All posts by Anne Tschanz

Brooklyn Visitation Inspires New CD of Hymns in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

From 2023-2025, Bishop Benoît Rivière of Auton, France, has decreed a Great Jubilee to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary in Paray-leMonial, France. A fitting tribute to this Jubilee celebration is the release of a CD, composed by Michael Zabricki to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was inspired by the nuns of the Brooklyn Visitation Monastery for whom he created online video Masses for their nine-day Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

What follows is the press release; you can also listen to a sample of the CD below!


A Brooklyn NY parish musician is on a mission to revive devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.Michael Zabrocki, director of music ministries at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Whitestone, NY, has produced a CD with original and traditional hymns, along with spoken word prayer tracks. The CD will be released on November 21, 2023.

Zabrocki said, “My devotion began in my heart during the COVID-19 lockdown when I was introduced to Sr. Susan Marie and the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary at Brooklyn Visitation Monastery. I created online video Masses for their nine-day Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the Very Rev. Joseph R. Gibino.”“Their community’s history and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus deeply moved me to learn more about Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the others whom Jesus used to bring this devotion to the world. Over time, it became the focus of my own spiritual life,” Zabrocki said.Zabrocki shares that many people associate the Sacred Heart of Jesus only with a painting hanging in their home. “It is much more than that!” he said.“I pray this collection of my new compositions and selected traditional hymns, along with prayers that have found a home in my heart, will help in some small way to spread this devotion again,” he said. “Thank you to Sr. Susan Marie, Sr. Mary Cecilia and all at Visitation Monastery for a gift I can never repay.”Delays, Death and Divine ProvidenceWhile Zabrocki wanted to begin making the album about two years ago, commitments kept cropping up causing delays. And then in April 2023, Michael formerly committed to having the album recorded and released by the Feast of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in October.Then the unthinkable happened. Michael’s twin brother and fellow musician Ron passed away in May. “Along with the emotional impact, Ron was also my producer, guitarist, arranger and much more. I lost my studio and production staff. I now had to go it alone for the first time after thirty years of recording Catholic music.”Zabrocki started a crowdfunding effort which resulted in 100% of production costs to be met in the first two months.  Then, Grammy-winning Christian music pioneer John Michael Talbot offered to play guitar on a few tracks. This was followed by Lenny Smith, composer of the beloved hymn “Our God Reigns,” offering Michael the opportunity to be the first to record a new version of the hymn, transforming the song to true worship.But God wasn’t finished with him and his mission to spread this devotion, Zabrocki recalled.  It was announced that Bishop Msgr. Benoît Rivière of Auton, France had decreed a Jubilee commemorating the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Marguerite-Marie (Margaret Mary) in Paray-le Monial beginning in December, 2023.Sr. Susan Marie shared the first review of the album: “These gentle flowing hymns of divine love, including original creations and traditional Catholic works, truly permeate the soul. Mr. Zabrocki’s new album evidences the deep touch of Divine Providence as its release corresponds to the 350th Anniversary Years of the Apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St Margaret Mary. Listen, and be transformed!”Zabrocki said that God used COVID to bring him to the sisters at the Visitation Monastery in Brooklyn.  Zabrocki echoes Talbot’s sentiments about that religious monastery’s being “the beating heart of the Church.”  “The heart of a monastery joined Michael’s heart with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  May God be praised and may this devotion spread again throughout our Diocese and the world!” Zabrocki said.The title of the new album is “Consecration: Hymns and Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and includes nine original and traditional hymns and five spoken word prayer tracks. The album will be published November 21, 2023, on all streaming platforms and wherever digital music is sold online.  Those wishing the physical CD can purchase it directly from Zabrocki’s website.

You may listen to the title track on YouTube, “Only You (Consecration)” or click the image above. 

“Souls in the Game” – Seminary Life through the Lens of Fraternity and Sportsmanship

A very enjoyable and moving 30-minute documentary showing a group of seminarians, some without any real basketball experience, joining together to form a team in the truest sense of the word. From the Press Release and website:

Souls in the Game, a co-production of Saint John’s Seminary and the Archdiocese of Boston, is a heartwarming new 30-minute documentary that tells the story of seminary formation beyond theology and philosophy classes.  Released in time for National Vocation Awareness Week, the documentary offers a glimpse into seminary life through the lens of fraternity and sportsmanship, showing brothers supporting each other– on and off the court– as they grow to understand their own vocations.

