Sisters' Jubilees And Solemn Professions Double Jubilee Triple Jubilee Golden Jubilee Silver Jubilee Solemn Profession Double Jubilee GOLDEN JUBILEE - Mother Teresita of the Holy Face PLATINUM JUBILEE - John and Ruth Flynn June 11, 2011 My parents, John and Ruth Flynn, were married in 1941 and I took the Carmelite religious habit in 1961. My father had the idea of a double jubilee. With parents 94 and 95 anything can happen at any time! The “great day” dawned and relatives arrived from Chicago, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon and Canada to celebrate with us. Our wonderful Bishop Richard Garcia and nine priest friends concelebrate the jubilee Mass. The highlight of a jubilee ceremony is the renewal of vows. After the homily, the prioress and I left the cloister to enter the sanctuary in order for me to publicly renew my vows, receive a floral crown, jubilee candle and receive the Bishop’s blessing. Then my parents stepped forward to renew their vows with the Bishop. I cannot even begin to express my happiness and how proud I was of them! The Bishop then gave them an apostolic blessing and presented them with an elegantly framed papal blessing from Pope John Paul II, now, Saint John Paul II. It was such a special grace to have both my parents alive and well on my golden jubilee. How many people have the privilege of celebrating such a joyous event? Our double jubilee was a powerful and wonderful witness to this universal call to holiness. “Love includes all vocations; love is all, and reaches out through all time and space, because love is eternal”. St. Therese of Lisieux Triple Jubilee Sr. Bernadette of the Immaculate Conception September 11, 2021 Sister Bernadette was born to Chinese parents on the island of Borneo on March 14, 1940. Sister Bernadette’s father managed a rubber plantation in Borneo. Sister Bernadette was one of seven sisters and five brothers. She was third from the youngest. She recalls having the freedom to roam throughout the plantation, observing what was happening in the fields. She explained, “I was a very naughty child. I went to see how rubber juice was made when I was seven years old.” World War II had a major impact on the island of Borneo. Japanese forces arrived on the island in December 1941. She saw World War II through the eyes of a child. Her memories of the Japanese soldiers are that they liked youngsters and always gave them sweets. In 1951 Sister Bernadette’s father died, after a long illness and left her mother with the four youngest children to care for. Her family was separated. At the young age of eleven, Sister took care of the family home and her two youngest siblings while her mother worked. She “learned to be a businesswoman”, bargaining the price of launderings and any other job to help earn money. She was twelve when she began first grade at a Catholic School. She did not practice any religion up to this point. She learned about St. Therese and discovered that the Carmelite Monastery of Borneo was close by. She visited regularly and desired to enter. After becoming a Catholic she entered the monastery on December 18, 1957. In May 1966, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Guam, Sr. Bernadette, along with five other sisters from the Carmel of Borneo, arrived in Guam to make a foundation. In 1968 they moved to the new monastery at Malojloj village and vocations flourished in the last decades of the twentieth century. However, the new millennium brought a sharp reduction in vocations, till there were just four remaining sisters. In 2016, the painful decision was made to close the Monastery in Guam and join the Carmelite Monastery in Carmel, California. Sister felt at home by the ocean but it took time to adjust to the colder California weather! Sr. Rose Mary of the Child Jesus September 11, 2021 Sister Rose Mary was born on the beautiful Pacific island of Yap in Micronesia, 1947. Soon after her birth, she was Baptized and given the name Dolores. Her parents were among the few Catholics on the island which was largely pagan at the time and where a complex cast system still existed. Deeply disturbing to little Dolores was the low rank and treatment of women. As she learned of other peoples and customs in the Maryknoll Sister’s mission school, the desire to experience true freedom, equality, and a more just society grew. She was determined to get a Catholic high school education, something not available on Yap. The kind and generous missionary stationed on Yap, Fr. John Condon, S.J., paid half of her tuition at the Mercedarian Sister’s Mt. Carmel High School on Saipan with the balance of the tuition being paid for in a work-study arrangement. There, in Dolores’ sophomore year, on reading a biography of Saint Therese, the seeds of her Carmelite vocation were sown. Dolores entered the newly founded Carmelite Monastery on Guam, September 3, 1969. She made Profession of Temporary vows on September 15, 1971, and three years later she made Profession of Final Vows (September 15, 1974). In the last decades of the 20th century, the Carmelite Monastery grew and increased in numbers. However, the new millennium brought a sharp reduction in vocations, till there were just four remaining Sisters. In 2016, the painful decision was made to close the Monastery in Guam and join the Carmelite Monastery in Carmel, California. Mother Teresita of the Holy Face September 11, 2021 Mother Teresita of the Holy Face Mother Teresita was born in Minnesota on January 5, 1942. She was eight years older than her two younger brothers. The family went to Mass on Sunday and occasionally said the Rosary together. Since her father was a professor at the Community College in Santa Barbara, CA with summers off, they