Celebration and thanksgiving at Carmel citizenship ceremony
By Wendy Shaw
Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood was permitted a rare and privileged visit to the enclosed Carmelite community in Launceston when he conducted a citizenship ceremony for Sr Clara Ho, OCD on 1 May.
Sr Clara, 25, originally from Hong Kong, entered the community in September last year, and expressed great joy at being able to “finally and officially call Australia home [and become] a daughter of the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit”.
In her citizenship thanksgiving speech, she said in part: “One may be tempted to think my citizenship was achieved by human effort (or shrewdness!) but overseeing it all, it was the Divine Hand whose timing is always perfect.
“In a sense, becoming an Australian citizen was a parallel journey to my vocation here to Carmel (God-willing). When I asked the Lord whether he was calling me to religious life overseas or in Australia, He answered shortly by granting me Permanent Residency. Then when it was time for me to sit the citizenship test, it occurred right after my final visit to Carmel as an aspirant.
“The allotted test date also just happened to fall in the two-week layover I had in the very city I needed to do the test, before leaving to go overseas indefinitely.
“Finally—as if that wasn’t clear enough!—God wanted to give me more blessings in His Divine Providence: I learnt the news of my citizenship grant the morning of my definitive entrance to Carmel. That was eight months ago to this day. The Lord answers, the Lord provides, the Lord knows what makes us most happy, and is so ready to give if only we ask, and wait for Him, with the trust of a child …”
Sr Clara said she looked forward to giving back to the country that had given her so much: an education, a happy childhood, friends, faith and a future. She also pledged to continue to pray for all the souls in Australia, Tasmania and Launceston from ‘this little monastery on the hill’.
She also said: “On this special occasion, let us remember that our true ‘citizenship is in heaven’ (Phil 3:20).”
The Prioress, Mother Teresa Benedicta, OCD said that Sr Clara’s citizenship ceremony was at least the third conducted at Carmel over a number of years.
The Prioress said: “Sr Clara’s citizenship ceremony was a wonderful opportunity for us all to give thanks to the Lord for the many blessings we all enjoy in our country, as well as highlighting anew that we are called to live our Carmelite vocation and to grow in holiness precisely as Australians, here in our beloved country, in our beautiful state and in our own wonderful city of Launceston, from which our prayers and sacrifices radiate far beyond our immediate surrounds to all for whom we are praying.
“The long journey Sr Clara has undertaken to reach this point of choosing to become an Australian citizen helps us all not to take this gift for granted and to pray more fervently for all who come to our land in so many circumstances, often involving much hardship.”
During the ceremony, the Sisters reaffirmed their Australian citizenship and recommitted themselves to praying for all Australians to grow in their relationship with the Lord.
The Mayor asked the Sisters about their own vocational journey—“an unexpected and blessed opportunity to witness to our hidden life of prayer in Carmel and the wonderful ways the Lord has called each us from all parts of Australia and beyond, to call Launceston and the monastery home,” Mother Teresa Benedicta said.
“We are deeply grateful to Mayor Matthew Garwood together with Liz Bowerman and Lorraine Wyatt from the City of Launceston who accompanied him to the ceremony, for making the arrangements for Sr Clara to become an Australian citizen at the monastery, and for their warmth and great respect for our life on this joyful and special occasion for Sr Clara and for our community,” she added.
In a Facebook post, Mayor Garwood said that he was honoured to conduct the ceremony at the monastery in what he termed “one of the more unique parts” of his job.
“Having lived just down the road for 30 years, I’ve driven past it more times than I can count … so stepping inside for the first time was pretty surreal,” he said.
“There are seven nuns there: six were able to join us, and they were absolutely incredible. Lawyers, doctors, teachers, fine art honour degree holders … seriously impressive people.
“[I]t was formal where it needed to be, as these ceremonies always are, but outside of that there was plenty of laughter, a bit of back and forth, and I had an absolute ball …
“One of those moments that reminds you how unique this job can be and how many different journeys lead people to call Launnie home.”