“May this place become holy ground, where heaven and earth meet, and where the Church is continually upheld by prayer”
On 10–11 January 2026, His Eminence Mykola Cardinal Bychok, Eparch of Melbourne, and Fr. Simon Ckuj, Protossyncellus of the Melbourne Eparchy, visited the town of Mathoura, located within the Diocese of Wilcania-Forbes, to take part in the celebrations marking the blessing of the site for the construction of a chapel and a monastery for the Carmelite Sisters.
The Diocese of Wilcania-Forbes is located in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia, and covers an area of more than 400,000 square kilometres. In 2019, at the invitation of the local bishop, Columba Macbeth-Green, OSPPE, four nuns arrived in Mathoura—a small town in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales—from a monastery in the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the United States. They were later joined by eight more sisters. Initially, the monastery was known as the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In 2024, the monastery became autonomous and received the name Carmel of Elijah. The Carmel of Elijah is a Monastery of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, who are living out their calling to contemplative prayer. They follow the ancient practice of monastic enclosure, which means that they remain physically separate from the public by fences and grilles, as a symbol of their complete gift of self to Christ and his Church.
On Saturday evening, 10 January, the blessing of the cross and the site designated for the construction of the church and monastery took place. On Sunday, 11 January, a Pontifical Solemn High Mass was celebrated, presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Wilcania-Forbes, Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, OSPPE.
As Fr. Simon Ckuj emphasised: “These were two historic days in the life of the Church in Australia. Celebrations of the blessing culminated in a celebration of a Pontifical Solemn High Mass celebrated by the bishop of Wilcania-Forbes in the presence of Cardinal Mykola. The first time such a mass has been celebrated since at least 1947. Over 500 faithful took part in these services many being young families with children. Long lines of people lined up to receive the cardinals blessing, often kneeling in the brown dust of the Australian bush Please pray for the Carmelite Sisters as the constantly pray for us.”
Cardinal Mykola, who had returned the previous day from an Extraordinary Consistory in Rome, addressed those present with a brief word, in which he also conveyed the blessing of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
The Bishop also emphasised the significance of this monastery for the entire Church in Australia, stating: “A Carmelite monastery is never just another building. A Carmel is a powerhouse of prayer. Hidden from the world, yet at the very heart of the Church, it is a place where day and night the cry of humanity is lifted up to God. From these walls will rise prayers for the Church, for priests, for families, for those who suffer, for those who have lost hope, and for those who do not even know how to pray. The Church has always known that her strength does not come first from activity, strategy, or numbers, but from prayer—faithful, persevering, loving prayer. The Carmelite vocation reminds us of this truth. Through silence, sacrifice, and contemplation, the sisters share in Christ’s own offering to the Father for the salvation of the world.”
Addressing the sisters, the Cardinal Mykola said: “Dear Sisters, I want to say personally how honoured I am to be with you today. Thank you for your ‘yes’ to God. Thank you for the prayers you already offer, and for those you will offer here in the years to come—many of them unseen, all of them precious in the eyes of the Lord. We entrust this convent to the protection of the Prophet Elijah, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and all the saints of Carmel. May this place become holy ground, where heaven and earth meet, and where the Church is continually upheld by prayer. May God bless this Carmel, bless this diocese, and bless all of you who support this sacred work.”
