city back home, the bike-a-thon was different. There was a time limit of one hour only. I was terribly nervous so I decided to ride in the second round after watching the other people ride in the first round. After they had all finished, I hopped on my bike hoping that I would get many laps. Before the starting bell rang, I prayed that no accidents happened (unfortunately one girl fell off her bike, but she only bruised her knee). I pedaled as fast as I could but of course I needed enough energy to finish so I kept my pace carefully. At the 20 minute mark, it started to rain. My skirt was drenched and became heavy but I tried to keep my pace. The last ten minutes was the hardest as I began to get cramps in my arms and my legs were numb and sore. However, I prayed and gave all my energy; at last, the finish bell rang."

Netball Victory

On August 30th, both of St. Dominic’s netball teams played in the finals. 
The games were very close and very intense, going back and forth between the teams - each scoring goals continuously. 




However, Deo Gratias, both the A and B teams were victorious in their levels:
Final Scores
A-team: 26-24
B-team: 16-14




The Merchant of Venice

“The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath...”


On September 24th, the Form 3 and 4 girls performed The Merchant of Venice. 

The Merchant of Venice focuses on Christian womanhood.
The play's conclusion is a beautiful vision of the ordered balance between individual happiness  and the good of society.


In one of the themes of the play, Christian womanhood, Shakespeare presents Portia, one of the loveliest women whom he created.  Portia represents womanhood at its most exalted on account of her femininity, humility and quiet strength, reminiscent of the valiant woman of Proverbs.


The play finishes with God's order triumphant and with harmony reigning.  Antonio and Portia have reflected God's order and peace, and happiness has now come to them.

Eucharistic Crusaders

On Thursday, September 18th, the Crusaders participated in the Eucharistic Crusader day. Starting with Mass in the morning, the day included crafts, games, and songs with Father Bochkoltz, the chaplain, and sisters and helpers. 




The children then went to the Bason Reserve to play a huge game of scavenger hunt. After finishing, all the students returned to the church to say a rosary in front of the
Blessed Sacrament. 
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September 2014 at Rosary Convent

October 28, 2014, 9:00 pm
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The month of September heralds the coming of Spring here in Victoria, and our community was able to rejoice in the beautiful feast days of two of our members here at Rosary Convent. The feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin on September 15 had us commemorating the very first name day of Sister Maria Dolores, a canonical novice whose patron is none other than the Queen of Martyrs. The Mass and Office of that day recalls her Compassion with the Crucified Saviour and the Church's confidence in her maternal intercession for the redeemed faithful of Christ. May our dear Sister and our congregation continue to reap a rich spiritual harvest of graces for souls under the loving protection of a Mother who has suffered so much for our salvation.



The 29th of September was the Feast of St Michael the Archangel and Mother General’s Feast Day, and this year saw the Sisters at Rosary Convent making the day extra special in thanksgiving to Almighty God for our Foundress and Congregation.



As you might know, Mich-a-el means "who is like God," and it was this great Archangel who was chosen to lead God's army against Satan's forces. Thus Christian antiquity portrays him wielding a sword for he is truly the protector and the leader of the angelic army against the forces of evil. Indeed, there can be a parallel drawn between the great Archangel and the great St. Dominic who, in the 1200’s, was chosen by God to lead a new army of Religious – the Dominican Order.

St. Michael’s war cry is QUIS UT DEUS (who is like God?) and the Dominican motto is VERITAS (Truth). The Rosary worn by all Dominicans is attached on the left side and reflects both of these maxims as the sword used in their work of defending the Catholic faith and the interests of Christ. We thus honoured both St. Michael the Archangel and St Dominic in Mother Mary Micaela O.P. during this festive day.


This year, September the 29th fell on a Monday within the Spring term break. Our day at Rosary Convent began with Mass at Corpus Christi Church. It was a mild morning and heaven smiled sweetly down on us with the newness of spring, enabling us to lunch outside with our honoured guests Frs. Michael Delsorte and Jordie Stephens.

We then continued with tradition in the form of a festive play written by the Novices.  A light-hearted One-Act-Comedy, based on an adaptation of A.A Milne’s The Ugly Ducking, was performed by a cast of stately court characters who portrayed the hilarious predicament of a beautiful Princess deemed hideous by all who saw her. The desperate attempts of her family to marry her off to an unsuspecting Prince results in a whole series of mistaken and disguised identities before finally culminating in a happily-ever-after ending of a love match for the royal couple and a beautiful fruit cake set alight by sparklers for the delighted sisters.




Mother General laughed heartily at the anecdotes, wisecracks and hilarious scenes that were littered throughout the play and at seeing her fellow sisters displaying their dramatic acting talents. Props and costumes in the form of cloaks, crowns, wigs and beards were used lavishly, the most notable being a platinum blonde wig worn by Sister Mary Anna who played the handsome Prince and the thick black bushy beard sported by Mother Mary Rose who acted as the King.



Fides the puppy also made her first appearance in the play as a jester’s dog. She gamely served as a source of revulsion, in spite of her sweet appearance, to a Sister acting as an uptight cleaning lady. The excitement and effort seemed a bit too much for Fides at the end, and she was carried out for a well-earned rest.




The spring break was not to finish without a Community trip to the great Australian outdoors. Mount Cannibal, a mere 10 minute drive from the convent, was our next destination a few days after the festivities ended. At an elevation of 241 metres, this granite hill offered challenging hiking along its steep paths as well as a variety of native wild-flowers and trees.


We huffed and puffed our way up the rocky route. Two distinctive vegetation communities exist in this reserve, with healthy woodland in the lower area and lowland forest as we rise up the hill. 


Finally, we were rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding town areas and countryside. A big lovely boulder hung off the edge of the cliff at the top of the hill, and the more cautious of the group simply watched with some horror as the braver Sisters stood very close to the edge on this rocky outcrop.


Fortunately, no cannibals were sighted, and we descended downhill for a drive through the charming Tynong-Garfield countryside.
























Well-refreshed and ready for the beginning of the last school term, we headed back to St Thomas Aquinas College under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary at the beginning of October. May God grant that we will bear in mind our mission to preach the truth and to guide our charges, like St Michael and his angels, away from the spiritual and moral pitfalls they might encounter.




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The Month of the Holy Rosary at Tynong

November 3, 2014, 7:15 pm
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The month of the Holy Rosary has always been a time of special spiritual joy for Dominican religious communities and their associates, and is crowned by the beautiful feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. It is the patronal feast of Rosary Convent and a first-class liturgical celebration for the entire Dominican order, and it was certainly greeted with much anticipation by our sisters.

The Office for this day recounts in detail each of the various mysteries of the holy Rosary as well as some of the glorious prerogatives that crown our Blessed Mother; namely her Divine Maternity and position asMediatrix of all graces.


