The Catholic Weekly 15 August 2021

catholicweekly.com.au 3 15, August, 2021 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The 27-year-old attended Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook before complet- ing a Bachelor of Commerce at Macquarie University with majors in human resources and French. She first encountered the Nashville Dominicans when they visited her high school and then again atTheology on Tap events, but it wasn’t until she attended a “Nun Run” for young women considering religious life that her vocation really started to stir. After spending much of the weekend with them, she visit- ed their Regents Park convent and was struck by a sense of familiarity. “I witnessed true and real women, really down to earth, and they loved playing sport and they were all so different,” she said. “I just really felt like I fitted in.” It was an important lesson for a girl who loves “spend- ing time with family, friends, drinking caffeine, beer, bas- ketball, starry night skies, trying to sing, languages and cuddling chubby baby niec- es”. She knew she was being called to religious life and that joining the Dominican Sisters would not be easy for her large family, so once she started to really discern, she only shared it with a few se- lect people. She felt the expectation of getting married and having children, however could not have dreamed her decision could give her such freedom. And while they strug- gled initially with “letting go of their daughter”, parents George and Nehmat slowly felt great joy for the third of their four children. They both agreed that while it was “heart-breaking” having their daughter so far away, her happiness was far more important. Since leaving Australia in 2014, the devoted par- ents have twice yearly spent over 24 hours travelling each way just to spend 14 hours with her and once borders open plan to continue their twice-yearly pilgrimage. “The Sisters are entitled to six visits a year but we are not allowed to spend any more than two consecutive days together so being so far away does make it very hard,” proud mum Nehmat said. “It’s a long way for us to go just for two days but it’s so worth it, just so she knows we are always here. “If it’s this hard for us being apart, we can only imagine how hard it is for her being over there without us and we A HUMBLE Australian bush diocese has announced the world’s first school campus to be named after a teenaged computer programmer beati- fied by Pope Francis last year. Blessed Carlo Acutis Catho- lic College will be a K-12 school witha liberal arts focus andWil- cannia Forbes Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green hopes to build it inMoama, a fast-growing Riv- erina town in the southern part of theNSWdiocese. “It is an honour to name our school after such an inspiring young person who showed that children and teenagers can live lives devoted to God and to car- ing for those around them,” said Bishop Macbeth-Green of the newcollegewhichwouldbede- signed by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects. “All the students will be proud of their school name knowing that they too can live inspiring lives for others.” Diocesan Director of Catho- lic Education Anthony Gordon said that the college would serve the whole community of Moama and surrounding are- as, beginning as a small school with highly personalised pasto- ral care and tuition for students in state-of-the-art facilities. “Our demographic research suggests that Blessed Carlo will grow to a medium size college over the next 20 years capable of maintaining this level of per- sonalised approach,” he told The CatholicWeekly . “The teaching and learning at BlessedCarlowill be founded upon evidence-based pedago- gy that ensures that every stu- dent’s learning needs aremet. “Wewill beoffering triedand tested teaching methods with the best research based con- temporary learning. “The learning will have a ‘liberal arts’ feel about it due to the choice of texts and content which will immerse our stu- dents into the beauty of Catho- lic life and culture.” Mr Gordon said that the diocese’s unique religious ed- ucation program, Educating in Christ , will be taught at the college. “This program respects the developmental stage of young people and teaches the Catho- lic faith fully in an engaging way for students, teachers and parents,” he said. “Students de- velop a deep understanding of sacraments, scripture, Church doctrine and moral teaching.” Sydney girl finds her life’s fulfilment andmeaning as a Dominican ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Our Sister in Nashville need to put our own feelings aside and support her, al- though I must be honest we always have a return ticket for her just in case which makes her upset but deep down we know she won’t use it. “We all still struggle with not being able to just pick the phone up and speak to her. She sends letters which can take months to arrive and a couple of times a year she rings us but that’s about it, it is so difficult being so far away but to be honest she is just so happy and at the end of the day that’s all you want for your kids,” she said. “Due to COVID we had to livestream her vows and honestly it was like her wedding day. “She was just so happy, she Sr MariamAssaf O.P. makes her perpetual profession of the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. PHOTO: SISTER MARY JUSTIN HALTOM, O.P. A artist’s draft impression of Blessed CarloAcutis Catholic College (above) to be named after the teen, inset. IMAGE: SUPPLIED, INSET: CNS said ‘Mum it’s my wedding’, the joy on her face was in- credible. “She told me ‘I have the best spouse in the world, and I really can’t imagine who could make her any happier. “All I hope is that after starting in Nashville and then being sent on mission to Memphis and now Indiana, she doesn’t end up in Alaska,” she laughed. With a number of Domin- ican Sisters now in Australia, Sr Mariam is hoping she will one day return to her home city on mission as a primary school teacher. She advises anyone con- sidering religious life “to live it as if it is a relationship”. “Growing up I always thought I would get married and have lots of kids,” she said. “I believed that a husband would be the reason for my happiness but when I met the Sisters, I saw a joy I couldn’t describe. “Their joy lies innone of the things that I imagined would make me happy, clothes, cars, my own home and a man. Their treasure is Jesus. “I guess when I was out with a guy, I just couldn’t help but compare him to Jesus and think ‘this guy is great but he just doesn’t match up’.” To find out more about the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia go to www.nashville- dominicans and click on the vocations tab New college a world first The college will include the only systemic Catholic senior education offering inWilcannia Forbes, a diocese of 20 parishes that sprawls more than 414,000 square kilometres. The diocese is served by 18 schools including Red Bend Catholic College, a Year 7-12 Marist school in Forbes, more than five hours’ by car from the newly planned school. In a letter announcing the college, BishopMacbeth-Green said he hoped that since Bless- ed Carlo was known for using technology to spread the Gos- pel, he would show today’s young people how media can be used for the good of society. He said the college would “have at its heart” a daily life of prayer and devotion to the Blessed Eucharist where all stu- dents will have the opportunity to build a deep friendship with Jesus. “I couldn’t think of a more uplifting or relevant model for the young people of Moama,” the bishop said. He saidhe knows of only one other school named after the young saint-in-the-making, an online school based inCanada. Blessed Carlo Acutis was only 15 when he died of leukae- mia in 2006. The boy fromMilan innorth- ern Italy has been called the first millennial saint and “God’s influencer”. He was devoted to the Blessed Eucharist from the day of his first holy communion and used his gifts to promote the world’s Eucharisticmiracles and the Catholic faith. Well-liked among his peers, he enjoyed computer games and sports, especially soccer. Hewasdevoted todailyMass and the praying of the rosary, encouraged his mother to re- turn to the practice of her faith, and said that he was happy to die“becauseIlivedmylifewith- out wasting even a minute of it onanything unpleasing toGod”. Six of the best … Sr Mariam (left) with her fellow Sisters after final vows and (right) Sr Mariam with devoted mum Nehmat Anthony Gordon, Diocesan Director of Catholic Educa- tion for the Diocese of Wilcan- nia-Forbes. PHOTO: SUPPLIED I believed that a husband would be the reason for my happiness but when I met the Sisters, I saw a joy I couldn’t describe” NEWS