Deacon Marcelo Ferrari, who is currently studying at Saint John’s Seminary, added, “We are excited to show a youthful church on fire with faith. By coming to the basketball tournament, you get to see this bright future of the Church. There’s a lot of young men living the joy of the Gospel and following Christ.”

Souls in the Game is available for free viewing at soulsinthegame.com or YouTube. Discussion questions
are also available making it appropriate for religious education curriculum or vocation awareness initiatives.

For more information and a complete press kit, visit https://www.soulsinthegame.com/press.

Sisters of the Little Way – A New Private Association of the Faithful

There is a new community of women being formed in the Archdiocese of Portland – the Sisters of the Little Way of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness.  They are currently a private association of the faithful “intending to become a religious institute, given a charism rooted profoundly in the authority of God who is Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.”

They have the unique mission “of listening, healing outreach, spiritual reparation, and solidarity with people who are despairing, doubting, and hopeless, people on the fringes or outside of the Church, especially those people who have been wounded, scandalized, or abused by members of the Church. God is calling many people right now to address the deep wounds in the Church.

When God called us to a mission of reaching out to those on the fringes of the Church, especially those people who have been abused, wounded, and scandalized by members of the Church, we felt small in the face of this immense mission. But we also know that we are not alone. We are dependent on one another. Renewal always involves the whole Body of Christ.”

More their website:

Whether we are practicing Catholics, on the edge of the pew, or have already left the Church, the following statistics tell us something we already know deep in our bones. The Church is bleeding members and she is bleeding from the wounds caused by her own members. 

In the U.S. the percentage of Catholics who belonged to a parish declined to 58% from 76% between 1998 and 2020—twice the rate of decline among Protestants (Gallup). 

37 percent of American Catholics in 2019 say news of reported sexual abuse by priests had them reexamining their religion, up from 22 percent in 2002 (Gallup). 

A 2021 survey found that 31% of adult U.S. Catholics said the abuse crisis has made them embarrassed to identify themselves as Catholic (CARA at Georgetown University).

These signs of darkness in the Church make clear the need for deep renewal and healing. This sorely needed, profound reform calls us to leave behind the status quo, take risks, reorganize our efforts, and embrace new ways of thinking rooted in the Gospel.

On September 22nd, the sisters professed private vows and were officially recognized as a private association by Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland. They can now be called sister and wear their habits. Here is a description of the habit:

An outward sign of the beauty of our vows, our habit is foundational to our life and mission; it includes a gray tunic, a black apron-scapular, a teal veil, and a rosary. Gray, the color of ashes, poverty, and renewal, reminds us to go to Christ for healing and to live in reparation for the sins of members of the Church. The black apron-scapular, a memento mori, symbolizes our obedient service to God’s beauty unto death. The embroidered crucifix on our apron depicts the moment of anguish when Christ cries out to the Father, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” (Mt 27:46). The teal of our veil, like the blue sky meeting the green of the earth, represents the Blessed Mother’s intercession for God’s anawim. … In our struggle against principalities and powers (see Eph 6:12), we unite our prayer with Mary, Our Lady of Surrender—Protector of the Anawim by praying the Rosary in reparation for the sins of the Church’s members and for renewal.

If you would like to learn more or to help the sisters in this important mission in the Church, please visit their website: www.sistersofthelittleway.com.

 

After Easter, Then What?

Br. Daniel Sokol, OSB

Brother Daniel published this reflection for the Benedictine Oblates.

St. John on Patmos

Well, the annual awesome Easter Season is upon us, and hopefully we are aiming towards getting more and more ready and willing to do God’s holy will.  We are so blessed to have a treasure trove of so many liturgical wonderful feasts and holy saints to bless us on our journey and guide us through the daily pitfalls of this earthly life!  If only we would consistently and prayerfully ask for their help, and then do whatever it is they suggest, we would, through perseverance, become so much closer to God and our end goal of reaching our heavenly homeland.

