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Columbus Day Picnic

On Saturday, October 12, the community celebrated our annual Columbus Day picnic. It’s always a day of outdoor exploration, community games, feasting, and fun.

We began the day with our traditional flag raising of the United States and Texas flags. We sang some patriotic songs, then our prioress Sr. Mary Margaret led us in a prayer thanking God for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as citizens of this country.

After the flag raising, we went to the refectory to look over the treats our cook had put out for us. Special snacks fortify us for a day full of community adventure, games, and fun.

The nuns sample special picnic day treats.

Several nuns decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and made a trek around the back path, the part of our land that we own but is outside the cloister. It’s a great wooded area, and halfway through we came across a huge tree that had fallen over the path. Some of us were able to climb over it and continue walking, and we found a beautiful area with wildflowers such as goldenrods and baby’s breath. We never know what we’re going to find when we go exploring!

When we returned to the monastery, we decided to pick some of the persimmons that were growing behind the professed dorm.

Sr. Mary Christine holds the ladder while Sr. Mary Therese cuts down a branch full of ripe persimmons.

We were able to harvest quite a bunch that the squirrels hadn’t gotten to yet, and then took them to the novitiate courtyard to finish ripening. We were able to enjoy the fresh persimmons a few days later. Delicious!

We spent the rest of the day feasting and playing games in the community room.

Sr. Mary Jeremiah, Sr. Mary Christine, Sophia, and Sr. Miriam enjoy playing Uno.

Running a monastery can be hard work, and with our usual days filled with prayers and our own work we don’t have a lot of time to spend together as a family. Our picnic days provide welcome time for us just to relax and have fun with each other. Laughing and playing together bond us as sisters and strengthen us for our important work of praising God as a community.

The Novitiate Celebrates St. Louis Bertrand!

The novitiate recently celebrated the feast day of St. Louis Bertrand, the Dominican patron saint of novices. On his official feast day, October 9, our novice mistress, Sr. Mary Christine, led the prayers during the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day. Then the novitiate had special activities on Friday and Saturday to celebrate their small community within our monastery and to thank God for the gift of our novices who are in formation to join our order.

The novitiate opens gifts from the community.

They spent much of the day playing outdoor games such as tennis, and then came inside to play table games like the monastery favorite, Sequence.

For supper, the novitiate had a special meal of barbecue. Then they played instruments and sang songs.

Our novitiate is forming quite a band!

The community was happy to let the novices have some free time to celebrate their special day. We’re very excited when new women want to join our community, and we look forward to see what God has planned for them!

Sr. Mary Margaret’s Triumphant Feast Day

On September 14, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, the community celebrated the feast day of our prioress, Sr. Mary Margaret of the Cross. Since this will be her last feast day during her term as our prioress, we wanted to make the day particularly special.

We began the celebrations by gathering in the community room and singing a special song that Sr. Mary Jeremiah and Sr. Mary Gabriel had written to the tune of “The Yellow Rose of Texas”. Then Sr. Mary Margaret opened all of the gifts the community gave her.

Sr. Mary Margaret’s Feast Day table

We’ve been working hard hand-making such gifts as knitted and crocheted items, stuffed animals, cross stich pieces, and diamond art pictures. We have plenty of beautiful items to go in next year’s raffle!

Sr. Marie Augustine and Sr. Mary Christine have a special gift for Sr. Mary Margaret–the novitiate bearing gifts!

Then we gathered in the community room for a special steak dinner.

Tables decorated for the feast day

In the afternoon, we watched the movie The Chosen, based on the Chaim Potok novel. It’s about two Jewish boys growing up in 1940s New York, and explores ideas of friendship and family.

The evening’s program was a variety show, in which various sisters showed off their performing talents.

The novitiate performed several songs.

Sr. Maria played a couple of pieces on her accordion.

In between acts, Sr. Mary Rose shared fun facts about Illinois, Sr. Mary Margaret’s home state.

It was a fun, relaxing community day for the sisters, and a wonderful way to celebrate our love and appreciation for our prioress!

St. Martha–and a Visit from the Polkers

The feast of St. Martha (which is now the feast of Martha, Mary and Lazarus) is a traditional day in our monastery to honor the sisters who do the cooking. In times past, the novitiate would take over the kitchen and give the cooks a day off. But, as our cook Sr. Marie Augustine reminded us, “Martha never took a day off!” So the novitiate came and helped Sister get ready for a delicious meal.

