Christmas 2024 Newsletter!

A HandmaidNews, Newsletters

All of your needs and intentions will be remembered in our Christmas Novena of Masses at our Motherhouse from Dec 25th 2024 to Jan 1st 2025. Please mail us your prayer requests at Cor Jesu Monastery, 596 Callaway Ridge Road, New Market TN 37820 or use our prayer request submission form to send us your intentions.

“Everything is given to us to draw us nearer to God. His reflection is in all things in our life; we can see Beauty everywhere.”

-Fr Gerald, sP

 

When we are awestruck by the beauties of creation, it is to draw us to our Creator in thanksgiving. Creation is a gift to us from God.

When we are awestruck by the beauties of creation, it is to draw us to our Creator in thanksgiving. Creation is a gift to us from God.

Likewise, we can be struck by the act of a soul choosing to draw closer to God and give all their being to him in a vocation entirely dedicated to the Lord. This too is beautiful. Aspirant Sarah moved forward into Postulancy and Postulant Chrissy entered the Novitiate as Sister Thérèse Bernadette.

Newly clothed Postulant Sarah
Smiling sister returns wondering what her new name and title will be.
Called to the fullness of the priesthood as Bishop.

While our Founder was exemplary in living joyful gratitude for everything including creation, he especially pointed out that God’s greatest gift to man was the priesthood because priests bring us Jesus Christ. He felt man’s greatest gift to God is a priest faithfully fulfilling his vocation as another Christ. We pray and sacrifice for that and rejoice in knowing so many priests are striving for holiness like our new Bishop, Bishop James Mark Beckmann, who was ordained and installed as the 4th Bishop the Diocese of Knoxville in July.

There is also the beauty in living in a religious family as Sisters and the extended network of Oblates, Lay Associates, Confraternity Members, family, friends, and benefactors who support us in action and, most importantly, in prayer. 

What is the greatest beauty? God. And how blessed we are to have him in his Real Presence! The US Eucharistic Revival enters it’s third year focusing on Eucharistic Evangelization, a very tangible way to proclaim hope to many souls hungry for beauty. It dovetails into the Jubilee Year of Hope. When you learn to find beauty in everything and see God in it, you have hope even in the most difficult of circumstances. Beauty reminds us God is present.

Let us pray for each other very much. Have a blessed 2025.

Bishop Beckman’s Coat of Arms
Welcoming Bishop Mark in the East Tennessee Catholic Newspaper

Bishop Mark Beckman was ordained to the episcopate and installed on July 26th. We watched the Mass via livestream and welcomed him in print in the East Tennessee Catholic newspaper. His name was placed in our Mary, Mother of Priests Garden. 

Breathtaking aurora…for the SECOND time in 2024 in East Tennessee! Greens and even reds visible to the naked eye!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NIGHT SKY PHOTOS! In both May and October we were treated to rare and beautiful celestial surprises: Aurora Borealis in the South and a rare once-every-80,000-years comet!

Everything is given to us to draw us nearer to God. His reflection is in all things in our life: we can see Beauty everywhere. – Fr. Gerald, sP

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF BIG AND LITTLE CREATURES AND CRITTERS From fawns to bears and fostering (temporarily) five nursing kittens and their mom, we had ample opportunity to marvel at God’s small, and not-so-small, creatures. And we are happy to report that all five kittens found good homes and the mother, after two unexpected litters, is now safely fixed and resuming her former life outside the monastery. Gertrude and Gunther suspected something was up when they could catch a sniff of ‘other cat’ on the Sisters taking care of the brood but they have forgiven us. And the black bear has not returned. 
A bear…though more beautiful at a safer distance than our backyard.
Bear cartoon from our bear encounters in New Mexico
Bambi again chose our deck to cozy next to for naps.
Gertrude stalks.
Gunther guards his stuff.
Philo so tiny the toy ball looks like a beach ball, statue of St. Martin de Porres (naturally) for size comparison
Rocket
Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!
If his eyes would stay blue we could call him Sinatra
Raise your paw if you want me!
Philo has grown
Basking in the sun
Sibling love
Mom checks out the monastery
Philo gets some lap time
Rocket feeding
Mom cat has a bath
Philo and his Sister Rocket tender and loving towards each other as all siblings are, right?

 

Corpus Christi at Cor Jesu Monastery was worth all the cleaning and furniture moving to have the privilege of adoring and honoring Our Lord this way. Thank you Father Stice!