Our patron saints and Guardian Angels who are our subtle but “holy helpers” can keep us on track while we work our way towards heaven.  They are happy to help us if we would only have recourse to them for their supernatural assistance.  However, following their advice requires clarity of thought and single-minded perseverance! This is not an easy process; it takes lots of practice.  We must become tuned in to our purpose with “the ear of our heart” (Rule of St. Benedict, Prol 1).  There are numerous hurdles and “roadblocks.” The evil one constantly puts pitfalls on our paths, and flashes of distraction, thus obscuring our road to peace.  We all too often make up weak excuses for our own worldly free will, and this obscures our otherwise clear-thinking process.

Season after season we keep discovering so many ways to serve the Lord and gather innumerable graces for ourselves, for our family, our confreres, our oblates, the poor souls in Purgatory, the homeless, the abused, the wanderers, etc.  Occasionally I think about the holy priests who quietly go about minding their own business saving souls, praying the Holy Mass, day after day—often two or three Masses—and surviving 20, 40 or 60 plus years of quiet labors, not complaining and just keep on persevering while doing God’s holy will, not being enticed or bothered about trifling earthly matters.  These are the real saints on earth!  Consider the enormous good they accrue: the infinite graces they have attained while praying each Mass, and the stability of heart, mind, body and soul.  Monks and lay people can accomplish this kind of focus if only we would not entertain unworthy thoughts, or worldly pleasures, or talk too much!  Peace and tranquility accompany the practice of quiet perseverance in the way of the Lord.

Let us strive towards continuously minding our ways.  Time is a precious commodity that is extremely valuable, and more easily glides by when we become stable.  Note that stability is the first of the Benedictine vows (or promises for Oblates).  When compared to infinity, we have but a mere moment in time, a drop of mist in an immense ocean.

As for the temporalities of this present life, we can thank God that we have a Deliverance Prayer inspired by a potential poisoning incident in St. Benedict’s life that can be used whenever we are pestered by the wiles of Satan: “Begone Satan!  Tempt me not with your vanities! What you offer me is evil.  Drink the poisoned cup yourself.”  This prayer is enhanced by those who carry a blessed Benedictine medal, and sincerely contemplate what the prayer means to them.

Thanks be to God!

Brother Daniel Sokol is a Benedictine Monk at Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, California. PrinceofPeaceabbey.org

Grumbling, Gossip and the Ruin of Solidarity by Br. Daniel Sokol, OSB

The devil has a motto which is: “Divide and conquer.” Benedictines have a motto that unites us to God: “That in all things God may be glorified.” As a matter of fact, many of the Church’s prayers contain a unifying theme. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father…Give us this day our daily bread”; The Hail Mary states: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners…”; The Sign of the Cross helps unite us with the Blessed Trinity. Jesus prays, “That they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me” (Jn 17:21); St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil…”

St. Benedict is keenly aware that “grumbling” (which is gossip or discontent) can “divide and conquer” any group. That is why he is very strict in teaching against it. “Do not grumble or speak ill of others” (RB 4:39-40).

“This very obedience, however, will be acceptable to God and agreeable to men only if compliance with what is commanded is not cringing or sluggish or halfhearted, but free from any grumbling or any reaction of unwillingness (RB 5:14); “First and foremost, there must be no word or sign of the evil of grumbling, no manifestation of it for any reason at all. If, however, anyone is caught grumbling, let him undergo more severe discipline” (RB 34:6, 7).

Even the abbot is advised: “Similarly, he should so regulate and arrange all matters that souls may be saved and the brothers may go about their activities without justifiable grumbling” (RB 41:5).

Jesus ardently desired that His followers are to be united in faith and at peace with all those whom one would come in contact with and live a life of solidarity with Himself and our Father.

Christ’s Priestly Prayer for Unity, John: 17, is saturated with fervent desires for human and divine solidarity. Here is one example.