“Approach, ye nations; roses rare to gather from these mysteries fair; and thus plait crowns in heaven above for her, the Mother of fair love. Glory be given to the Trinity, Who through each sacred Mystery, on those who pray may graces rain, that they to glory may attain.” (From the Vespers hymn of October 7 from the Dominican breviary). 

 Pope St. Pius V (a Dominican) instituted this feast, under the title of "Our Lady of Victory," in thanksgiving for Our Lady's response to the Christian nations who had been tirelessly reciting the Rosary for the intention of a victory over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. 

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title to the "Feast of the Holy Rosary” and appointed the first Sunday of October for its celebration. Later on, Pope Leo XIII, moved by the sorrowful trials under which the Church groaned during his pontificate, raised this feast to one of the second Class with a new Mass and Office. 

Commonly known as the Pope of the Rosary, he wrote thirteen eloquent encyclicals on this devotion and encouraged its devout recitation as a means to combat the diverse moral and political evils that plagued societies and families in his day.

Additionally, the familiar tradition of the Holy Rosary being entrusted to St Dominic as a fruitful weapon in his attempts to extinguish heresy and immorality highlights the character of this devotion as an essential weapon in spiritual warfare. This devotion and feast day were clearly instituted and celebrated for centuries in honour of Our Lady's protection over the Church both from heresy within and from insidious attacks without.  

May we then turn to our Immaculate Queen in these times marked by countless assaults against the Catholic Church and the true faith, entrusting ourselves to the Blessed Virgin's intercession.



A whole array of saints also surrounded our Blessed Mother during this grace-filled month. On October 3rd, we delighted in the feast day of St Thérèse of Liseux, patroness of the missions and of our very own Sister Marie Thérèse. A celebratory cake in the shape of a Cross served as the feast day centrepiece and a reminder of the countless loving sacrifices made by St Thérèse in her desire to aid the divine work of Redemption. We hope fervently that this Carmelite nun, one of the greatest saints of modern times, would intercede for our humble missionary efforts down under in Australia, which until recently has been classified as a missionary country. 

The celebrations continued on October 4th, the feast day of the Seraphic Patriarch St Francis of Assisi. He is especially honoured by the Dominican order as a beloved friend of St Dominic and a fellow labourer in Christ’s vineyard, and we greatly rejoiced with Sister Mary Francis on the occasion of her first name day.


 A chocolate-covered cake ingeniously put together into the shape of a Cathedral was a lovely surprise for Sister Francis, who, like her glorious predecessor, is called to labour in the apostolate and rebuild the Church of Christ (albeit, we presume, in a more obscure and hidden manner).


October 23rd witnessed another new development in the construction process of our new convent. Our superiors journeyed down to the town of Sale for the relatively enjoyable task of selecting new colour schemes for the buildings. Black, cream and various shades of white were the dominant hues chosen alongside timber for the flooring, reflecting the colours of our order as well as fulfilling the requirements of tasteful simplicity.

 An in-house rosary crusade also began at this time as we urgently pleaded for the intercession of the Queen of the Rosary. This took the form of a novena which ended on the feast of Christ the King. Realising all too well the great need for more donations, for dry weather to finish the foundations and for the approval of our building permit, we recited our beads and had recourse to the unfailing aid of prayer.  We ask too for our dear readers and benefactors to continue their prayers and generosityin this campaign to finish the Mother-house in time, especially as we welcome at least 4 new postulants for 2015. In the meantime, new cells and a new refectory will have to be carved out from the existing space we now have. 

 The homage paid to the Queen of Heaven this month culminated in the feast of Christ the King. For the first time ever at Rosary Convent, we attempted to pay a magnificent homage to Our Lord with…. heaps of paint covered sawdust!



This dusty material duly formed the basis of a simple but elegant Agnus Dei design on the grounds of the convent in preparation for the procession which was to stop outside our chapel. 


On the Friday and Saturday before the feast day, creative hands and eyes painstakingly dyed and sprinkled the coloured sawdust into an intricate design that took its inspiration from the Book of the Apocalypse. It honoured Christ as the Lamb who was slain for our salvation, as well as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all creation. 





Fides the dog took a great liking to the lamb motif and to the soft sawdust

Other sisters with green thumbs took to turning the numerous and messy piles of roses, chrysanthemums, orchids (and other species too unfamiliar to be named by us!) into arrangements that surrounded the throne of Our Eucharistic Lord. The rose bushes at the Church and at the College in particular duly surrendered their spring blossoms to adorn the altar of repose.




At the Sung Mass on the festal day, Fr. Stephens gave a memorable sermon on the Kingship of Our Lord and neatly arranged his main points under the acronym of KING, which served as a most useful mnemonic. He exhorted the faithful to devote themselves more and more to His service by getting to know and imitate their Divine Master with promptitude and while relying on the abundant grace offered by God. The Mass was followed by a Eucharistic procession to and back from the convent.


“If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire.

He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God. If all these truths are presented to the faithful for their consideration, they will prove a powerful incentive to perfection.” (The Encyclical Quas Primas, by Pope Pius XI).



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Signadou Snippets - October 2014

November 5, 2014, 7:46 pm
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A Warm Welcome to:


Marie-Jeanne and Domitille

Marie-Jeanne and her daughter, Domitille, are originally from Haute-Savoie, France, but have currently been living in New Caledonia. They are spending three weeks with us. Domitille is attending school, and Marie-Jeanne is helping with the French classes and in the boarding house.



Sr. Mary Anna

Sr. M Anna has come from the Rosary Convent in Tynong to do her second practicum at St. Anthony’s Primary school.






The New Addition to the Convent

We are pleased to announce the much needed addition to the convent. On October 14th, Mother Madeleine and Sister Catherine went to Auckland to pick up the 2006 Ford Transit. This bus will be very useful with our upcoming school camping trip.



Inter-House Netball Competition

On October 7th, St. Dominic’s had an inter-house netball competition. After a shared lunch, the three teams played against each other to gain points for their house.

The scores were:  Bologna vs Calaroga: 9-4
                    Bologna vs Prouille: 10-5
                    Calaroga vs Prouille: 8-4





Inter-House Music Competition



On October 17th, St. Dominic’s College had their Inter-House Music Competition. The competition began with all three houses singing Some Folks Do with each giving it their own personal touch. 





Calaroga came in first place; 
Bologna came in second, and Prouille came in third. 






The girls then had the chance to compete in the individual/small group competition. There were four categories: Junior Vocal, Junior Instrumental, Senior Vocal, and Senior Instrumental. 







Many thanks to Sr. M Anna who had the difficult job of being the adjudicator. She ended by giving the girls wonderful advise and encouragement on improving both vocal and instrumental pieces.







