On Friday a man entered the monastery and stole two small statues from the shop area - one a porcelain statue of Mary, and another of St Michael the Archangel.

He returned later that evening, breaking into the chapel and ended up stealing Lenten giving envelopes.

Sister Johanna Keil-Penn said they were "quite fearful" about the second theft.

"I never thought I would have to go through this again."

"This time is much scarier though as they broke in twice, whereas the first time they entered while we were open."

A person who knew the man has since returned the statues.

But for their own safety and to prevent yet another theft, the sisters are now locking the chapel door during the day with someone standing guard.

Sister Johanna said it was something they resisted doing after last year's theft, preferring to keep it open so people could use it.

"We just have to be practical and for our own welfare, which is most important."

"The last thing we want is for a statue to be stolen again, we don't want to take that risk."

"If anyone's genuinely wanting to pray, we open the door for them so they understand too, which is good."

Police confirmed they're investigating the theft and told 1 NEWS they're "following lines of inquiry".

Detective Senior Sergeant Kathy Bostock says she's not aware of any similar crimes at other churches in the area recently.

Source

• tvnz.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: screenshot tvnz.co.nz

Carmelite Sr Benedicta of the Holy Face, 32, gained the degree from India's Defence Institute of Advanced Technology.

The institute specialises in training officers of the Indian armed forces and related organisations.

As a lay woman, Sr Benedicta had received a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Pune University before entering her doctoral programme at the defence institute.

Her doctoral work focused on scramjet engines, which are used mostly for hypersonic vehicles and also for space vehicles.

Theoretically, such vehicles can drastically reduce the air travel time.

The young engineer had the prospect of a rewarding career before her.

But Sr Benedicta, who was born in Kuwait, felt "called by God" while attending a retreat in Pune.

She told Crux, "I encountered God through my doctoral studies".

"My family had an inkling that I might join a religious order, but when I took the decision to join a contemplative order they were shocked," she said.

She went on to say that it was her "love for Jesus", and the idea that she decided to "give him the first priority in my life over my studies", which helped her to "encounter the Love of God, who facilitated everything".

Sr Benedicta joined the cloistered Carmelite convent in Pune, located in India's Maharashtra state, on February 2, 2015, on the feast of the Presentation.

Her graduation was the first time she set foot outside the convent since this date.

Her prioress gave her permission to attend the defence institute convocation ceremony.

Sources

• Crux
• Image: Crux

In his homily, Bishop Dunn paid tribute to all the sisters, both past and present, who have graced the Auckland Carmel. He described their Carmel as a place within the diocese where day and night prayers are offered to God. "Their lives are a great gift to the Church in Auckland and New Zealand. We want you to know how much we appreciate your presence, your prayers, your example and your faithfulness," he said to the sisters.

The founding group of seven Carmelite sisters left their Sydney Carmelite monastery on Friday 12 February, 1937, and boarded the Awatea which sailed to Auckland, arriving on Monday 15^th. The Bishop of Auckland, Bishop James Liston, was on the wharf to greet them, accompanied by several priests of the diocese.

Representing the oldest Religious Order in the Catholic Church these sisters, led by Mother Mary of Carmel, came to begin a foundation in Auckland, at the invitation of Bishop (later Archbishop) Liston. Their first-class passage on the Awatea was paid for by him and he remained a lifelong, devoted friend and adviser to the community.

They stayed at first with the Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Waikowhai while they searched for a suitable convent in which to begin their life of prayer and penance. Theirs was to the second Carmel in New Zealand as the Carmelite sisters in Christchurch had established a Foundation four years earlier.

One of the founding sisters, Sister Mary Francis of the Angels, was only 19 at the time and now aged 95 is living at the Varroville Carmel in New South Wales. She recalls that the Awatea had a rough crossing, and all of sisters were sick except for their prioress, Mother Mary of Carmel.

Sister Francis writes that they spent most of the day of arrival on the deck, watching the coast. At 3pm they steamed into the Waitemata Harbour. "People were calling ‘Welcome to Auckland' and as we came off the gangway they made a passage way for us and we had to walk through single file and listen to comments like, ‘They must fast a lot, look how white they are!'. Yes, we had fasted two whole days from seasickness!"

A few weeks later, on April 20^th, the sisters moved from Waikowhai into their new home at 636 Mt Albert Road, Epsom, and so began their Carmelite monastic life in Auckland under the patronage of the Holy Family. The following year the chapel was built and dedicated to St Thomas the Apostle.

Source

• Lyndsay Freer: Media & Communications Catholic Diocese of Auckland
• Image: Lyndsay Freer