“That all may be one even as We are One: I in them and Thou in Me: that they may be perfected in unity, and that the world may know that Thou hast sent me (Jn 17: 22-23)”

Jesus taught His apostles and disciples to be ardent in their faith and gave them numerous examples of being heralds of being faithful regardless of the circumstances they were in. After experiencing all that He went through in holy obedience to our Father in bravely facing persecution, denial and the cruelest of deaths ever devised, Christ showed us by example what true loyalty involves.

St. Benedict echoes this sentiment when he writes to us about what Christian solidarity entails, and the rewards that follow. “Never swerving from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teaching in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom” (RB Prol 50).

Psalm 15 with the Title, “The Guest of God,” gives us a good summary of human solidarity.

O Lord, who will sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy mountain?

He who walks blamelessly and who does justice. He who thinks the truth in his heart, and slanders not with his tongue; who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; by whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the Lord; who though it be to his loss, changes not his pledged word; who lends not at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be disturbed.

Br. Daniel Sokol, OSB, is a member of Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, California.

Visitations Sisters’ Secret: God Is Our Vocation Director

Any sign of growth in a religious community is a cause for rejoicing, and the Toledo, Ohio Visitation Nuns have much to be thankful for. The nuns recently accepted Sister Ashlie as a postulant (center); and Sister Katie as a first-year novice (second right); Sister Toni as a second-year novice (second left), Sister Maria Teresa (right) as a first-year temporary professed, and Sister Maria Cecilia (left) as a third-year temporary professed.

There were also two sisters recently who made their final profession: Sister Katherine Chantal (left); and Sister Veronica Teresa (right).

Thus, of seven of the 17 sisters in the community are more or less, new members.

What is surprising and hopeful is that these milestones all have occurred within the last nine months. Many communities in the western world, whether contemplative or active, go for years without seeing new faces.

“Our Secret”

“Our secret is that God is our Vocation Director,” said the community’s superior, Sr. Marie de Sales. “He sends them to us. It is interesting, we haven’t received a vocation from our Diocese in many years, but we hear from women in other states. Currently the women in formation are from Indiana, California, Illinois, New York and Texas.”

The backgrounds of the new members are varied: some were homeschooled; some attended Catholic grammar schools or high schools; they frequently came from devout Catholic families or were converts to the faith; and some came from families of four or more children.

Also, many were very active in their parishes in different ministries. The Sisters in formation are between ages 25 and 57. In the last week or so they’ve heard from two young women in their twenties.

How would you describe your charism/spirituality?

Sr. Marie de Sales: We are Daughters of Prayer; we are contemplatives (Seekers of God) striving to be all for God and as our Holy Father, St. Francis de Sales said, “to give to God daughters of prayer, and souls so interior that they may be found worthy to serve His infinite Majesty and to adore Him in spirit and in truth.”

How do you pray for the world events that seem to be so troubling today?

Sr. Marie de Sales: We hold it in our hearts and lift it into the Heart of Christ.

You are contemplative, with a set schedule of prayer, meals, recreation, and so on, but to what extent do you interact with friends and visitors in the Toledo area?

Sr. Marie de Sales: We go out for doctor appointments, grocery shopping, to visit one of our Sisters who may be in rehab, a nursing home or the hospital. We have visits in the parlor with our family and some friends. We attend daily Mass, and the Guard of Honor Holy Hour monthly. Our Sisters who serve as extern Sisters are the face of the monastery for the people who do come to the front door, the Mass, etc.

How do your new members typically find out about the Toledo Visitation?

Sr. Marie de Sales: It seems to be mostly word of mouth, particularly referred by another community (if older). We started our Facebook page ten years ago thinking we would receive vocation inquiries from it. There have been no more than three or four inquiries with Facebook during that time.

Founded by two saints

The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was founded in 1610 in Annecy, France by Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal. The Visitation came to Toledo in 1915 from their Georgetown Monastery in Washington, D.C. at the invitation of Bishop Joseph Schrembs, the first bishop of the Diocese.

Today there are Visitation monasteries all over the world.

For information, or to inquire about a vocation to the Visitation Sisters, contact the Vocation Directress, Sr. Gianna Marie, Monastery of the Visitation, 1745 Parkside Blvd., Toledo, OH 46307-1599. Email toledoviz@toast2.net, or call 419-536-1343. Visit their website at www.Toledovisitation.org.

