Archived News Item
Brisbane celebrates Mercy Day with final profession
October 11, 2007Brisbane
Sister Gwen (pictured right) and her sister came to
On the weekend following Gwen’s final profession, the community of St Luke’s Parish Revesby in NSW – where Gwen’s vocation had been nurtured – held a thanksgiving Eucharist.
Mary White reflects:
“I entered St Luke’s Church at Revesby to the rhythmical sound of members of the congregation saying the Rosary in Vietnamese. The church was filled with a sense of great reverence and an expectancy of what was about to be celebrated.
“The Vietnamese congregation had gathered to continue to celebrate with Sister Gwen Doan, of the Brisbane Congregation of the
“For the first time, I was being immersed into a Eucharistic celebration which was in its entirety in another dialect. This required reliance on other sensors to capture deeply what was being expressed by the celebrants and the community. The joy was evident along with their continual praise to God.
“I walked away from the wonderful celebration very conscious that my moment of immersion was temporary. However, my admiration for Gwen’s journey now more fully realised. Gwen has endured God’s Mercy embracing cultural, language and institutional change. We are truly blessed by Gwen’s vocation.
“I thank Gwen for allowing me to be part of this great day. I thank her family and community for the wonderful gift of hospitality which they gave to all guests.”
From: Sister Elizabeth O’Keeffe rsm (Local Communications Facilitator, Brisbane) and Sister Mary White (Parramatta).