enjoyed vacations at the family farm in Oregon and family outings: hiking, camping, boating, water skiing, picnicking, square-dancing and horseback riding. A very significant event happened when she was in the 4th grade and attending public grade school. The CCD teacher told the class that the most important thing in life was to do God’s will. She told them that would bring them fulfillment and happiness. She explained to them that God calls each person for a special purpose in life. She suggested to them that they say three Hail Mary’s every day to Our Lady asking her to help them know God’s will for them. This made a profound impression on her child’s mind, and she faithfully said the three Hail Mary’s every night before she went to bed seeking to know what she should do in life. She added a “P.S.” asking Our Lady to help her find a good husband! Another significant event happened when she was 15, a junior in high school. The friend she rode to school with wanted to go to daily Mass during Lent. She was not particularly happy about getting up earlier, but she had no choice. Mass was in Latin and she did not really understand it. Her friend, Ann, taught her how to follow the prayers on the English side of the missile. When she got my driver’s license, she began going to daily Mass herself before school. She discovered a deepening relationship with Christ in the Eucharist, which changed her life, very slowly and subtly. She began wondering if maybe she had a vocation to be a Carmelite. She entered this monastery in 1960. It was before Vatican Council II and felt that she was blessed to live with all the original foundresses of this monastery, except one who died in 1950. She felt privileged to accompany each sister with prayers as they “finished the race and won the crown”. Golden Jubilee Sr. Mary Colette of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary August 26, 2023 Golden jubilee of Sister Mary Colette of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary on August 26, 2023 On August 26, the feast of the Transverberation of Our Holy Mother St. Teresa, we celebrated Sister Colette’s golden jubilee. Sister has been a consecrated religious for fifty years. Sister entered the Franciscan Order in 1973 and became a Carmelite Nun in 2002. Throughout the years sister had always felt drawn to contemplative life and St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross had long been her inspiration. She has been an invaluable member of our community since 2010. Sister is our organist and music director. Reflecting on her long vocation journey she says: “God has kept the best for last”. Sr. Mary Edel of St. Joseph September 14, 2024 On September 14 we joyfully celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Sister Mary Edel of St. Joseph. It was a double blessing to have Bishop Daniel Garcia and Bishop Emeritus Sylvester Ryan, plus our Carmelite Fr. Jan Lundberg, Fr. Gerald (Jerry) Coleman, homilist, Fr. Jhonnatan Carmona, as the Master of Ceremonies and Fr. Michael Volk, concelebrant. Sr. Mary Edel entered our Carmel in 1973 and made her solemn vows in 1979. In 1989 she was invited to go on the foundation to Finland. Their monastery became a center of prayer and friendship for Catholics and non-Catholics. Sisters from Sweden, England and Kenya joined them. But unfortunately, in such a non-Catholic country, there were no new vocations. They were forced to close in 2022 after 34 years. It is a great consolation to Sister that the Catholic Church in Finland is growing by leaps and bounds. We were very happy to welcome Sister back to her “home” Carmel and now to celebrate joyfully together her 50 years as a contemplative Carmelite Nun. Silver Jubilee Sr. Maria Teresa of the Trinity May 31, 2014 Sister Maria Teresa was born in Mexico and came to California in her teens. There were many challenges living in a new culture and learning a new language. She joined a Catholic Youth Group and deepened her Catholic faith. A friend from the group brought her to our Monastery and she felt that our vocation to prayer was the answer to her deepest yearnings. She entered Carmel in 1988 and made her solemn profession in 1994. “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever!” How well these words from Psalm 118, reflect my thoughts of gratitude for the support, encouragement and generosity of my community, family and friends which was shown on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of my vocation as a Discalced Carmelite Nun. These words: , “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world” ( Saint Paul to the Romans) could not be more appropriate to express my thanks for all the prayers and sacrifices which helped to make our celebration like a family event, in an atmosphere of friendship, sharing God’s many gifts. The jubilee Mass was a most beautiful moment in time and in eternity with Fr. Ramiro Casale, OCD, as principal celebrant and Fr. Donald Kinney, OCD as homilist, with four concelebrants and two Carmelite Brothers present. We learned a new lovely bilingual Mass for the occasion. The people liked it very much and there were a few teary, joyful eyes among us. The whole day and everything was so beautiful and the joy of that day was real. Twenty-five years have gone by so fast. To be a Carmelite is to live in the Heart of the Church, which means to live in God’s heart and to enter into Kairos, God’s sacred time where eternity begins. As I begin my next twenty-five years as a Carmelite Nun, I say it again: “O, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Amen.” Sr. Mary Joseph of Jesus October 15, 2015 Sister Mary Joseph was born in Los Angeles, California in 1950. She was the second of twelve children. Growing