Tag: Lufkin TX

Classes with Fr. Raphael Mary, O.P.

We were happy to welcome Fr. Raphael Mary Salzillo, O.P. to our monastery last week. Father is a Dominican friar belonging to the Western Province (or Holy Name Province) but has been teaching at the University of St. Thomas in Houston for the past four years. We’ve been trying to get him to come for a while, but COVID kept getting in the way.

He gave a fascinating series of classes on Form of the Person and Soul in St. Thomas Aquinas–intense stuff, but Father made it fun with his silly examples (like “Sammy the Squirrel”). We all learned a lot and enjoyed his presentation and style immensely.

Father illustrates the concept of form in Thomas Aquinas using an orange

Father listening intently to one of the many questions we posed to him

Father Raphael Mary also led a small discussion group on the book The Women Are Up To Something, an intriguing study of four women philosophers at Oxford around the time of the second World War: Elizabeth Anscombe, Mary Midgely, Phillipa Foot, and Iris Murdoch. Those who participated enjoyed it very much!

For his last session, Father explained his work with Courage International and Eden Invitation, and asked out prayers for these two groups. We didn’t know too much about these ministries, so we were glad to know about them and will keep their intentions in our prayers.

Thank you so much, Father Raphael Mary, for a fun and educational time! We wish you well in your new assignment in California, and hope we will meet up with you again some day!

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.

Your Name Will Be…

Sr. Mary Pauline of the Holy Spirit, O.P.!

Sr. Mary Christine, Sr. Mary Pauline, and Sr. Mary Margaret

We had a festive day all day (well, we worked in between times) with delicious meals, a beautiful ceremony, and a fun tea party in the novitiate.

Breakfast in the refectory

Sister’s place mat, with art by aspirant Michelle and lettering by Sr. Maria Goretti. When we saw it, some of us were sure her name would have something to do with Fatima! (It didn’t–she just has a devotion to Our Lady.)

Sr. Marie Augustine busy in the kitchen preparing our dinner

The ceremony was held at 10:30 AM in the Chapter Hall. Since Sr. Mary Pauline is a finally professed religious, she will wear our black veil (even though this year is her constitutional novitiate year, as we explained in a previous post).

Sister received her new habit from Sr. Mary Margaret, and she left to change, with Sr. Mary Christine’s help.

We waited expectantly as Sister left to get dressed in our habit, and returned.

We each gave her the kiss of peace, still wondering, “What will her name be??”

As we finished singing “Ubi caritas”, Sister came to the center for the moment of truth.

Finally, it came!

She was clearly thrilled to hear her new name–and so were we!

We have a tradition where the sisters make guesses about a novice’s new name, and the box was conveniently placed outside the community room. Sr. Mary Margaret brought it to the ceremony and entertained us by reading the guesses afterwards.

Interestingly, a number of sisters guessed the mystery would be the Holy Spirit…but no one guessed Pauline (or even Paul)!

The novitiate sisters decorated Sr. Mary Pauline’s cell so elaborately that she had to move to the cell next door for a while.

After dinner, the professed sisters came over for a tea party, where we watched Sr. Mary Pauline open her gifts and drank tea and had homemade cookies. Sr. Maria Goretti even entertained us on the accordion! It was an afternoon we will long remember.

Please pray for our three novitiate sisters, and for Sr. Mary Christine, our novice directress, and Sr. Marie Augustine, who helps out. They would like to have more companions–and we would, too. Pray also for their perseverance!

Solemn Chapter of the Annunciation, 2023

Early this morning we had our traditional solemn chapter of the Annunciation. We have solemn chapter twice a year–on March 24 (the day before the Annunciation) and on December 24 (the day before Christmas). For March 24, a sister is asked to sing the account of the Annunciation to Mary from Luke’s Gospel, and on December 24 a sister sings the Christmas Proclamation. We know it looks like we had chapter in the middle of the night, but it was really about 6:30 AM.

Sister Mary Gabriel did a beautiful job singing the Gospel!

Sr. Margarita gave an excellent sermon centered on Mary’s fiat.

This is probably the last time you will see Sr. Margarita in this habit, because tomorrow she will receive our habit (same Dominican habit, just a different style) and her new name. We are all wondering what her name will be! Even Sr. Margarita doesn’t know for sure–she asked Sr. Mary Margaret to choose for her! We will try to post some pictures–and solve the mystery of the name–this weekend.

The ceremony will be at 10:30 AM in the same room you see above–the Chapter Hall. Please keep Sr. Margarita in your prayers as she concludes her retreat and prepares for a new beginning!

What’s Going On in the Novitiate?