   
Our Lady of Fatima Procession




On October 13th, we had the opportunity of attending a procession to the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. I processed with the Children of Mary behind the Sisters We sang hymns and prayed the rosary during the procession. This is a great way to honour Our Lady on her special feast day.
Our Lady of Fatima,
Pray for us.
~ Student of St. Dominic's College






History Play

On October 15th, the Form 1 & 2 girls wrote and performed plays explaining two of the mysteries of Faith: The First Battle and The Last Judgment. 







Eucharistic Crusaders' Ceremony

On October 23rd, the Eucharistic Crusaders partook in a ceremony to receive their badges and their cloaks. In becoming a Crusader and a Handmaid, the girls made promises in regards to fulfilling their Catholic duty such as saying the rosary each day, spiritual reading, and making sacrifices. 






Singing with the Sisters

We always look forward to recreation with the Sisters. We especially love the ‘Musical Recreation.’ The Sisters all have lovely voices. It is very fun to sing with them. Every second we spend with the Sisters  are surely to be enjoyed. It is really great having Sister Anna here as well. She is a great pianist; she also has a really good voice. We sang many songs during recreation such as ‘Drunken Sailor,’ ‘Polly Wolly Doodle,’ and ‘The Gypsy Rover.’ We also played many instruments such as the triangle, a tiny drum, and the maracas. It was like the ‘Sound of Music’, but even better!

~ Signadou Boarder








 On October 19th, the boarders released 
the premiere of:

Boarders: The Movie

A movie explaining how the boarders use to be and how they changed.
Well...maybe...







A Day at the Zoo

On the 22nd of October, we had the chance to go out of school and go on a school field trip. Yay! It was a reward for having doubled our quota for the Bike-a-thon fundraiser. We decided to go to the Wellington Zoo and see all the animals. Our trip to the zoo took approximately four hours, and during the van ride there, we had lots of fun; we sang, we ate, and we talked. We did not get bored at all because we enjoyed each other’s company. We encountered some car problems, but we made it there anyways. At the zoo, we were able to see many animals. Most of them I have never even seen before such as the giraffes and the kiwi birds. After the zoo, we went to the dairy and bought a lot of food. The trip back was also fun. We ate lots of food. It was a very fun day!
~Signadou Boarder





New Caledonia Day

Marie-Jeanne and Emeline put together 'New Caledonia Day' for the boarders on October 27th where they were encouraged to speak French throughout the day. Marie-Jeanne first taught the girls about sand art, and they had a lot of fun using their creativity to create different artworks. The girls then took turns in the kitchen with Emeline learning how to cook a traditional New Caledonian dish - Bougna. The refectory was decorated with New Caledonian décor. The tables were then pushed aside and lunch was serve picnic style. After lunch, Marie-Jeanne and Emeline set up a movie (in French) for the girls in the recreation room. The girls had a lovely day! 




The Feast of Christ the King

On October 26th, the Feast of Christ the King, St. Anthony’s had a beautiful Eucharistic Procession following the Sung High Mass. The boarders processed with the Eucharistic Crusaders and the Children of Mary. The first part of the procession was to a beautiful, hand-made altar where Benediction was given. The procession continued around the block of the Church and then made its way back to the outside of the church to another beautifully made altar where Benediction was given and the faithful were able to adore the Blessed Sacrament. After the procession, the Form 1 & 2 girls and boys gave speeches about Eucharistic Miracles that they have been studying in their Catechism class. All the students did a wonderful job!






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Signadou Boarding School

December 16, 2014, 12:07 pm
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The Last Three Months of the School Year 2014

Farewell to Madame Pipon and Domitille

On October 31st, the Sisters and boarders said good-bye to Madame Pipon and Domitille with a farewell dinner. It was really wonderful having them here and a big thank you to Madame Pipon for all her hard work and to Domitille for bringing her youthful energy and plenty of laughs. 


Piano Recitals

The Boarders took turns in performing in different piano recitals a number of lovely pieces, including ‘Allegro’ by Haydn, ‘Habenera’ by Ernesto Halffter, ‘Praembulum’ (Partita V) by Bach, Pomp and Circumstance, La Cumparsita, Aura Lee, Clarinet Song, Valley of Tears and Polka Mazurka. There was also a beautiful duet with Sr M Anna who played ‘Ave Maria’ on the violin. 


Poi Making
On Saturday, November 15th, the girls learned to make pois. Poi means ball in Maori. A string is taken and braided, then cotton taken and wrapped with plastic and shaped into a ball at the end. The girls used them to learn a dance for the camp swinging it up, down, front, and back. All had their fair share of fun.



November's Birthdays and Feastdays at Signadou


Camp Notre Dame de Paris

This year’s camp centred on the life of Mother Aubert whose cause is up for canonization. The camp also focused on French (as Mother Aubert is originally from France) giving the girls a chance to practise the French that they have been learning this year.


The girls were divided into three teams: Les Occitanes, Les Savoyardes, Les Bretons
Each team had their own colours, team mascot, headbands, team cry, and team song.

Thursday
Virtue of the Day: Charity

Following Mass, the girls visited a museum to learn about Mother Aubert’s life and all the work she did in New Zealand. Afterwards, they visited the cemetery where Mother Aubert was buried. They then visited the statue at Paraparaumu and prayed the rosary at our Lady's feet. The day ended with a  school dinner, to which the other priests, sisters and the brothers were invited.

Friday
Virtue of the Day: Self-Sacrifice
After sleeping at the school, the girls went to Mass in the morning then headed off to a Skyline Walk. The first group went on a longer hike with Fr. Bochkoltz. Though it began to rain, the girls kept their spirits up, built a fire, and completed the course. The second group left at a later time, and although they also were rained upon, they still had lots of fun. Everyone then met at Jerusalem - where Mother Aubert did most of her work and where we spent the remainder of the camp.
Saturday
Virtue of the Day: Faith

After attending morning Mass, the girls went jet boating on the Wanganui River then hiked up to the “Bridge to Nowhere.”  After the hike and jet boating, the girls were able to go canoeing for two hours on the Wanganui River.

Sunday
Virtue of the Day: Generosity

On the first day of Advent, the girls celebrated the countdown to Christmas with poi dances and singing competitions, crafts, and the making of the nativity scene by each team. Sunday night continued with a fun-filled presentation of Mother Aubert by Mlle Doutre, a campfire, fireworks, and a game of spotlight.


Monday
Virtue of the Day: Gratitude

On the last day of the camp, each of the girls were awarded a certificate for a certain quality that they showed throughout the past four days.
 
School Prize Giving Ceremony
On December 4th, St. Dominic’s College held their annual prize-giving ceremony. 

Children of Mary

Signadou's two eldest boarders became official members of the Children of Mary at the Consecration ceremony on December 5th. They made their promises to uphold the rules of the Children of Mary and received the privilege of being able to wear the blue cloak.


 After all of the events of the busy past three months, the boarders headed home for the holidays. It has been a wonderful year and the sisters are looking forward to seeing them again next year!


