Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “News”
It’s the last week of Advent. All the candles are lit on the wreath and we are singing the O Antiphons that signify ‘the home stretch’. The Nativity of Our Lord is closer and the acrostic first letters of the antiphons in Latin, when written backwards, gives us “Ero cras” meaning, “Tomorrow I come!” The building excitement is not in …
Though we have held off on decorating, the cleaning has begun and the requisite baking so it’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas! Our Come and See, Sarah, has rolled up her sleeves and joined the formation group under Sister Christiana’s supervision to rollout lots of sugar cookies. Novice Sister Maria Crucis and Postulant Shannon all enjoyed the double …
It’s important to keep this holy season and preparation and silent waiting unscathed as much as possible by too early secular incursions of the ‘Happy Holidays’ spirit. Part of this is treasuring Advent specific traditions that are simple but profound. We have the Advent Wreath in the refectory as the Chapel sanctuary area is too small for another source of …
As many a novice or postulant can tell you, the formation group in a monastery is not shy of humor and entertaining skits to share with the rest of the community. The Handmaids are no exception. In years past, as our archive sharing during our Diamond Jubilee will show, Handmaids found themselves in plays, musicals, humorous skits, and sing-a-longs. This …
We share an archive treasure from the more recent past from our arrival in New Market. A Church built upon rock. Cor Jesu Monastery was originally a large lodge in the woods. Before building it, the previous owners had core samples drilled to assess the construction site for suitability. In limestone country it’s understandable that you don’t want to build …
We had been having consistent rain and fog for some time but gratefully welcoming it after a drought. Low clouds, heavy fog, rain, and mud described everything outdoors for many days. But not long after celebrating a sung Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was a delight to have a touch of …
As the Catholic Church in America gets its Eucharistic Revival underway, there are plans for a National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024. (For more information visit: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org) As cloistered contemplatives we will only be attending in spirit. But in 1976 we were still a Diocesan Community with a semi-active rule and not yet, enclosed. So we had the honor and …
This summer, eyeing some of the nicely mowed grass around the Mary, Mother of Priests Garden, neighboring cows headed over to our hill to sample the wares. They liked it and moved into the Garden but didn’t seem impressed by the view. With coaxing they made their way closer to our fence and then down the hill to Our Lady …
Happy Veterans Day! Father Gerald Fitzgerald was a priest, a religious, and a founder but he was also a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army in World War II as a Chaplain. He attained the rank of Captain, and was stationed both in the U.S. as well as the Pacific theater. As a priest out to save souls, he …
This 1966 letter from the Bishop of Burlington is a happy memory from our time in Vermont. It was the first convent set up outside of New Mexico when the Handmaids from the desert mountain canyon traveled to the colder climate of Vermont. Bishop Robert Joyce was letting the Mother General, Mother Dolorosa, know what he thought of her Sisters. …
Yes! Constantly! So even an exercise period can become a time of prayer. In this 1988 photo from our Priory in Spokane WA, we see Sister Mary Clare taking a stationary spin on an exercise bike in the tape office. She could easily keep all priests and the needs and intentions of the world in mind seeing the world map …
We’ve been sharing several posts called “Archive Treasures” where a photo or an object is highlighted from our archives of the last 75 years. Now we again send out our prayers of gratitude to the benefactors who have enabled us to really tackle the huge labor of love in sorting through decades of photo material stored over the years in …