Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “News”
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 …
This photo was captured in 1999 at the Motherhouse for a candlelight procession up the cloister. You can notice one Sister, Sister Mary Patricia of the Holy Souls, with her hand to her ear to pick up the strains of what the Sisters behind her are singing. It’s not just about singing the right hymn together, but also the right …
We share a fast glance instruction sticker for the portable reel to reel magnetic tape recorder, the Wollensak, that was used to record conferences and homilies over the years in our community. Our community wanted to record for posterity the spirituality of our Founder but did much of that by hand in the early days. It wasn’t until the 1950s …