Sr. Maria Goretti, Michelle, Sr. Margarita, Sarah, Sr. Marie Augustine, Sr. Mary Christine

Good question! We’re happy to say we have two sisters who are transferring to our community and two aspirants at present, with hopes for more. God is really blessing us! And Sr. Margarita will be receiving our community’s habit on March 25–along with a new name. We don’t know what it is yet, but we’ll keep you posted!

The sisters who live in the novitiate have their own dormitory, community room, library and classroom all in one convenient building. They spend most of their time there, although they join the professed sisters for evening recreation, meals, and (of course) prayers.

Our community policy is that a transfer from an active community of religious sisters spends about 6 months to a year as a visitor–that’s why we have the two sisters wearing their original habits. After receiving our habit, they remain in the novitiate for one year (required by our constitutions) and then spend a second year in the novitiate before they make the move over to the professed, where they spend some time integrating into the community before they make solemn vows. It’s a process, but the sisters who have done it say it’s worth it!

An aspirant comes for a specified length of time to get to know the community (and allow us to get to know her). If all goes well, they may return for the next step of religious formation–the postulancy, which lasts a year. After this, the postulant is clothed in the habit and receives her religious name.

Our novitiate has been having a lot of fun!

Recreation in the community room

Enjoying the cool March weather in the novitiate courtyard

The novitiate keeps the garden outside their building looking good.

Sarah and Michelle, our two latest aspirants. Please keep them in your prayers as they discern!

Sr. Maria Goretti and Sr. Margarita, our two active sisters. Sr. Maria Goretti is a Franciscan and Sr. Margarita is a member of an active Dominican community. Please keep them in your prayers!

Please pray for us, too, that we will be open to the Holy Spirit as we make our own decisions about these women!

Sister Mary Annunciata’s Funeral

Sister’ funeral Mass was held on February 27, 2023. It was a moving ceremony presided over by Bishop Joseph Strickland, and many of her remaining family members and a few friends were able to attend.

Before the funeral, Sister’s body lay in state in our chapel. We kept vigil with her all day and most of the night. We pray the Psalter as we stay with Sister–starting at the beginning and continuing on until time for the funeral, repeating as necessary.

After distribution of the Holy Eucharist, the funeral ceremonies begin:

Praying and incensing the casket.

Then we begin the procession to the cemetery, which is located on our property. THe cross bearer and acolytes (holding candles) go first, then the sisters, followed by the clergy and the Bishop. Then comes a car carrying some of the elderly sisters who can’t walk as far as the cemetery, and finally the hearse.

As the sisters move into the cemetery, the pall bearers bring in the casket.

Sister’s family in the front row.

And at the end, the prayers at the graveside and the final commendation.

We sang the “Magnificat” at the end, which is our custom, and then processed back to the monastery. It is hard to say goodbye to Sr. Mary Annunciata, but we hope and pray that we will all be reunited one day in the glory of heaven. As we have mentioned before on this blog, we go out to the cemetery for eight days following the funeral to pray a decade of the Rosary at the grave and sing a hymn, usually one that had special meaning for Sister. We can’t be certain, of course, but it does seem like Sr. Mary Annunciata has been interceding for us already!

Eternal rest grant to her, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

COVID-19 Strikes the Monastery

Believe it or not, no one in our monastery had ever come down with COVID until just a few weeks ago! We were always careful about handwashing, wearing masks when out, and got our various shots, so maybe we were getting a little complacent. But somehow–somewhere–the COVID-19 virus entered our monastery and turned everything upside down for a couple of weeks. In fact, we’re still recovering.

It started small…just one sister. Then two more, and before we knew it more than half the community had it! The brave sisters who withstood the infection were nearly run off their feet bringing meals, keeping regular prayer times (although we did recite everything), checking on the sick, monitoring the telephone and dock (where we receive deliveries), and trying to keep from getting sick themselves. The only major observance we had to drop temporarily was adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We hope we can return to this soon!

Cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, Lysol, and gloves–essentials for dealing with COVID. The vases were filled with beautiful roses and given to each of the sick sisters. What a lovely thought! Carts were used to transport meals and medical supplies over to the dormitory from the kitchen.

Thankfully, everyone is out of isolation now and back in the community. We are singing at Mass and the Liturgy, and we even began having a short period of recreation. But for now we are still using disposable plates and wearing gloves when we pick up our meals from the table. No COVID rebound, please!

Our recent adventure with COVID-19 has made our prayers for those who suffer all the more heartfelt, since we now know first hand the struggles people go through. We are fortunate to be a community, where people can pitch in and help out when things get bad. We have always prayed for the victims of COVID, and continue to do so, although as mentioned we now have a more personal understanding of the magnitude of the problem. We have been opening up a little (we’ll bring you a post on Sr. Mary Annunciata’s funeral soon, where we went without masks) and hope to do more as time goes on. In the meantime, let’s keep each other in prayer.