Mother Dolorosa and Sister Bernadette (who would become the next Mother) greet Pope Paul VI during a visit to Rome. They were delighted to meet the successor to Peter and the Vicar of Christ on Earth but might not have guessed how soon he would be canonized.
We read in the prophet Hosea of God seeking to re-establish his relationship with Israel using the imagery of alluring her into the desert to speak tenderly to her again. (cf Hosea 2) We are off to the desert to wait in silence and solitude before our Lord in our annual retreat. Half the Sisters work as Marthas while half …
Continuing on with our Diamond Jubilee, we made a small Lady of Sorrows display in our Cor Jesu Refectory of various cards, programs, and tableau photos depicting how the Handmaids marked this beautiful feast of our Blessed Mother.
Sometimes when photos are taken, gathered, and placed in an album people might wonder, “Why did you take a photo of THAT?” This is true particularly when it seems like an everyday, ordinary thing or task. But, with the passage of time, even the plain-old stuff becomes vastly more interesting. When these ‘secretarial’ photos were taken they didn’t seem like …
Family, friends, and benefactors who have been in contact with our community over the decades know that we have moved our Motherhouse twice in the last ten years. First, in 2013 when we moved from Jemez Springs, New Mexico to Benton, Tennessee and then again in 2015 from Benton to New Market Tennessee. With 75 years of archives moving with …
Shortly after we prayed Lauds and Terce, some Sisters out for exercise enjoyed an unexpected treat watching a hot air balloon near the monastery. The burners could be heard as it descended for a landing nearby. These largely silent aircraft move quietly with the air currents, a beauty that doesn’t disturb the peace around the pastures and hills. We hope …
We were recently blessed that our Aspirant Chrissy was able to make an extended visit. This allowed her to spend time with our formation group and participate in the life of the community and experience the Handmaid charism, especially our lives of sacrifice and eucharistic adoration for the sanctification of priests. She has now returned home to Illinois where she …
We were blessed to be able to participate in prayer with the recent Vocations Day for Young Women hosted at Saint Joseph’s School in Knoxville. As we have done in similar venues (Steubenville Vocations Day, FOCUS, or Knights of Columbus conventions) a table was set up so that even the absent cloistered nuns would have some physical presence. We joined …
The first convent outside of New Mexico was to another climate far different from the desert southwest: Vermont! Randolph, VT was the location of the Precious Blood convent and the Handmaids sent there had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the marvels of winter, especially shoveling snow! Enjoy these old photos, posted in a Tennessee August, to cool down a bit …
While the Mary, Mother of Priests Garden isn’t on a mountain summit, it commands a beautiful view from its location on the hilltop, even in the hazy days of summer. Even on clear days of summer.
Among our treasures in the archives is a papal blessing parchment for our community from early in Saint John Paul II’s pontificate.
In 1947, when our Founder Father Gerald began two religious communities, he considered the bishop who invited his apostolate of prayer for priests into his diocese to be a co-founder. In the very early pioneering days Archbishop Edwin Byrne of Santa Fe met with and celebrated Mass for the early Handmaids with fatherly regularity. We are happy to have in …