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How to commence a new year in 2015

January 29, 2015, 8:45 pm
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Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock. (Matthew 7:24-25)


As Dominican religious who try to aid the cause of the Catholic Church in her mission to lead souls along the path of salvation, a sound plan of action is needed if we are to succeed in this noble cause for the new year. The apostles who wish to sanctify souls must themselves firstly be closely united with God, for one cannot give to others what one does not already possess.

In putting into practice the above words of Our Lord, January is thus a month where our spiritual energies are consolidated together by our annual retreat before being dedicated to God by the ceremonies of clothing and profession. These are then channelled under the direction of our superiors into our apostolate of teaching and prayer.

A stained glass window depicting
St Catherine of Siena in
St Dominic's Church, Camberwell. 
St Catherine of Siena gives us a beautiful analogy of an overflowing fountain: each religious is a fountain, receiving the water which is Christ through contemplation, and then letting the water overflow onto others through our apostolate. Our prayer and contemplation must come first in our lives because it is only through these means that we can give with profit to those who come to us.

It was then with much anticipation that we looked forward to the first week of January. The three kings who arrived at the infant Jesus’s crib on the Epiphany brought with them to Tynong Fathers Albert and Thomas, two Dominican friars from Belgium who had come to preach the annual retreat and to direct the ceremonies.

This precious sense of fraternal unity within our Dominican family was further highlighted by the arrival of our own sisters from Wanganui a few days later.

The blessed union of mind and heart in Christ that was promised by the Holy Ghost to brethren who dwell in unity (Ps 132) was experienced sensibly by us, and was nourished especially by our participation in the Dominican rite of Holy Mass (a rare occurrence here!)
The sisters on a trip to Emerald Lake Park.


A tour of St Dominic's Priory at Camberwell, East Melbourne

















Praying the Dominican Office together at the College chapel


Therefore, behold I will allure her, and will lead her into the wilderness: and I will speak to her heart. (Osee 2:14)


As Father Albert O.P. emphasised, it was necessary to retreat into the desert if we were to hear the voice of Our Lord and respond to Him. The spiritual life, that indispensable and foundational element of true union with God, was chosen as the theme of our retreat from 10 to 18 January. 

 The golden thread linking the various conferences on the Redemption, sin, grace, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the theological virtues, the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the various stages of spiritual progress was of course none other than writings of the Angelic Doctor, notably his Summa Theologica.
A lecture by Father Thomas O.P. in the school library










Much wisdom was also drawn from a constellation of saints by both friars-- St Bernard of Clairvaux, St Therese of Liseux, St Bernadine of Siena and H.E. Archbishop Lefebvre contributed many of their own examples and works for our edification and instruction.




A special highlight of the retreat was the Salve procession during the office of Compline. This homage to Our Lady and Patroness of the order is dear to every Dominican heart, and it was enhanced by the attendance of our entire congregation of sisters. The substantial train of religious served as a testimony to the graces of vocation received through the mediation of her Immaculate Heart.



On 18 January, Miss Alexandra Reis from Ontario, Canada was received as a postulant by our congregation after the morning Office. The simple reception ceremony ended with the Salve Regina and the smiles of the entire community were evident as we prayed to the Immaculate Heart for her maternal intercession over our newest entrant.




















Miss Alexandra Reis with Sister Mary Francis


“What do you ask?”
“God’s mercy and yours, Father.” (The Ceremonies of Clothing and Profession)


As mentioned above, an important step in the hallowing of a new year to the glory of God and to the sanctification of our neighbour is the dedication of our entire self to His love.

The ceremonies of religious clothing and the profession and renewal of vows enable the new novices and newly professed to consecrate themselves in varying degrees to God through the religious state. 



These progressive stages of consecration to God set the sister down the path to becoming a “living image of the church, a virgin by the purity of her faith, a bride by loving fidelity to the will of Christ in fervent charity, a mother by self-sacrifice for the salvation of souls [and a] living temple of God by her life of prayer” (Fr. Paul Hinnebusch, O.P.). 




In changing their secular dress for the Dominican habit, five new novices undertook the first steps of renouncing the world and self at their official entrance into our congregation. A new group of Dominican saints were chosen as patrons for our new sisters who took on their names, in accordance with their desire to put off the old man with his deeds (Col 3:9).






Miss Katherine Korr from the United States is now known as Sister Mary Peter, after the Veronese martyr and defender of the faith. The Office for the feast of our sister’s glorious patron proclaims the victory of a champion who, endowed with the brilliance of virginity, eloquence and miracles, fell from the assassin’s blow while writing the Credo in his own blood.

Sister Mary Peter

















St Augustine of Hippo, our law giver and father, has his name adopted by the former Miss Elizabeth Smith from Wanganui. His holy rule, chosen by St Dominic for its flexibility and breadth of spirit, has served as the guide for religious perfection for countless Dominicans over 800 years. 

Sister Mary Augustina
















Blessed Diana d’Andalo became the heavenly patron of Miss Genevieve Erbacher who hails from Queensland. Founder of the convent of St Agnes in Bologna and noted for her deep spiritual friendship with Blessed Jordan of Saxony, she had earlier made a vow to St Dominic himself to enter the order in spite of the resistance of her family.


Sister Mary Diana
















Miss Mary Williams from St Mary’s in Kansas received the name of Sister Mary Vincent Ferrer. This Angel of the Apocalypse who re-ignited the spiritual soul of Western Europe in the early 15thcentury by his preaching is a model for us sisters who are called to re-evangelise a world which has turned away from God.

Sister Mary Vincent
















Our Lady of Sorrows, the exemplar of apostolic immolation for all religious souls, assumes her patronage over a former Society oblate who is now called Sister Mary of Compassion.

Sister Mary of Compassion

















Crowned with a coronet of thorns and armed with the crucifix and rosary, our new novices are exhorted to imitate the Crucified Christ in their vocation and to serve Him and His Blessed Mother with fervour. 




Please pray for them as they begin an entire year of intense spiritual formation through their classes in Dominican spirituality and the Rule and Constitutions together with additional periods of silence, study and prayer.



“He has placed His sign on my brow, that I may admit no other lover.” (Ceremony of Profession)

In making her First Profession the sister exchanges her white veil for a black one, symbolic of her consecration to God. In preparation for her Final Vows which are made usque ad mortem (until death), he sister promises to live in poverty, chastity and obedience, according to the Rule of St. Augustine and our Constitutions for three years and then for two additional years. 




These vows bind the religious to God and turn her entire life with its daily sacrifices, acts and aspirations into a holocaust that is consumed by love. Religious Profession is, after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and martyrdom, the most fruitful source of graces for the Church and for souls.

It was thus a great source of joy for our congregation to receive three First Professions and another three renewals of vows on this day.

Sister Mary Anna, Sister Maria Columba and Sister Mary Jordan made their first vows, promising obedience to God, to the Blessed Virgin, to St Dominic and to the Mother Prioress General for three years.

