Things keep changing daily, and it\’s hard to keep up sometimes! The Bishop of our diocese asked yesterday for all public masses to be suspended. However, since we are not exactly a public church, we did have our doors open this morning for those who wished to come. There were two–possibly three people, It\’s not many, but we usually have more on weekdays, and large numbers on Sundays and First Fridays and First Saturdays and holy days…and at some point, it could have become an issue. So our prioress, Sr. Mary Margaret, contacted the Bishop, and he asked us not to have public Masses either. So–for the time being, the chapel will not be open for Mass. It will be open for the Liturgy of the Hours, however. We will keep you updated as we learn more.
We are \”sheltering in place\” as they say–a situation that comes naturally to cloistered nuns! But we keep always before our eyes the sufferings of all the people uncertain about work, food, health, and even having the basic necessities of life. This is a time for all of us to remember that God is in control of this. Let\’s continue to stay calm even while we take precautions; let\’s keep on praying to St. Catherine of Siena or any other saint you like (there are lots invoked in times of sickness and plague). We have a link to Bishop Strickland\’s cover letter to the diocese here and his decree here. Both are worth reading, especially if you in the area. May God be with us all!
Dominican Life on Lotus Lane 