Last Thursday there was a Mass and blessing ceremony in Apia.

The Chairman of the Samoa Charity for the Carmelites Foundation, La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fossie Schmidt, told Talamua that the money has already been sent to Tonga.

But they felt it was important to inform the public of how much they contributed through several fundraising activities held over the past months.

"We acknowledge everyone, especially our church members who supported our fundraising," he said.

Speaking for the Carmelites, Sister Antonina Maria thanked the committee for their generous support.

"We are very grateful for the donation, not only in Samoa but also in American Samoa, New Zealand and Australia. We continue to pray for God's blessings for our country."

The Foundation has branches in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, all fundraising to assist the Carmelite Missions.

The first steps towards the construction of the new building began in March with a groundbreaking ceremony.

La'auli said some members of the committee will be travelling to Tonga this week to show their support for the completion of the first phase of the project.

The Carmelites first came to Tonga on 19th March 2011.

Since then they have been living in temporary accommodation at Fahefa.

The building is a leaky one. When it rains they have buckets all over the place.

There are seven sisters in the community; four from Tonga, two from Samoa and one from New Caledonia.

Source

• Talamua
• Samoa Observer
• Kavina Tonga
• Image: Talamua

The founder of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) is in a stable condition.

Her doctors felt it necessary to put her on a feeding tube to ensure that she is receiving proper nutrition.

Mother Angelica suffered an incapacitating stroke in 2001.

The sisters at her Alabama monastery said that the tube is not a last-ditch effort to keep her alive, and that the 92-year-old nun has regained some strength and weight.

Luke Johansen, a spokesman for the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, Mother Angelica's order, said "The Lord is in charge; she may be taken tomorrow, we don't know".

"But at least the initial intent of the feeding tube was not an end-of-life kind of thing, but to assist her and help her get the nutrients she was lacking."

And that has seemed to work, he said.

She is able to take some foods orally and to receive the host and wine of the sacraments most days.

Mother Angelica remains confined to bed and sleeps a good deal, Mr Johnasen said, and she is unable to communicate except by squeezing a visitor's hand, or with a smile.

"When she's awake, her mind is very lucid," he said.

"She knows who people are."

A recent update from her order stated: "There were some up and down moments, and Mother has suffered a great deal these past months."

Famed for her TV appearances wearing a black-and-white habit and a sweet but steely smile, Mother Angelica would not hesitate to scold Church leaders who she felt were too lax in their teachings or practices.

She promoted traditional devotions and rites and claimed to have experienced mystical visions herself.

Sources

• Religion News Service
• Facebook
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

The Society of St Yves, a Catholic human rights group which argued the case on the monastery's behalf, said an Israeli appeals court had endorsed a plan to expand the barrier it had built in the area.

The wall would surround the convent on three sides and cut it off from most of its land, the group said.

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