Loreto Mission in Rural Australia

The Loreto Sisters in Australia started a new mission on February 15, 2012.  Anna Gaha and I drove to Dubbo in rural Western NSW to our new home.  It was a new experience for two people who have lived in a big city for most of their lives.

In the time since Anna and I have been through some minor dramas and lots of laughter.  We’ve unpacked and cleared all of the boxes we brought with us.  We have gone through electrical storm, hail storm and brown out (blackout).  At the time we had some candles but we did not have any matches and only had two tiny torches that kept us from total darkness.  We now have matches and a bigger torch.  We have learned to use a saw, a wrench and have become a master of the allen key (that tool that comes with most furnitures that one needs to assemble) and have removed bolts from a moving washing machine!  Welcome to the world of religious life in 2012!

I started work on the 20^th and grateful for the wonderful people I work with.  My job is called Partnership Broker consultant and my role is to develop partnerships to integrate the many services and programs available to young people to improve education outcomes and employment opportunities.  I am still learning  a lot about this work but I am hopeful that our work will assist young people especially those who are most marginalised in our society.

Anna volunteers with one of the Catholic primary school providing support to some of the students having difficulties with reading and writing.

In time we will know the place and develop friendships in the community.  In the meantime, Anna and I are enjoying the kindness of people and getting lost as we explore this region.  Lucky there is not much traffic so it is easy to turn around!   Janet Palafox ibvm

Rewilding

Our universe and our particular little corners of it count on us to participate in healthy ways. This isn’t going to be a sermon. I want to tell you of a fun way one school in Canada and some community folks found to do just that. Imagine first an area bordering a large lake where most of the trees have been cut down and paved over mostly for houses and roads. Once there was 75% tree cover where a creek found its way into the lake. Now there is 9%. A healthy balance between settlement and trees would be about 30%. What to do? The Rewilding Group is inspired to bring in the young people to look at their world with new eyes and see the possibilities. During a meeting at a local high  school the students figuratively put on the masks of foxes, bears and hummingbirds to look again at their school property. How would these creatures like to see the land? Out the many ideas presented an outdoor seating area was selected for some action. A section outside the cafeteria where students can sit in some shade surrounded by indigenous plants is the goal. This weekend, that outdoor garden/sitting area/park is being built by a partnership of school, Loretto, Rewilding, grant funding and lots of community assistance. Saturday the big machines will prepare the site with new soil to provide living accommodation for the plantings. Large stone blocks will form the seating. On Sunday, the planting crew, mostly students, will arrive to set out and plant purple coneflower, yellow coreopsis, waving grasses, butterfly bush and wild roses. Serviceberry trees will provide shade along with the ash trees already on the site. A curving path will wind through this garden with the seating rocks strategically placed for comfort and conversation. We might even put in a few daffodils to give us some early spring colour. When we are finished on Sunday afternoon, the school will have its very own wild space to counteract the necessary but very large paved lot. It’s one project that is a win for the students, the school, the local area and lake and ultimately the universe. Our new masks are serving us well. We are making a difference.

Rememberance of 9/11

This weekend has been full of memories of those dreadful events ten years ago. In church the reading were on forgiveness and how Jesus asks us to forgive seventy-seven times. Often in the light of evil and deep pain we find it impossible to forgive. I came across a blog of Tom Gibbons, who is always excellent, on the subject of forgiveness. It is worth a read http://bustedhalo.com/features/can-we-forgive-bin-laden/. May we never forget those who lost their lives on that day and those who continue to mourn. Too many people have lost their lives since as a result of those days. May we always strive for peace and to show God’s love to all.

Our Spanish, Irish and French friends at Magis 2011

Hi,

This weekend sees the celebration of Magis 2011 in Loyola Spain. I have attached the web address for the blog from the Spanish Province http://irlandesasconlajmj.blogspot.com/.

To translate their blog, right click on your mouse, then click ‘Translate with Live Search’ from the menu and then click ‘Translate this page’.

Sometimes we work

It is not all work for our friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!!

Loreto Australia launches new website

Hi,

 our Australian friends would like to let you know that they have a new website…. it is at http://www.loreto.org.au/Home.aspx.

Go along and have a look… the other provinces have websites too and these are list on the right hand side of the page, hope they attact your attention too and see all the good work we do.

 

Hello world!

Welcome from all the Loreto family and friends

Sunday 19th June 2011.

Welcome to the new Loreto IBVM BLOG. This blog is operated by members of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our co-workers.

We hope you enjoy the blog and visit us often!