Dominican Life on Lotus Lane

During the past month, we received various visitors. There are two events we would like to share with you.In mid-July Father Emmerich Vogt, OP came for a long week end from the Holy Name Province based in California. He had been with us last year for our annual retreat. He gave about six lectures on different aspects of Community Life and how to create a spirit of peace and harmony. We found the talks excellent and very practical. Besides a lot of note-taking there was also a lot of laughing. He gave down to earth examples of how Jesus calls us to “die to ourselves” so that we may be more transformed into His radiant image.

We hope and pray everyone had a safe and happy July 4th celebration. We had a very peaceful and relaxing day. As always we begin the day with our Patriotic duties: Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic songs and a prayer. This year there was a light rain so we omitted the raising of the flags on the flagpole. Instead, we went into our main building where we have 3 flags: Texas, American and Papal.

After our songs and prayer, most Sisters stop by the snack tables before settling into a game or an adventure outside. Rain was forecast and it showed up 2 or 3 times. However, it did not last long, just enough to cool the temperature down a bit.

Several Sisters grilled our picnic dinner in the morning. They grilled enough for dinner and supper: hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, corn, shish kabobs (some with beef and others with shrimp). Everything was delicious.

There were games as usual, and just enjoying one another\’s company. Ping-pong and Sequence were the favorite activities this year.

This past Sunday afternoon about 1:20, two little puppies appeared at our Novitiate door, looking for someone to play with. They were very friendly and cute. Both females, they looked young and had lovely markings. One was light brown with four white feet and a white line on her forehead. The other, shyer one, was dark brown with dazzling, almost blue eyes.

Sister Mary Dominic took to the dogs right away. They looked like chihuahuas. Sister and her mother had had a chiweenie named “Peanuts”. Sister set them up in one of our courtyards with a little house and some water until we were able to give them to the proper authorities about 3:00.

Since our buildings are more or less at the center of our property, it must have taken then some time to find us. They looked well cared for, but had no collar or tags.

About 5 or 6 Sisters saw them. Someone eventually called the Animal Rescue who came and picked them up. One of the people who came said she knew just the right elderly gentlemen for one of them.

The dogs had a great time “playing” … or was it “praying”?!

First, we apologize that our last post did not go up sooner, explaining our preparations for this important Jubilee. It was scheduled to upload at midnight on June 2, but it must have “over-slept”! We just noticed it was not published. Well, the “silver lining” is that it gives us more time to put up the next one. 😁We had a BIG day on Saturday celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Religious Profession of Sister Mary Veronica. She worked outside for many years so many of the people in the area know her. She decided just to send out a “few” invitations, mainly family. But with that, the chapel was overflowing.

We had over 80 guests, so some went to our Oratory which we empty and open so people can come in there. They are behind the glass behind the altar. It\’s something like a “cry room”. The sound comes in, but we do not hear them. Some people said they went there so they could see the nuns! The bishop went to them when it was time to distribute Holy Communion. If you look closely you can vaguely see some people behind the wooden slats. Our sacristan made the beautiful flower arrangement.

The principal celebrant was Bishop Eduardo Nevares, the auxiliary bishop in the Phoenix Diocese. He originally came to Lufkin as a seminarian and was missioned here off and on for many years. He even served as Pastor. The bishop is flanked by two Dominican friars of our Southern Province: On our left is Fr. John Lydon, OP, our resident chaplain; and on our right is Fr. Brian Pierce, OP who was the homilist at the Mass. He was very good and regaled us with stories of Sr. Mary Veronica (SMV) when he was a simple student at Stephen F. Austen University (SFA) up the road in Nacogdoches.

The three priests to the right of the crucifix are left to right: Fr. Joseph, pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Moral, a few miles from Nacogdoches, This was SMV’s home-parish. Her parents are buried in the Church cemetery. Next, Fr. Ron Fosage, MS, a La Salette priest, who is pastor of St. Michael Church in Jasper south of us and a monthly confessor for the nuns for over 25 years. The one closest to the grille is Fr. Francis O’Dowd, a true Irish leprechaun, who was pastor in Lufkin for a few years, but is now at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Daingerfield, north of us.

After a beautiful Liturgy we went to the “Gate Parlor” to visit with Sister Mary Veronica’s family and friends. There was a little mix-up and some people ate lunch first, lovingly supplied by Sister’s family. We have a few pictures of the gathering in the Parlor.

We close our brief survey of the Jubilee celebration with a fitting photograph. This is Sister Mary Veronica with one of her sisters, Catherine, from Pasadena, TX; and her sister-in-law, Dell from Sulphur Springs, TX.

We are currently, clearing rooms and moving furniture in preparation for a big Jubilee celebration later today. It is for Sister Mary Veronica who is our first local vocation that has remained throughout the years. This is only the second 70th Anniversary of Religious Profession that we have had in our monastery.

Chairs from the parlors and guest dining room have been moved to our long hall inside the enclosure to make room for food and sitting areas for our friends to have lunch after the ceremony, as well as seating for an overflow crowd for the Liturgy in the Chapel. We tease Sister Mary Veronica that she is related to half of East Texas!

Beginning at 10:00 am, we will have the Eucharistic Liturgy with the principal celebrant, Bishop Eduardo Nevares, Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix, Arizona; and the homilist, Fr. Brian Pierce, OP, currently of Irving, Texas. After Mass, we will all visit in our “Gate Parlor” then break for a lunch provided by the family.

Check in with us tomorrow for pictures of the grace-filled event.

Every year on the Feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (May 31), we conclude the day, the month of May, and our special May Devotions with the Crowning of Our Lady. Usually this is the privilege of the younger Sisters

This year, Sister Mary Therese (temporary professed) made the crown and crowned Our Lady; while Sister Bernadette Marie (solemnly professed) was the crown-bearer during our procession and Litany.

First, we line up outside the community room in the hallway. When the prioress sees that all is ready and everyone is there, she gives a “knock” and we begin processing to our outdoors shrine.

The shrine has been very beautiful this year with many kinds of flowers. We usually have not finished singing the Litany and do that at the shrine. Then the prioress prays a special consecration she has composed for the occasion dedicating the Community to Our Lady. Afterwards we sing a Marian Hymn while the youngest Sister crowns the statue of Mary with the homemade crown.

The crown this year is made from a white jasmine bush from the Novitiate. It has a wonderful aroma, but unfortunately will not last long in our Texas heat, which has been in the 90s.

This year on the Feast of the Ascension and Mother\’s Day we feel like Easter is just beginning. There are bundles of lilies all over the place – indoors and outside!!

If you like the traditional white Easter lilies we have a simple way to increase your bounty. Lilies are perennials, meaning they grow every year. Each year when the lilies from the Chapel after Easter have died, several Sisters vie to get the “dead” ones. We just plant them outside in our gardens, or you can plant them in flower pots, as our sacristan did last year. Then, the next year at the appointed time, up come your new lilies. Unfortunately, they do not bloom in time for Easter, at least in East Texas, but they usually appear in time for Pentecost (late May or early June).

This year our Chapel has a large renewal of Easter lilies! There are many in the gardens and others have been cut for various shrines around the property. Any gardener knows that there are “good years” and “not so good” years. Last year was a “not so good” year, but that makes this year double the beauty with bumper crops of lilies. We enjoy their beauty and fragrant aroma.