Sister Mary Anna O.P. making First Profession

Sister Maria Columba O.P. making First Profession

Sister Mary Jordan O.P. making First Profession
“An unparalleled promise! The Church knows well in her wisdom that those who choose obedience, that those who practice it, possesses everything. This promise is a contract of love. Without faith, this contract is incomprehensible, it becomes an enigma. We remember those religious, who, during the French Revolution refused to leave, to disobey…those who were happy to submit themselves to that which the revolutionaries called ‘an intolerable yoke.’ Their love of authority was as solid as their faith, unchangeable as their faith, for God alone and to God alone.” (The cloistered Dominicans nuns of Arville.)



Sister Maria Lucia O.P., Sister Mary Jacinta O.P. and Sister Mary Anthony O.P also renewed their temporary profession for another two years during the ceremony.

Sister Maria Lucia O.P. renewed her vows for two years
Sister Mary Jacinta O.P. renewed her vows for two years
Sister Mary Anthony O.P. renewed her vows for two years

These acts of profession have consequences for eternity both for the religious and for the souls she is responsible for. The sister is no longer the same after, for she is engaged entirely to the service and love of the Holy Trinity and consecrated exclusively to Him.

The 3 Professed sisters who renewed their vows.


The Celebrant invokes the Blessed Trinity in
the final blessing that is given to the newly Professed.

The celebratory cake for the
new Novices
The celebratory cake for the
Professed sisters



"A religious will save by his prayers, labours and mortifications more souls in one year than in the whole of his life out of religion. As to his own personal merits, he will gain more in one year by practising obedience than in ten years by living in the world according to his own will". --St Alphonsus Liguori.


NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT ROSARY CONVENT

 “The Novitiate begins with the clothing and immediately after the clothing the novice participates in all the indulgences and spiritual favours granted by the Holy See to the Professed sisters…The Novitiate shall be, as far as possible, separated from the part of the convent in which the Professed sisters live.” (Our Constitutions)

An aspirant visiting our community this New Year will witness the setting up of proper novitiate quarters. A larger population of sisters within the Motherhouse and the availability of some extra space have now enabled us to provide an environment conducive to the formation of our novices and postulants.

Our community is pleased to announce that we now have the capacity to conform more closely to the requirements of canon law, where the professed sisters generally recreate and work separately from the novices who are devoting themselves to their religious training.

We are also delighted to announce that Sister Mary Thomas O.P. and Sister Mary Anna O.P. will be present at St Thomas Aquinas College in the capacity of form teachers in the Secondary School, having completed their teacher training during the previous year. Please pray for these newly registered teachers as well as for our student sisters who are still training and studying for their education degrees.

In the library at St Dominic' priory, Camberwell

Our vocation as teachers cannot be limited to helping students develop their academic skills, for it must first assist them in acquiring knowledge of the Truth, which has its origin and being in God. The history of the Church, from antiquity down to the present is full of admirable examples of consecrated persons who have sought and continue to seek holiness through their apostolate of education while at the same time proposing holiness as the fundamental goal of education.

May God give us the grace to achieve these lofty goals and to imitate these glorious predecessors in our vocation. 






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Sisterly Happenings at Rosary Convent

March 15, 2015, 2:53 am
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“The whole Church enjoys the help of the Heavenly Doctor, 
but Dominic’s Order shines with special glory” 

(Matins Antiphon, Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas).


On the 7th March we celebrated the Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelic Doctor of the Church and famous Dominican. Saint Thomas received the Dominican Habit while quite young and studied philosophy and theology under Saint Albert the Great. He is perhaps best known for his writing of the Summa Theologica (or a summary of the Catholic Doctrine). He never studied without first praying, and is the patron of all Catholic Schools.

We celebrated Sister Mary Thomas’ feast day at Rosary Convent with an abundance of home-made pizza and a ‘Summa’ cake (compliments of talented postulant, Miss Alexandra Reis). The priests also came to join us in celebrating one of our great saints as he is also the patron of the SSPX school here in Tynong.  

 






The highlight of the day was the news that the long awaited permit for the building of our new convent had been approved! Our novena to St Thomas has been answered!! With this news, the building of the convent at 1 Tynong Road, on the school grounds, can finally move forward. Father Fullerton (SSPX District Superior) will be meeting with us this week, in the hope of signing the contract so the building can begin.

We are now praying a novena to Saint Joseph for funds to build the remaining portion of the convent. Thanks to the continued support of our benefactors, we have approximately enough to build one-third of the convent. 

Meanwhile, we remain in good spirits while making do with the cosy living quarters of our temporary chapel and convent arrangement, filled with our friends, the caterpillars, spiders, and the kangaroos who knock on our window (well, almost!). We were excited to receive three new cabins in January, allowing us to receive the young ladies who wish to try a Dominican vocation. Life in the cabins often demands bravery beyond the call of duty. One of the Sisters has counted 16 huntsman spiders in and around the convent in the last two months.     


                                         
We have also made some improvements to our Chapel. Sister Mary of Compassion, our Sacristan, has been working with benefactors to acquire new vestments, tabernacle veils and altar covers, beautifying the chapel for the Lenten season.


We’d finally like to thank everyone for their generosity to us with donations and prayers. We are continuously praying for our supporters and their intentions. God bless, Our Lady guide, and Saint Dominic protect!




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Signadou, St Dominic's College, Wanganui

March 22, 2015, 12:53 am
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The Southern Star - Our newsletter is now available online!

April 15, 2015, 5:33 pm
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Alleluia, Christ is Risen! Happy and blessed Eastertide!

"Easter is both a culmination and initiation. For this year Lent is done, "the rain is over and gone," we have finished for the time being our re-living of Passiontide and are now concerned with Christ's glory and triumph; but they in their turn lead on to something further: the pattern of sacrifice is not completed until the divine life is brought to those who offer it; passion and death and glory all lead on to the coming of the Spirit, to the pentecostal fire."
- The Son's Course, by Fr Gerald Vann, O.P.


"If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire."
-- St Catherine of Siena

The Southern Star Issue#1
With that in mind and the flaming torch of Truth ever before our eyes, this Eastertide was made ever more joyful with the official launch of our newsletter, The Southern Star, on Wednesday of the Easter Octave. 

In it can be found a letter from Mother Prioress General, news from both New Zealand and Australia, and also a little update on our building project for the new Motherhouse and Novitiate in Tynong.

The e-version of Southern Star Issue #1 is now available for download. Simply click on the link above or on the cover page on the left to access the PDF copy online. Happy reading!

