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Tomorrow’s local Radiothon to benefit Carmelite nuns in the Pacific

The Carmelite Sisters and the Samoa Charity Foundation for Carmelite Missions Inc. are hosting a radiothon tomorrow (local time) which is Saturday, Samoa time from 9a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Marist St. Joseph's Club House in Tafuna. The program will be aired live on KSBS FM 92.1 and Showers of Blessings 104.7 FM

 

The radiothon is themed "Love is repaid by love alone," a quote from St. Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun whose writings caused Pope Pius X to declare her “the greatest saint of modern times.”

 

Toleafoa Isitolo Wulf, a local committee member, told Samoa News yesterday that the purpose of the radiothon is to raise money that will fund many projects for the Carmelite sisters across the South Pacific region. The projects include upgrading the Carmelite monastery in Wallis and Futuna, renovating the nearly 50-year-old existing Carmelite monastery in Vailima Samoa, and completing the permanent monastery for the Carmelite nuns in the kingdom of Tonga.

 

The Carmelites in Tonga are currently utilizing a temporary facility as their new permanent home broke ground earlier this year in January.

 

Those who are interested in donating can do so by calling any of the numbers listed in the advertisement in today's paper, or contacting Toleafoa directly at 258-1258.

 

THE CARMELITES

 

Carmelite nuns live in prayer. They vow and dedicate their entire lives to poverty and spend countless hours praying for people around the world, including non-Catholics. According to Toleafoa, it was the Carmelite nuns who instructed the members of the local chapter of the Marist St. Joseph's Old Boys Association to hold monthly prayer services that we now know as "Toa o Samoa," to pray for local soldiers who are deployed to war torn countries and stationed in military bases across the globe.

 

The prayer services, in their ninth year and counting, are held in different churches and temples across the territory and are well attended by local residents, especially spouses, children, family members, and friends of local military servicemen and women.

 

In addition to pushing for the establishment of local "Toa o Samoa" church services, Carmelite nuns also pray for our soldiers and their families from their humble compound in Vailima, Samoa.

 

They are also known for being the ones people call when they need extra prayers to be offered for reasons like a medical diagnosis and other seeming hopeless cases. The nuns live very modestly and never leave the monastery grounds unless they are relocating to serve in a monastery in another country or there is a serious medical condition that requires immediate attention.

 

"The Carmelite nuns are very special," Toleafoa said. "They offer prayers for everyone worldwide, regardless of religion. That is the life they commit themselves to and we need to be thankful for them and the wonderful things they do."

 

To date, only one local woman ever took the oath to become a Carmelite nun. She did so at the Samoa monastery in Vailima. She is Sister Julia Melesia Woo-Ching (later called Sister Julia Theresa of the Holy Family), the daughter of Sagato and the late Fenunuivao Imeleta Mulitauaopele Woo-Ching of Lauli’i, AS and Ta'u, Manu'a.

 

Sister Julia passed away last year.