Karen Englebretsen makes her first vows. Photo: Supplied
WelCom March 2018:
Sr Brigid Murphy cp
The first Profession, on 10 February 2018, of Karen Englebretsen from Palmerston North is a source of great joy for the Sisters of the Cross and Passion and the wider Passionist family in Australia, New Zealand and worldwide. It was an honour for us all that Bishop Charles Drennan from Palmerston North made the journey to be with us and preside at the Eucharist. We were also blessed with the presence of Karen’s friends from New Zealand joining with our parish community and Passionists from around the world.
Karen came to know the Sisters in 2014 but as they did not have a community in New Zealand she made the decision to move to Melbourne in 2015. In Endeavour Hills, a suburb of Melbourne, she continued her journey towards becoming a full member of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion. Karen, a woman of amazing faith and courage has now taken vows as a Sister and a whole new world opens up before her as a member of a small but widely dispersed Congregation. The nearest community to Australia is a small but vibrant new community in Vietnam where there are four young women journeying towards commitment.
We are grateful for these signs of new life. We believe that the charism of compassion in action is needed now as it was when Elizabeth Prout, our foundress, began her journey responding to the needs of Manchester in 1852 when she formed a religious community with the assistance of our Passionist brothers.
Sr Brigid Murphy cp is a Passionist Sister based in Melbourne.