Catholic Outlook March 2016

DIOCESAN NEWS
Maria Lette celebrates 100 years of life
By Elizabeth McFarlane
The lines on her face tell the
story. It was her smile that
drew me in, shortly followed
by her piercing blue eyes.
Maria Christina Lette has
an enduring gaze and her wispy,
silver hair can be said to match her
silver-tongue.
After another flash of the
camera, she quipped: “Have you got
your money’s worth yet?”
It was a lively jest.
Maria’s youngest child, Theresa
Brazell, and her second eldest,
Alphons Lette, quickly chimed in.
Maria Christina Lette celebrated her 100th birthday last month with more than 200 family
members. Maria’s secret to a long life could be a large and loving family.
Photo: Elizabeth McFarlane.
“She’s always had such a
great sense of humour!” Theresa
exclaimed.
“She’s never given up the fun,”
Alphons said with a chuckle.
Maria celebrated her 100th
birthday on 6 February at St
Anthony’s Church, Toongabbie, with
more than 200 family members. She
was presented with a Papal Blessing
from the Parish Priest, Rev Arthur
Bridge.
With 12 children, 56
grandchildren and 99 greatgrandchildren
(and the 100th on
the way), Maria’s secret to a long life
could very well be a large and loving
family.
“We mix so much together. To
keep in touch with each other we
had a family newsletter going out
every fortnight for quite a few years,”
Alphons said.
Maria was born in 1916 in
the Netherlands, growing up in a
town called Hengelo, which is east
of Amsterdam and close to the
German border.
Her parents, Maria and Hendrick
Boevink, had 11 children.
It was a different time. Maria
grew up hearing the clattering
hooves of horses pulling bread and
milk carts in the early morning.
She would ride her bike around
the town, passing corner stores and
the market in the town square where
her family would buy fruit and
vegetables.
She was 19 when she attended
the local dance hall and met
Herman, the love of her life and the
father of her 12 children. Herman
was a machinist who made silk
stockings.
When Maria was 23 they married
and went on to raise 10 children
before deciding to migrate to
Australia.
“In the mid-1950s, nylon was
invented. It went from silk stockings
to nylon stockings and the factory
my Dad was working in started to
install the new machines," Alphons
said.
"But that meant they would need
less than half of the staff. Six of the
machinists, including my Dad, came
to Australia because Holeproof
in Sydney was still making silk
stockings."
Once in Australia, Maria and
Herman had two more children
and in 1959 they bought a house in
Toongabbie, just a 10-minute walk
from St Anthony’s Church.
“We’re very involved in the
parish. Prayer and church were
foremost with both our parents.
Toongabbie Parish means a lot to
us,” Theresa said.
Almost all of Maria’s children
were married in St Anthony’s
Church, as well as many of her
grandchildren. Even some of
her great-grandchildren have
been baptised and received other
sacraments in the parish.
Maria and Herman were married
for 32 years before Herman died of a
heart attack in 1971 at the age of 57.
“It was sudden. I was 11,” Theresa
said.
“Mum did it pretty rough at the
time,” Alphons said. “But she kept us
all together."
Theresa said Maria's biggest
regret was that Herman was not
there to share this special occasion.
"She always says, ‘My family is
wonderful but Dad should be here
with me,’” she said.
Maria’s 100th birthday was an
opportunity for her extended family
to come together to celebrate her
long and blessed life.
“There was a lot of catching up
to do between the cousins and the
grandkids,” Alphons said.
The celebrations concluded
with lunch at a restaurant in Seven
Hills where Maria was presented
with congratulatory letters from
the Queen, the Prime Minister,
the Governor-General, the NSW
Premier, and other political
dignitaries from both houses of
parliament.
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Supporting the
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ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
MASS TIMES AND REGULAR SERVICE
Weekend Masses
Saturday 8am, 9:30am
(Mass in the Extraordinary Form – Latin),
6pm (Vigil) Sunday 8am, 9.30am (Family
Mass), 11am (Solemn Mass), 6pm
Weekday Masses
Monday to Friday 6.45am,12.30pm
Public Holidays 8am
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Monday to Friday 11.15am-12.20pm
First Friday of the month 6pm-7pm
Sacrament of Penance
Weekdays 11.15am-12.20pm
Saturdays 8.30am-9am, 5pm-5.30pm
Devotions
Morning Prayer of the Church
Monday to Friday 6.30am
Saturday and Sunday 7.30am
Angelus
Monday to Friday noon
Rosary
Monday to Friday after Angelus at noon
Canticle of Our Lady’s Marian Movement
Friday 1pm
Christian meditation
Tuesday 9.30am-10.15am
Baptism - Sunday 12.45pm by appointment
Marriages - By appointment
Contact the Parish Secretary
tel (02) 8839 8400 or email
1 Marist Place, Parramatta
16 CatholicOutlook | MARCH 2016
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