Diana, our kitchen assistant, and Sr. Marie Augustine, adorned in chef’s hats for this special day.

Sr. Marie Augustine prepares to slice a pineapple, but don’t worry. She’s wearing an apron–it’s white and blends in with her habit!

The other thing that happened on July 29 was that our good friends the Polkers came up from La Porte, TX–quite a drive, especially in the heat. The Polkers come about three times a year, bringing loads of food. This includes things we need, like flour, meat, sugar, juice and cereal, and things that are just treats, such as mini cream puffs and ice cream! Because there is a lot of food and most of it needs to be refrigerated or frozen–and all of it needs to be put away somewhere–it’s all hands on desk when they come.

Sr. Mary Christine and Michelle looking for places to put things!

Working together to get the job done.

Sr. Mary Giuse pushes a cart holding margarine and ice cream into the kitchen.

The Polkers always bring a lot of fresh fruit! The novitiate sisters–Sr. Mary Pauline, Sr. Mary Christine, and Michelle–carefully washed and dried everything so it would be ready to be eaten.

Did we mention the meals were delicious? Sr. Marie Augustine is a wonderful cook! We appreciate her very much. And we are so grateful to the Polkers and all their friends, who keep us supplied with groceries! Thank you both!

St. Martha, patroness of hard-working people, pray for us!

Michelle is a “Professed Postulant”

Recently, our postulant Michelle received the Miraculous Medal of Our Lady and a rosary–signs that she has spent three months in the novitiate and continues to do well!

Gathered in the novitiate chapter room

Sr. Mary Margaret gives a brief talk

Receiving the Miraculous Medal…

….and the Rosary!

A little party to celebrate, with tea and homemade cookies

The newly “professed postulant”

The novitiate sisters and Sr. Mary Margaret

Sr. Mary Christine, Michelle, and some of Sr. Mary Christine’s orchids.

We call Michelle a “professed postulant” because this is a big step forward in her formation period. Please pray that Michelle will persevere these coming nine months to her next step, which will be receiving the habit!

So Thankful and Blessed

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday! Although the weather was cold and damp, our spirits were bright and cheerful. It was so good to be together with our sisters sharing a Thanksgiving meal–and almost all prepared by the sisters, too!

The day before–Hard at work preparing various dishes!

Sr. Mary Giuse made a delicious Vietnamese noodle dish while our kitchen helper Diana sliced pineapple.

Sr. Mary Thomas and Sr. Marie Augustine with dressing and dirty rice

Michelle chopping carrots in the bakery. (More on Michelle to come!)

Thanksgiving Day! Sr. Miriam checks out the dessert table.

Fruits and salads!

Sr. Mary Veronica gets some ice for her drink.

Looking over our groaning table.

Some sides and bread–as well as the gravy and cranberry sauce.

The community room was beautifully decorated by the novitiate.

Although we cooked and prepared almost all the food, most of it was given to us by our very generous benefactors. We are truly thankful and blessed to have so many wonderful people who support our life. We are praying hard for all of you!

Going Nuts

The novitiate is cracking up!

For many years, we’ve had a pecan tree on our property. Unfortunately, we never get to enjoy any of the pecans it produces because the squirrels get them all. But this year, Sr. Mary Christine and the novitiate sisters were determined things would be different.

At the tree, ready to pick pecans.

Sr, Mary Christine, Sr. Marie Augustine, Sr. Mary Pauline and Sarah.

The branches of the tree were heavy with ripe pecans.

Plus, you can work in the shade!

Some of the fruits (or should that be nuts?) of our labor.

After the fun of picking pecans came the job of shelling them. We usually call this a “pecan party”.

Sr. Mary Christine shows off her celery plant. She’s growing ginger, too!

As you can see, in addition to cracking nuts, there was also a lot of laughter. They really did crack up!

If you’re wondering where Sr. Maria is–she’s still with us! It’s a long story, but to make it quick we’ll just say that she is living over in the professed dormitory now. The professed sisters are delighted to have her. We are hoping for a new novitiate sister soon, so please keep praying!