A Sweet Treat

We\’ve been having some computer issues (which hopefully are all resolved) and this has been delaying some of our planned posts. Even though this event happened about a week ago, we still want to post it as it\’s been quite a while since we showed some of the sisters just having fun. And actually we have a lot of fun!

One of our benefactors gave us a sweet treat for St. Dominic\’s day…milkshakes! We all enjoyed them so much and this afternoon treat really added to the joy of the day.

  Left to right: Sr. Miriam. Sr. Mary Thomas, Sr. Bernadette Marie, Sr. Mary Giuse, Sr.Maria Cabrini, Sr. Mary Dominic. We also received a beautiful coffee table book with pictures of Pope Francis and the Vatican, which some of the sisters are perusing here. 

Working on the puzzle while enjoying a milkshake! Left to right: Cloe, Sr. Mary Christine, Sr. Mary Margaret, Sr. Mary John
Sr. Mary Gabriel and Sr. Mary Annunciata fixing up their milkshakes with extra whipped cream and a cherry on top!

Visiting Friars: Fr. Michael Monshau, OP

Fr. Michael Monshau, OP gave us a fantastic leadership workshop last week! We learned all about the different kinds of servant leadership and how to apply their values to our life, important because although we only have one prioress, everyone leads in some way–or tries to be a good follower, This point was movingly illustrated through the film \”Interrupted Lives\”, about Catholic religious sisters trying to survive under Communism,  which Father showed at the beginning of the workshop. 

Fr, Monshau lecturing
We also learned about the virtues needed to be a good leader. These were naturally taken from St. Thomas Aquinas. With Dominicans, it always seems to come back to the virtues according to St. Thomas Aquinas!
Fr, Monshau spent more time away from the podium than behind it! He is very dynamic!
We also really enjoyed Fr. Monshau\’s wonderful homilies at Mass. He is a truly gifted preacher.We were fortunate to have him preach on the solemnity of St. Dominic, when he concelebrated Mass with our chaplain, Fr. Marcos Ramos, OP. Thank you so much for your time with us, Fr. Michael! 

Visiting Friars: Fr. Bernard Mulcahy, OP and Fr. John Rooney

We were surprised and delighted to receive a visit on Tuesday from Fr. Bernard Mulcahy, OP, a friar from the province of St. Joseph (eastern province) who is teaching at St. Mary\’s Seminary in Houston. He came with a friend and colleague from St. Mary\’s, Fr. John Rooney, a diocesan priest who is an associate with the Dominican Sisters in Houston. 

Fr. Bernard and Fr. John

We had a fascinating, rather free-wheeling discussion with them about all manner of things in the parlor after lunch that lasted until time for Rosary (you can see the time on the clock in the picture!). Dominicans do love a good discussion! We are always happy to welcome visiting friars (and others!) who come to our door so if you\’re in the area, please give us a call and drop by!

Ongoing Formation with Fr. Marcos Ramos, OP

As you may know, Fr. Marcos Ramos, OP is our current monastery chaplain. This summer he has graciously taken some time to give classes to our novitiate sisters (and those in the professed community who are able to come). The classes are on patristics (the Fathers of the Church) and we are really enjoying them. Father is an excellent teacher!
Fr. Marcos lectures in the novitiate community room while Sr. Mary Giuse listens closely
So far, we\’ve discussed Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Clement, and the Protoevangelium of James. Father\’s lectures are very interesting, and we enjoy his use of various audio-visual helps too (that is to say, he sometimes shows videos–always welcome in class!). Father plans many fascinating topics to come, and he has suggested the class will last at least until Advent. We are fortunate to have this opportunity! Thank you, Fr. Marcos, for taking this time to instruct your sisters and helping them grow in their knowledge and love of God! 

Questions Answered: July Edition

Q: Y\’all haven\’t posted anything in quite a while. Is everything OK?
A: Yes, we\’re fine! We\’ve just been really, really busy. And the sister who generally oversees this blog had to get a new computer, so she\’s been trying to switch over from Mac to PC. It\’s a long story we\’re not going to go into, but actually things are going very smoothly there and everywhere else.
Q: Did you have a good 4th of July?
A: Yes. We had a delightful picnic along with our traditional flag raising. We played all kinds of games and had a wonderful free day. Some readers may recall that we didn\’t celebrate the 4th of July (which is Independence Day in the U.S. for those who may not know) last year due to the death of a sister on July 3. So this was an extra special time, not only of remembering the freedom we enjoy as a nation but also remembering this sister and the special gift she was to us.
Q: Anything interesting coming up that may appear on the blog?
A: Definitely! We hope you will keep checking back and we promise to be more timely about posting in the days and weeks to come! 

Fortnight for Freedom, 2015

Today begins the Fortnight for Freedom, a time set apart especially to pray for religious liberty. As we are all aware, there are many attempts to curtail religious freedom at this time, and it is important that we, as men and women of faith, continue to stand up for our rights which are protected by our Constitution. As Pope Francis wrote in Evangelii Gaudium, \”[A] healthy pluralism…does not entail privatizing religions in an attempt to reduce them to the quiet obscurity of the individual\’s conscience or to relegate them to the enclosed precincts of churches, synagogues, or mosques.\” (n.255) We belong to a great nation, a nation strong enough to hold within itself opinions and beliefs of all kinds. Religious liberty is a great blessing and one which no one should be deprived of!
Here in the United States today is also Father\’s Day! We want to give a big thank you to all our fathers, living and deceased, the fathers in our families and our spiritual fathers as well. May God bless you all!