On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8th, 2016, Sister Guadalupe D’Emmanuel of the Holy Trinity, celebrated her Silver Jubilee of Vows as a Handmaid of the Precious Blood. The day was marked by much joy and festivity, a beautiful Mass during which Sister formally renewed her vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience in the hands of Rev. Mother Marietta, a special dinner afterwards, and evening recreation including singing hymns and community favorites. Much like Saint Paul’s explanation of the Body of Christ where the whole body rejoices in the happiness of one member, our entire religious family was uplifted as a whole and strengthened once again as we ceremoniously marked the twenty-five years of Sister’s fidelity to the life with great joy. She joked it took the first 25 years to get her ready for the next 25 years; but now she is all set…so, 50 here she comes!
During the Jubilee Mass of Religious Profession, we all kneel in our pews and renew our own vows, taken on perhaps different dates in different years, but all espousing each one of us to the same Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing this life is and the many opportunities to remind ourselves of the gift God has given to all of us in calling us to give ourselves to him for the sake of his priests. It was most appropriate we rounded out the evening with the hymn “Deo Gratias!”.
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- Sister Guadalupe of the day of her final vows with Mother Jonpaul twenty-five years ago.
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- Prior to Mass, her crown of thorns, now decorated in silver to mark 25 years of vowed life, sits next to the altar awaiting the blessing.
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- Father Antonio Giraldo blesses the silver crown of thorns.
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- Sister kneels before the Mother Prioress to recite and sign her vow formula which lies on an open book of the Gospels.
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- “…and if you live these vows faithfully, I promise you eternal life.”
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- A festive dinner to celebrate the day.
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- Jubilee sing-a-long
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- Sister Guadalupe D’Emmanuel of the Holy Trinity on her Silver Jubilee