If you would like to e-subscribe and receive the newsletter on a regular basis, do send us a request at astarinthesouth@gmail.com. Our postal address is in the newsletter if you prefer a hard copy.
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Signadou Snippets: March & April

May 11, 2015, 9:12 pm
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Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas

"St Thomas Aquinas Feast day was very exciting. The juniors (years 7 -9) had to prepare and practise their speeches and the seniors (years 10 – 13) had to prepare debates. We had approximately one week to get ready. It was very stressful and tiring putting it all together. As third speaker I had to repeat the points of the negative side, sum up our team case and end up the whole debate. I was very nervous. My knees were shaking when I got up to speak. My house team Prouille won over all. We all had an enjoyable and intellectual feast day. St Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!"  (a boarder of Signadou)


This day was celebrated by debates and speeches which were judged and house points were given.   The speech and drama teacher of some of the girls judged the debates and Reverend Father Bochkoltz judged the speeches.

The debate topics were:
1) Schools should not have a school uniform
2) Catholics should spend less time listening to classical music
3) It is better to watch Shakespeare than to read it
The topic for the junior speeches was “How to become a Saint” - a topic everyone was eager to receive advice on!


Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

The school's day of recollection fell this year on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.  It was a perfect day to prepare for the upcoming Holy Week and the priests gave inspiring conferences on the Sorrows of our Blessed Mother, as seen in the stations of the cross. The children also attended a sung high mass, stations of the cross and several rosaries throughout the day.  With the time being spent in silence, it afforded a great opportunity to ponder and meditate upon the sorrowful mysteries.


Feast of the Annunciation

On the Feast of the Annunciation, the Children of Mary received many aspirants to the sodality, including several boarders of Signadou.  Following the reception ceremony was Benediction and a sung Mass of our Lady. The girls then happily gathered for a reception afterward. May they persevere in their good intentions!


ANZAC Day

"We were woken at 4.30am by the beautiful National Anthem played by one of the boarding school helpers on the violin. I was pretty excited as it was my first time going to an ANZAC Day Service. ANZAC Day is a day where New Zealanders and Australians come together in their towns to pray for and remember the soldiers that have died for their country in the past wars. There is a march of all soldiers current and old, to a memorial icon called a cenotaph. It is a very special day. By the time we got there, I saw tons of people coming out of their houses looking like they just woke up. There were lots of groups in uniform and we were one of them, proudly representing our school. We finished off by going to Holy Mass." (a boarder of Signadou)      


Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena

On the Feast of St Catherine the girls competed in a small inter-house competition. It is a special feast day for the Dominican Sisters and pupils and after the school Mass there was to be a shared lunch for the Feast & Sister Mary Bernard’s first profession ceremony.


Before Mass the girls divided into their houses and employed their feminine skills in a spirit of teamwork to see which team could produce the most attractive table for the festivities. Each team had to utilize their team colour and so a red (Bologna), a blue (Prouille) and a gold (Calaroga) table appeared after less than an hour. Though it was difficult to judge, Prouille was awarded the first prize for best table and best teamwork, with Calaroga coming in second and Bologna third.


 The Feast of St Catherine is a perfect feast for a Dominican religious profession to take place upon. St Catherine is an incredible saint, who received the crown of thorns, the stigmata and the bridal ring from Our Lord and she is not only a model for Dominican Sisters, but is also a special patron of this particular congregation. 

Therefore it was fitting that our novice, Sr Mary Bernard (who is also the PE teacher for the girls at school), make her first religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience on this special day.   Mother General came all the way from Australia to receive the vows of the newly professed and the confessor for the sisters, Reverend Father MacPherson, presided over the ceremony and preached a brilliant sermon on the religious life. It was a special event for the students to be able to witness such an important step in the life of a religious and all of the girls were all delighted to give Sister Mary Bernard their affectionate congratulations. 



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A Rose Garden for Our Lady

May 22, 2015, 4:48 pm
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There is a well-loved story from the Lives of the Brethren that offers much consolation for those who wear the habit of our Order. Our Holy Father St Dominic, being one day granted a vision of Heaven, looked in vain for his children among the heavenly court. Being distressed, he appealed to Our Divine Lord, Who gestured to His Mother, saying, “I have given your Order to my Mother.” The Queen of Heaven then opened her mantle to reveal a company of white-clad religious – safely sheltering under her maternal heart!


The month of May is, as always, a most lovely month dedicated to the Queenship of Mary. Here at Rosary Convent, efforts to honour her as principal patroness of our swiftly growing novitiate this month have included both active works and contemplative ruminations on the special place that she holds in Dominican life.

The month opened with the Sisters lustily singing a Marian “entrance” hymn accompanied by Sr Anna on the organ for each Holy Sacrifice offered daily upon our humble altar. 7am is possibly not the best time to be singing hymns, but we’ve managed so far to keep our veils on while thumbing through the hymnal and croaking along to the dulcet sounds of a very subdued organ.

We also honoured St Joseph’s feastday on May 1st with a Rosary procession that took us up to Corpus Christi and back again down the hill. Mother’s determination to not have yet another recreational dinner - in the community room, outside the refectory - was unfortunately bulldozed by even more determined Dominican novices who insisted that a 1st class feast could not possibly be passed over!


The 2nd year novices took up the slim volume of St Louis de Montfort’s The Secret of the Rosary for their Spirituality class this month – it is certainly delightful to read of the power of the Rosary and all the graces that Our Lady has obtained for her children through the centuries simply by the recitation of the Angelic Psalter. And for those who despair of ever being Scholastics, the humble Rosary – which is after all, materially speaking, a little child’s plaything of beads strung together – is an even greater weapon than all the eloquence and learning that can be put together by men.


In school, the Sisters have also opened the treasury of divine grace by encouraging their students to enrol in the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. The Rosary by itself is one of the most richly indulgenced prayers by the Church, and when joined together by the prayers and sacrifices of a spiritual community of tens of thousands of souls past, present and future, makes for a most happy prospect of growing not just in love for our Blessed Mother, but also for the much-needed graces to do one’s duty of state with constancy and fervour.

The Sisters also made the pilgrimage to Hampton for their annual May procession of the Blessed Sacrament in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. With the weather surprisingly genial and the Sisters swelling the ranks of the choir up in the tiny choir loft, it was a most beautiful Solemn High Mass celebrated by Fr Elias, assisted by Fr Black and Fr Johnson.



Unfortunately, May also means the beginning of very wet weather here in Tynong. It takes much fortitude and blind trust in God’s Providence to patiently await the day when the little mud flat by the girls’ block will have the first spade of sod turned once more with the commencement of actual building!


May is not quite over yet! So do join us in besieging and beseeching the Queen of Heaven for fair weather and the necessary funds to build the whole of the new Convent. 



We might miss the sheep and kangaroos currently sharing our neighbourhood, but new lodgings are sorely needed!


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Adoro Te Devote

June 7, 2015, 6:08 pm
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The Feast of Corpus Christi can never be separated from St Thomas Aquinas, who is remembered with pride and joy by Dominicans as the author of the Office and Liturgy of the Feast of the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ. The tender and childlike devotion shining through each strophe of verse is matched only by the totality of the gift that God bestows upon those who approach this Sacred Banquet.

The days following Trinity Sunday call particularly to mind the wonderful things of God – O res mirabilis– as the Panis Angelicus hymns so sublimely. Here in Tynong, the Sisters have had the extraordinary privilege of having the Feast of Corpus Christi celebrated in a grand way: a Solemn High Mass and Procession of the Blessed Sacrament across the whole span of St Thomas Aquinas College grounds was celebrated; the parish church of Corpus Christi had the 40 Hours Devotion and its attendant liturgies and devotions crowned by the First Holy Communions of 26 Year 2 boys and girls on Sunday, followed by a procession from the Church to the Convent.

For the Sisters too, Corpus Christi was a day of rejoicing – we welcomed our newest postulant, Miss Catherine Ryan, who hails from New South Wales, to our growing family. This brings the number of Sisters currently residing in Rosary Convent to the very nice prime number of 19. More Sisters may mean less room in our already very cramped Refectory and Chapel, but it also means more hands lifted up to Heaven to draw down graces from the throne of God.

Christ is to us, as He was to the disciples at Emmaus, the companion of our journey, God with us. For Dominicans especially, devotion to the Holy Eucharist is part of the very fabric of Dominican life and spirituality. Scarcely has the day begun before the bell calls us to prayer in the chapel, where we beg God’s blessing for the day while we cast ourselves upon our knees in adoration and throw, as it were, both body and soul into the worship of Uncreated Beauty.



O Sacrum Convivium… O Sacred Banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of His Passion renewed… these are the words that spring from our lips each time we assemble in choir to offer to the Triune Godhead the sacrifice of praise, the Divine Office. Thus gathered before His Presence, we incline ourselves profoundly in adoration of the Sacred Mysteries wrought by God, acknowledging the greatness and the goodness of He Who loves us, uniting our voices with that of the angelic chorus that cry Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus unceasingly before the throne of the Divine Majesty.



Before the Tabernacle, let us enter into that darkness of Faith and into the sacred silence of the Eucharistic mystery. The little door of the Tabernacle opens into the Infinite, and the life that pulsates in the Host is that of the Heart of Jesus Christ, in Whom every prayer and work of ours both begins and ends, the sum and term of our Christian life upon this earth. The Lord of Hosts, Verbum supernum prodiens – the Word of God proceeding forth– tiny and Immaculate, descending lightly into the hands of His priest.


Adoro Te…! Such the cry of the soul who approaches the altar to receive her Lord and God, whose very marrow revolves around and is sustained by the Bread of Life Himself. Let us then go before the Golden Door – the door of the Tabernacle – and say to Him Who dwells within, “In Thee I put my trust.”



(More pictures to come soon... stay tuned!)
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Sponsor a Sister for Study - and you might win a prize!

June 7, 2015, 6:55 pm
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Dear Friends,
To meet our financial needs for the upcoming Semester, the Sisters at Tynong are organising a Raffle to raise the AUD 40,000 that we need to pay for tuition.

Do help us spread the word about our Dominican Raffle, which runs from now till the Feast of St Rose of Lima, 30th August 2015. On that day, three winners will be drawn from the pool of tickets at 2pm in Rosary Convent.

Each ticket costs only AUD 10. Every little bit will help us immensely - most of the young Sisters are still pursuing degrees at both the undergraduate and post-graduate levels, all as part of the process of attaining full registration to teach in our Catholic schools.

Please click on the link on the left, which will pull up a little advertisement with the details of the Raffle and how you can help us.

Thank you and may God bless you for your generosity!


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The Southern Star - Autumn Issue now available online!

June 24, 2015, 6:34 pm
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"Do what you have to do with joy and a loving heart." 



For those of a more poetic bent, the smell of wood fires and the cheerful hum of the fireplace might betoken the warm hearth by which the Sisters gather daily - the Heart of Christ, burning furnace of charity whereby we draw graces to live truly in unity "of one mind and of one heart", as the Holy Rule of St Augustine says.

As the days grow shorter and the light glows softer each passing day of the season, let us keep our minds fixed ever on the splendor lucis aeternae, the splendour of that eternal light Who is the Son of God Himself, Who lights the lamps of heaven even while pointing our feet ever homeward to our eternal home.

Our 2nd issue of The Southern Staris now available for download. In it you will find snippets of news - of life in Rosary Convent and also in St Dominic's in Wanganui, as well as an update on our Motherhouse Building Project.


The newsletter is also available for e-subscription. If you would like to subscribe, simply drop us an email at astarinthesouth@gmail.com and we will be happy to add you to our mailing list.

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St Dominic's Day as seen through the eyes of First Year Novices

September 6, 2015, 10:34 pm
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  These joyful verses are taken from the First Vespers of the Feast of our Holy Father St. Dominic. This was the first time in the history of St. Thomas Aquinas College that the girls of grades seven to grade twelve were invited to celebrate St. Dominic’s Day with the Sisters. Students and Sisters were very excited! 

We began the St. Dominic Day festivities by filling the newly remodelled college chapel with our joyful singing of First Vespers, followed by praying the rosary - the special prayer and weapon given to St. Dominic by Our Lady. Now it was on to games, dancing, and prizes!

After First Vespers, the Sisters and girls wasted no time in heading to the indoor gym where pizzas and desserts (in the hundredfold) were awaiting. After this hearty meal, Mother Mary Rose assumed the role of MC and organised the girls and Sisters into 10 teams. We started with a ‘meet and greet’ barn dance with Sister Mary Anna providing lovely music with her violin. After burning some of the calories from dinner, we formed a large circle to play the ‘chocolate game’. In this game, the person who rolls a six on the die, rushes into the middle of the circle, dresses up in a wig, glasses and a rather odd nose(!). They then endeavour to cut a piece of chocolate with a knife and fork (no fingers allowed!) and carefully carry it to their team’s bowl. In the meantime, the die is being passed around the circle until someone else rolls a six. Not much chocolate found its way to the bowls but good laughs were enjoyed by all, especially to see the Sisters wearing the ridiculous glasses and nose! This game was possibly the highlight of the night, with a balloon game and a three-legged race following. Father Fortin came to watch the fun and even joined in the last game of the night: a very intense version of ‘musical chairs’. The points of each team were totalled and chocolate prizes given, even to the last runner up! Exhausted but quite satisfied with their first experience of St Dominic’s Day festivities, the girls posed for a large group photo before heading home to recuperate for the netball game the next day!


Last year, the first Sisters vs. students netball game was played at Saint Thomas Aquinas College on St. Dominic’s Day, in accordance with an ‘old’ Dominican tradition. The result of this first match was a draw. This year each side was determined to win! Played in the multi-purpose hall, the game was intense. So was the noise. The whole Girls' School came along to cheer on the students while most of the primary school turned up to cheer on the Sisters. The scores ran fairly even for the first two quarters and then the Sisters began to pull ahead. I must state here and now that we had a most fantastic goal shooter! 