up, she remembers many family trips to our monastery to visit their aunt, who was a member of our community. The seed of a vocation was planted in those early days, but Sister went on to college, work and volunteering before considering a vocation. Eventually she attended the Secular Order of Carmelites meetings. She was sacristan at her local parish for a few months before entering Carmel. In 1984, she attended St. Pope John Paul II's World Youth Day in Rome. It was a time great grace for her. She applied to enter our monastery in 1984. She made her solemn profession in 1990. On October 15, 2015, we celebrated the 500th anniversary of St. Teresa of Avila by installing statues in the two niches on the façade of our Chapel, which had remained empty from 1931 until this auspicious occasion. Sr. Jacinta Mary of Divine Mercy September 23, 2019 We were happy to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Sister Jacinta’s on September 23, 2019. Sister’s family was able to come all the way from Malaysia for the happy occasion. Our new bishop, Bishop Daniel Garcia, presided and gave an inspiring homily on Sister’s life and our Carmelite life in general. Sister was born in Malaysia and was the youngest of eleven children. She was consecrated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help before she was born because of a life-threatening state in the womb. Her father died when she was five months old. They lived close to the parish church and attended daily Mass and all the children received education in religious schools. Her father’s daily prayer and wish was that God would grant the grace to at least one of his children to become a religious. Sister attended the University of Malaysia and taught school for a few years. After her novena prayer to St. Therese of the Child Jesus, she received light from God that He was calling her to serve Him in Carmel. The writings of St. Teresa further enlightened her on this vocation to pray for the Church and the salvation of souls. In 1988 she entered Carmel in Malaysia but during the period of discernment she came to understand that God was not calling her there. She prayed to Our Lady for guidance, which came from the late Cardinal Anthony Soter Cardinal Fernandez, who was then the Archbishop of Malaysia. He was able to discern God’s direction of grace and gave her his blessing to enter the Carmelite Monastery on the island of Guam in 1991. In 2016, with the other three remaining Sisters in the Guam Carmel, the community moved to our monastery in Carmel California. Solemn Profession Sr. Juanita de la Cruz December 14, 2022 Sister Juanita’s solemn profession on December 14, 2022, the Solemnity St. John of the Cross, is Sister’s name and title patron saint. The day was truly grace-filled and we all shared in her joy. Sr. Jaunita’s twin sister and all her family and many friends drove all the way from Los Angeles to share in this festive day. Our Bishop Daniel Garcia was Principal Celebrant joined by six concelebrants. Fr. Matthias Lambrecth, O.C.D. (San Jose, CA) gave a profound homily in English on Holy Father Saint John of the Cross and Fr. Austin Doran’s (from Sr. Juanita’s hometown parish) gave a lively homily in Spanish. The ceremony was long and so moving that even all the children were very quiet for two hours! We were touched when the automatically programmed Angelus bell chimed right at the moment when Sr. Juanita pronounced her vows of consecration. Because Sr. Juanita’s birthday falls on the Feast of the Annunciation this was a heavenly confirmation that she was fulfilling God’s will. May our Blessed Mother’s generous and faithful “Fiat”… “let it be done to me according to your word,” continue to be source of strength in her spiritual journey. Sr. Marie of Christ June 16, 2023 Sister Marie of Christ (Christine Convy) started her Carmelite vocation journey many years ago in 2004 in Arlington, Texas. Finally, that blessed and happy day of her solemn profession arrived on June 16, 2023, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Most of her immediate family came from all over the country. They are a modern “Trapp family singers”. At the offertory they sang a beautiful rendition of “All is Well With My Soul” in several parts, with a solo sung by Sister Marie. For the Communion Song the family sang “Heavenly Light” by A. Kopylow. Sister’s nephew, Joseph Celestine, performed Chopin Nocturne for the communion meditation. The beautifully decorated, festive reception on the monastery lawn and banquet table in the large speakroom was a wonderful opportunity for her family get-together and reunion. The lyrics of Sister’s solemn profession song were set to three songs from the “Sound of Music”, a fitting ending to a beautiful, musical, happy day. Sr. Ana de San José July 23, 2023 Sister Ana de San Jose’s solemn profession on July 23 was the solemnity of our titular feast, Our Lady of Grace. It is always so inspiring to see multiple priests (six this time) with their hands extended in blessing over the newly professed sister. One can imagine the plentiful downfall of graces and blessings pouring down over sister, fortifying her for her life-long journey of following the Lord. Father Robert Barcelos, ocd was the principal celebrant and homilist and Fr. Matthias Lambrecth, ocd sang a beautiful Litany of the Saints, part of the profession ceremony. Sister’s former parish priest was able to come as well as three other priest friends. After professing her vows Sister gave the sign of peace to her family. A family group picture in front of the Chapel showed 32 family members happily gathered on a beautiful sunny day. We thank God for another Bride to praise Him in our house of prayer for all eternity.
