WYD 2008: International Franciscan Youth Movement Visit

Have you heard of YOUFRA? It is an international Franciscan Youth Movement located in many countries around the world.


This month about 60 YOUFRA members gathered together at St Francis Church, Paddington to hold their own Youth Rally prior to the main events of Sydney WYD. On 13th July they came to spend a few hours with us and share their faith in song and dance. It was a fantastic afternoon with everyone joining in singing, clapping and dancing in praise of the Lord. It was not hard to imagine St Francis there among us.







The highlight of the afternoon was the celebration of the Eucharist with prayers and readings in different languages.


The pilgrims left from here to see Sydney and to take part in the many WYD festivities which are on during this week. It is wonderful that there are so many such people to set the world ablaze with the Franciscan Spirit!

Ecumenical Worship Service


On the 10th May 2008, the Vigil of Pentecost, our annual Ecumenical Worship Service, was held as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The guest preacher was Fr Gwilym Henry-Edwards from the Anglican parish of St Luke's, Enmore. Students from Magdalene Catholic High School led the singing. This year marks one hundred years of official inter-church prayer for unity between the Christian churches. As a community we have been participating in this form of ecumenical worship for more than forty years.

Association Meeting in Taiwan


Our monastery is a member of the Association of the Holy Spirit, an association of independent monasteries of the Order of St Clare in Asia-Oceania. The General Assembly of the Association was held in May this year in Taiwan. Two sisters from our monastery, together with sisters from monasteries in Aitape and Par (Papua New Guinea), Yenshui (Taiwan), Pacet (Indonesia) and Lamma Island (Hong Kong) attended. As part of the meeting, Sr. Ilia Delio OSF gave a series of talks on Franciscan themes.