The teams were pretty even, I believe, judging by the way the ball had a tendency to change sides all the time, meaning you had to do a quick about turn on the slippery court to keep up – but once we got the ball to the circle, it was an almost certain goal! Sister Mary of Compassion, unfazed by tall, energetic and experienced GK’s and GD’s, popped that ball in from anywhere in the circle! She was the player of the day! The last quarter was very intense, each side being determined to make it count. The final score was 22-16 to the Sisters! But the girls got the sweets and chocolates. It was a very good game and was enjoyed by everyone, players and onlookers alike.

And last but not least, we had the great pleasure of welcoming two new members to our Dominican family. The small Tertiary ceremony commenced with the singing of II Vespers and the recitation of the Holy Rosary; whereupon the Postulants carrying lighted candles proceeded to the Communion rail and humbly asked to be accepted into the Order. They were then girded with the cord of St. Thomas, received the scapular of the 3rd order and the blessing of Holy Mother Church. The new Novices were then bestowed with their new names as children of St. Dominic and the ceremony fittingly concluded with the singing of the Te Deum.



Afterward a small supper and good chat was had by all and thus another St. Dominic’s day has come and gone. May our heavenly Patron and Holy Father St. Dominic grant us all many graces through the coming year.



Te Deum Laudamus, Te Dominium Confitemur!
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Out of the Winter Silence

September 14, 2015, 2:51 pm
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The solemn and fog-like silence that has settled over the Wanganui community through the bleak winter months may have lead some of our readers to imagine that the sisters in New Zealand had decided to hibernate during this cold season. Though it was tempting, this has not been the case. Our taciturnity has been more due to over-action than inaction. We have been as busy as…summer bees…in winter! But now that the long-awaited holidays are here, we have time to take a leisurely look back over the past season and recount for you some of its main events.

The first month of winter was fairly uneventful; that is, it certainly held events like mid-year examinations, piles of marking, mounds of report writing and torrents of inquiries from the pupils as to whether or not they had passed – but these are all standard events. We were proud to see some of the pupils who had put in their best during the first half of the year have their efforts rewarded with academic ties which were distributed at one of our Monday morning assemblies. 

From there we quickly pass on to July, a month which marked a special page in the life of the Children of Mary Sodality here in Wanganui: its ten year anniversary. Such a milestone had to be given a special celebration, behind which there was much planning, preparation and cooperation. 


Almost all members of the sodality were able to gather together at a local hall for an evening of memories, games, songs, fun and feasting. May Our Lady continue to watch over her children and the good work they do in our parish.

June, July…August came next! And August can only mean one thing: Saint Dominic’s Day. Many a sister surely had been keeping in mind that well-known truism of Mother General’s: If you can survive until Saint Dominic’s Day, you can survive the rest of the year. The great feast day, and the encouraging fact that we had survived to see it, was heralded not by trumpets, but by the sweet tone of our new bell, which was found for us in Europe by our parish priest and fixed onto the exterior wall of the boarding school entrance on the very eve of Saint Dominic’s feast day, so that its ringing (though at that stage still a little uncoordinated, the bell-ringer yet in need of some practice) for First Vespers announced that the feast day had arrived.


Like the Sisters at Rosary Convent, we too sang First Vespers in the church with our pupils, the brothers and the officiating priest. After the Rosary we headed back to the boarding school, to the quaint little “alfresco” arrangement under the carport – the only space that was undercover and large enough to seat the sisters, priests, brothers and approximately thirty girls! The blue tarpaulin and fairy-lights gave it a pleasant atmosphere and we there enjoyed our pizza, salads and dessert.


In remembrance of the thoughtful gift Saint Dominic made to his sisters, our guests were bequeathed with small, personalised wooden spoons…though they were to be kept more for their aesthetic and sentimental value than for practical purposes…unlike St Dominic’s wooden spoons, we’re sure. He no doubt didn’t have to tell his sisters, “Now don’tuse these spoons to eat with – they’re only souvenirs!” as Mother had to several times remind the young (and not so young) recipients.

No Saint Dominic’s Day would be complete without the traditional game of Spotlight, so after dinner the girls eagerly ventured out into the dark field to see if they could find their way to the fortress (and the chocolate treasure it held) without being identified and thrown into “jail”. After a few more indoor games we ended the evening suitably by singing Compline with the girls. On the actual day of the feast the sisters attended the school Mass with the secondary boys and girls and afterwards entertained our tertiary members, friends, benefactors and former pupils with a brunch, towards the close of which the weather turned quite dismal. By the afternoon the rain had set in well and truly and we were denied the satisfaction of what was sure to be a sweet victory over the school netballers we had intended to play (and beat) that afternoon. To this day the match has not yet taken place, being postponed to an indefinite date; but fate cannot be avoided – sooner or later our opponents will have to face their fears, and we will be sure to make known to our readers the glad tidings of our victory as soon as it is in our possession. Thus, with no netball game to raise our heart-rate and zap our energy, the feast day ended with a tranquillity that, though uncustomary, was not unwelcome.

Fortunately most of our school girls had not yet succumbed to the winter ills that were, and in fact still are, in circulation, for their voices and high spirits were needed for the Inter-house Music Competition that was held mid-August at the local Girls College hall. The three school houses competed against one another in a competition that had Australia and New Zealand as its theme. Each house had to present a team piece, a test piece and also submit entries for the senior and junior instrumental categories. The judge overall was impressed with the quality of the girls’ voices and their musicianship, and the final results show how close the houses are in their musical skills – the two houses Bologna and Prouille tied for first place, while Calaroga was only just behind. 


But the evening of entertainment did not end there! After a short intermission the Form 3 and 4 girls performed for their small audience Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which was, in spite of a few hiccups, giggles and lost lines, a pleasing success, making us very proud of the fine abilities of the girls, and caused not a few of us to start thinking about next year’s performance.


It seemed that the whole school breathed a sigh of relief after that concert, which had required so much planning and practice, and let down its defence system, for the influenza hit us hard and the many casualties, affecting the whole school, caused us to have to postpone the annual fundraiser, once more a Bike-a-thon. A week later than the initial date, then, the sisters and pupils who were still healthy jumped onto their bikes and peddled in circles for an hour, in an attempt to help out our school finances. Those who had per lap pledges were enthused to make as many laps as they could, and also to try to beat last year’s record of laps – this year one of our year 10 girls made the record, achieving 111 laps in an hour, and still remaining standing afterwards.


The Bike-a-thon marked the end of another lap of school, and the beginning of the next part of the cycle – holidays. May God, Who has so generously granted to us a busy and fruitful term, see fit to help sisters and pupils alike rejuvenate and recreate ourselves so that we are fit and ready to hop back on our bikes and cycle “onwards and upwards” in the last term of the year.
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