 

Once again for Mass at Cor Jesu the sewing-confessional-floral room becomes a staging area for needed Chapel items and an overflow area for furniture moved to make room for a sanctuary.
We don’t just set up stations and altars. Everything gets seriously scrubbed and washed first. Here, our sacristan helps the junior sister with placement of the altar and prie-dieu.
God provided fresh flowers from the garden areas. This is Easter lilies the second time around. Gorgeous and fragrant.
Beginning the set up with the First Station indoors in the great room.
Fresh flowers for our Lord at the last outdoor Station by the Sacred Heart.
Sister reads the First Reading.
Mother reads the Second Reading.
Sister sings the responsorial.
Father Stice proclaims the Gospel.
Elevating the Host.
Father raises the Chalice of the Precious Blood
The beginning of the Procession heading down the aisle of our makeshift Mass Chapel (formerly the Chapter room and Refectory)
The First Station. Praying the Litany of the Eucharist.
Praying the Litany of the Eucharist at the First Station.
Benediction from the First Station indoors.
The Cross Bearer, candle bearers, and thurifers lead the procession.
The Second Station on the first floor outdoor deck by the Stations of the Cross and in front of the Sacred Heart Statue that once graced our Priory in Capena, Italy.
Rose petals for the Lord! Sister adorns the walk with petals as a sign of our Lord for our Eucharistic King.
Procession returning inside to Cor Jesu.
The southwest corner of the deck.
“Adore the Lord in his Holy Court” – Sisters and Father bow in adoration at the Third Station next to the flower strewn path along the deck.
Adoration in Cor Jesu on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Father Randy Stice incenses the Blessed Sacrament for the final time before the Solemn Benediction.
After a beautiful celebration of Corpus Christi, various items await a ride up the hill to go back to the Oratory and Mass Chapel where they usually reside.
We are getting more practice transforming Cor Jesu into a place ready for Mass but it does require the Handmaid Moving Company LLC to put in a lot of nun-hours.

VOCATION NEWS

We are happy to share that our younger and newer aspiring Handmaid Sisters moved forward in their formation. Sarah arrived with her parents Tim and Anne and entered Aspirancy in residence and later moved into Postulancy. 

 

Sarah and her parents Tim and Anne
Mother Sarah Michael presents Aspirant Sarah with the Handmaids of the Precious Blood Community Prayer Book
Postulant Sarah kisses the Queen of the Clergy medal.

Postulant Chrissy reached a big milestone of entering the Novitiate. This stage is marked by the clothing in the Handmaid of the Precious Blood habit and the bestowal of the new Novice’s name and the title in religion. For the occasion, we were blessed to have her mother Sharon and friend Patty join her for the event. Chrissy is now known as Novice Sister Thérèse Bernadette of the Most Tender and Compassionate Heart and we rejoice with her and Sarah.

Father Randy Stice blesses the items that Postulant Chrissy will be clothed with when she receives the habit as a Novice.
With prayers for each item, Reverend Mother Sarah Michael bestows the habit to be worn.
Jumping for joy…Postulant greets the new Novice
Sister’s mother Sharon and family friend Patty were able to be present for the special day.
Mother gestures to her daughter, it’s time to be vested as a new novice.

 

Farewell to Beautiful Souls and Faithful Servants; both family and friends

Rev. Msgr. Gilberto De Santis, our longtime Chaplain from our Priory in Capena, Italy was called to his eternal rest October 28th, 2024. Well done, good and faithful servant! Don Gilberto’s name was one of the very first placed in the first phase of our Mary, Mother of Priests Garden.

Another Faithful Servant:
Oblate of the Precious Blood Conchita Melendez, mother of our Sister Maristella,
passed away on September 19th, 2024.
CLICK HERE FOR SCENES FROM OUR SACERDOTAL, MARIAN, AND EUCHARISTIC LIFE: ALL FOR CHRIST IN HIS PRIEST
Sister Sacristan puts First Things First: The Primacy of the Spiritual
Formation Group having a zoom class with the Institute of Catholic Culture’s Magdala Apostolate
No Miracle Grow for these squash. It just happened.
Celebrating Mary’s Nativity on September 8th
Taking In a gorgeous Fall morning
Sewing Class with Sister Seamstress
A bean snapping party in the kitchen
A visit from the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma