Mary Ward 400 Celebrations in Baucau, Timor-Leste

August 2009

Dear Friends,

During the last week of July we joined with all Mary Ward women around the world and celebrated our founding four hundred years ago. We held a week of celebration beginning on Monday morning at staff meeting/prayer, with a brief outline of Mary Ward and her goals for religious women. This was followed by prayer which focused on the main values of Mary Ward and picked up the issues raised in the introduction. During Anne Byrne’s time in Baucau she wrote Mary Ward’s story in Tetun which Rob illustrated. We gave a copy of this pamphlet to each one. After the prayer we explained the idea of a message stick and showed them the beautifully crafted backpack and its contents and made some suggestions about the Baucau contribution to the messages. All staff were invited to the teaching staff offices on the Wednesday afternoon for a party and for writing of messages.
For the party we made a cake and the mother of one staff member made traditional food for all to share – sufficient for three times our number. It was a positive, happy sharing of ideas as different members committed their thoughts to paper. Our newest member of staff, a creative man, designed the symbol for the silk – a map of East Timor in the national colours combining the idea of Loreto and the college both new in ET working in collaboration with this new nation. The messages were written in either English or Tetun according to their preference.
It was a joyful occasion and many staff were interested to learn more about Mary Ward and in particular to learn more about Loreto sisters. For example one staff member came to appreciate why we do not wear a habit when their experience is that sister usually were a habit. Others were surprised to learn about the struggle of Mary Ward within the church and that one woman could achieve so much in a lifetime. The staff were most encouraging of our presence here. So now the backpack has gone on to Anne in Dili before it flies back to Brisbane with the ACU lecturer from Banyo who has been here in Baucau working with our teaching staff.

Diaan and Natalie

Baucau

The Mary Ward Backpack has continued its journey by various ways and means; on foot, by post and even through the air. From Broome, it travelled to Sr. Helen Parer in Alice Springs before being taken to Sr. Jan Niall in Darwin.

Sr. Diaan Stuart picked the backpack up in Darwin and brought it back with her to Baucau, Timor Leste, where she currently lives and works. From Baucau, the Backpack will travel to the country's capital Dili, before returning to Australia - first stop Brisbane.

To read more about Loreto in Timor Leste, visit http://loreto.org.au/works/mary_ward_int.html.

Stay tuned for photos and stories of the latest adventures of the Mary Ward Backpack!