Tag: Easter

Easter Celebrations and a Visit with Our Sisters

This year’s Easter celebration was beautiful, as always.

The chapel, decorated beautifully by our sacristan, Sr. Carmen Gloria.

After the solemnity of the Triduum, we celebrated the Easter Vigil Mass and concluded with our traditional midnight breakfast.

Sr. Miriam, Sr. Maria Rosario, and Sr. Maria Cabrini enjoy the Easter meal.

Sr. Bernadette Marie and Sr. Mary Giuse prepare the Easter dinner for us.

The novitiate worked very hard to decorate the refectory for Easter. This year, they made special mini Easter baskets woven out of various colors of yarn, and when the week was over we were allowed to keep them or send them to family or friends.

At the head of the refectory, the novitiate put up an elaborate display with an Easter cross surrounded by flowers.

Sr. Mary Christine designed the refectory decorations.

At the end of Easter week, we received special visitors: the Puerto Rican active Dominican sisters who live in Paris, TX. They brought a discernment group with them.

The group poses outside out monastery.

We enjoyed talking to the young women in the parlor. They were lovely and seemed very interested in religious life.

After our meeting, they joined us for midday prayer in the chapel.

The Dominican sisters brought an early Mother’s Day gift for our prioress, Sr. Mary Margaret.

Easter week was a time of celebration, relaxation, and visiting, in which we were reminded of our love for Jesus and why He has brought us all together in community here.

Easter at the Monastery

Easter is the most joyful and solemn celebration of the whole liturgical year, and we act accordingly! Most of our time in the week after Easter was spent in chapel, singing the Divine Office and Mass, and adoring our risen Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. However–we did decorate! Take a look at some of our creative decorations.

The refectory. Can you see the “Alleluias” on the wall amid the butterflies?

The refectory tables. The novitiate made these charming flowers and vases. If you look hard, you can catch a glimpse of our candy table in the background. Hey–people send us lots of Easter candy, and Lent is over, so we celebrate for a few days!

The novitiate with their creations. From left: Sr. Mary Pauline, Michelle, Sr. Marie Augustine, Sr. Mary Christine

The chapel during the Easter octave. Sr. Carmen Gloria does a brilliant job decorating, and we are so grateful to her!

And the community room! Thanks to Sr. Mary Giuse who came up with this lovely display.

We hope you continue to have a joyful and blessed Easter season. Remember, Easter season lasts until Pentecost! So you can keep that Paschal joy in your heart, and if you have some jellybeans left over, celebrate!

Easter 2023

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Holy Week was rainy and dismal, but on Easter Sunday it cleared up and we had a beautiful day. Praise God! In fact everything about our Easter celebration this year has been truly lovely, from the many liturgies and processions to the decorations in the refectory and community room.

We spent a great deal of time in chapel–our favorite place to be!

Sisters processing up to receive Holy Communion on Easter Sunday.

Our chaplain, Fr. Ian, reading the closing prayer at Mass on Easter Sunday. Father gave us some especially dynamic homilies this Easter, using storytelling he he studied as part of his own recently completed doctorate in homiletics. Congratulations, Father!

Isn’t this an amazing refectory centerpiece? We have a very talented novitiate.

And here they are!

They decorated the entire refectory, including this cheerful wall.

Our table decorations this year featured real flowers (in pots, so we can plant them later).

Everyone was filled with Paschal joy!

Sr. Mary Giuse made this lovely community room decoration. The banner says “Rejoice” and that’s what we’ve been doing.

Anna and Dennis, some new friends of ours, generously brought us fried chicken for our supper. Thank you so much!

Remember, Easter is not just a Sunday–it’s a season that lasts 50 days. This year we’ll be singing extra Alleluias until May 28th! We keep all of you in our prayers in a special way during this Easter octave, and we pray the whole season will be a time of many blessings for you.