Of the Incarnation, Creation, Christmas, Crawl Spaces, and Septic Tanks

A Handmaid Diamond Jubilee, News

We have had quite an end to Advent and a start to the Christmas season by ‘returning to Bethlehem’. While we were spared any truly life threatening issues from the great arctic blast that devastated parts of the U.S., we did enjoy circumstances that were both occasions of humor and trial. There were multiple opportunities to thank God ‘for everything’; …

Archive Treasures: A Septic Tank?!!!

A Handmaid Diamond Jubilee, News

Bet you never guessed something like that would be included in our list of “memories”! Since we had a little “septic scare” on Christmas Eve, we thought this would be a great time to share this archive photo.   As we’ve explained to numerous plumbers, tradesmen, construction workers, contractors, and benefactors over the years monasteries and plumbing challenges go “hand …

Archive Treasures: Cor Jesu Core Sample Rock

A Handmaid Diamond Jubilee, News

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 …

Fiat Lux! Let There Be Light!

A Handmaid News, Priests Garden

As an Easter gift, a benefactor made possible the night lighting of our gates, call box, and most especially the wooden Crosses now draped in white. It helps with security and visitors finding the call box but also allows the Cross to be seen at quite a distance even in the dark. Fiat Lux! Let There Be Light! We are …

Praying the Stations of the Cross in the Mary, Mother of Priests Tribute Garden

A Handmaid HISTORY, HPB Vocations, Priests Garden

God blessed us with very fine weather during the last weeks of October and, on a warm and windy day, we took advantage of the conditions to pray the Stations of the Cross together in the Mary, Mother of Priests Tribute Garden. The perimeter of this first phase of the garden is ringed with 14 traditional Stations of the Cross …

White Christmas! Not So Typical!

A Handmaid HISTORY, HPB Vocations, News

We recently shared a post on what a typical monastery Christmas is like. But what was it really like this year? It was a WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!!! That’s a shout-able event. Why? Because it was a rare event experienced maybe only once every 10-15 years or more…a White Christmas of 5 to 7 inches of snow that meant no Midnight Mass, …

Mary Mother of Priests Garden – Blessing and Installation of First Set of Names

A Handmaid HISTORY, PRIESTS, Priests Garden

Before concluding her second term of office as our Mother Prioress, Mother Marietta enjoyed one of her last ‘official’ acts as Mother in late September 2019: Taking a powered screw driver in hand and attaching the very first name plate of a priest we intended to honor in our Mary Mother of Priests Tribute Garden. Naturally, the priest in question …

First groundbreaking on the initial phase of the Mary, Mother of Priests Garden at Cor Jesu Monastery

Groundbreaking for Mary, Mother of Priests Garden Initial Phase

A Handmaid HPB Vocations, News, PRIESTS, Priests Garden

While we have gotten used to bull dozers and other heavy equipment around the grounds, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mary, Mother of Priests Garden was the first time we had color-coordinated shovels on the property. Several wine-red shovels were on hand on our “Sound of Music” hill where we have plans to eventually build the Mary, Mother of Priests …

Home At Last, Home At Last, Thank God Almighty, they’re Home At Last!

A Handmaid HISTORY

Handmaids Come Home to Blessed Sacrament Cemetery On March 29th, 2016, the Handmaids of the Precious Blood celebrated an important milestone in their settlement in New Market, TN. After moving our entire Resurrection Cemetery from Cor Jesu Monastery in Jemez Springs, NM to the Christ, Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton, TN in 2013; we did not anticipate moving …

Stole and Holy Water

Bishop Stika Blesses Our New Home

A Handmaid HISTORY

Just days after our big move to New Market, Bishop Stika came to celebrate Mass and bless the Chapel, Oratory, and cells of our house that we will initially occupy. Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers and laborers under the guidance of Jimmy Dee, the garage was transformed in record time into a lovely, prayerful Chapel where we …