School Sisters of St. Francis Have a New Name!

What’s the answer to darkness?
Turn on the Light!

From the School Sisters of St. Francis

We are now officially able to use the name that has been in our hearts for so long!  The School Sisters of St. Francis held their General Chapter in January of 2023 in Vienna, Austria at the Motherhouse.  Ten days of dialogue, prayer, and decision-making for the entire congregation took place, one of which is our now-approved name: Franciscan Sisters of Christ the Light.

This is a fruit of years of searching and discerning – can the Sisters be the reflection of the Light of Christ, igniting that fire in every soul we encounter? Can we put our lights together to kindle a blazing inferno?  Does this desire correspond with the vision of our Mother Foundress (Maria Hyacintha Zechner (Maria Teresia 1697–1763)) and the Charism given to her by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church and all of mankind?  Is there a need for the Light of Jesus Christ to be lit everywhere in society and in the Church?

The highest governing body of our Congregation, (while it is in session) the General Chapter, says YES!  There is affirmation of our request to the General Chapter to officially be Franciscan Sisters of Christ the Light along with the Charism Statement:
“We desire to be bearers of the Light of Christ to the spiritually hungry, the lonely and unloved, fostering this light in every soul we encounter.”

There is no doubt of the darkness in our world today.  No one can debate that; while there is much good to celebrate and nurture, darkness reigns among those who have not embraced the Light.  These are the spiritually hungry!  These are those who thirst for truth and hope but don’t know where to find it.

“What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1: 1-5)

As we continue our age-old commitment to Christian education in old and new ways, we also renew our commitment to helping make families and marriages stronger through Gospel values and accompaniment. And our primary strategy? Turn on the Light and let in the Light of the World!  We want to show what a personal love relationship with Jesus looks like.  He is the answer to…everything.

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen” (Isaiah 9:2).

https://panhandlefranciscans.org

Missionaries of the Real Presence – Contemplative Missionaries for Urban Evangelization

The Missionaries of the Real Presence are Contemplative Missionaries for Urban Evangelization. They are active-contemplatives, relying profoundly upon the contemplative life and the gifts of prayer found there, in order to go out into the streets, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those that need it most.

They serve in areas known for their poverty and lack of Catholic presence, bringing Christ’s Real Presence from the church to the margins. Their days are structured around the Liturgy of the Hours, Holy Mass, Adoration, silence, spiritual reading and personal reflection. In between prayer, they go out into some of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods, walking joyfully and praying for everyone that they meet.

“When God gives us the opportunity,” said Griffin Rain, “we pray with the individuals we greet along the way, inviting them to the church and praying for their needs by adding them into our book of intentions. Our apostolate is to be missionaries and to go where others have neglected to spread the Good News! It is not complicated, but it requires a deeply spiritual life of devotion to God and love of souls. There are many groups dedicated to social work among the poor, but few to work for the salvation of souls in these areas.”

“We walk by faith, every day, and as we walk, we have no fear, because it is not we that are working but God who is working in us,” Griffin said.  “By this way of life, we have seen the most remarkable fruits growing in the neighborhoods we serve. Many have returned to the Catholic Church and many have begun the process of joining the Catholic Church since starting our ministry. We are always praying for the people who have nobody else to pray for them. We are always speaking life into the world around us, bringing Jesus Christ from house to house and corner to corner. We go out two by two, living the call of Christ to be ‘Fishers of Men.’”

They have interesting ties to the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate. Griffin discovered a book of conferences, given to the community by their foundress, Servant of God Mother Mary Teresa Tallon and it resonated with him. “The first chapter was exactly what I needed at that time,” he said, and he wondered if they had a men’s community, because he felt very connected to their charism to be contemplative missionaries.  “Mary Teresa Tallon has helped us to discover our charism and move closer to the will of God and see that what we are doing is not all that new, but has been going on with the Parish Visitors for over 100 years, “he said. “In her works, she often mentions how they are to be like the Good Shepherd going out to find the lost sheep who are away from God and His Church.”

Currently the Missionaries of the Real Presence has been assigned a priest from the archbishop of Milwaukee to accompany them in their process of being established as an Association of the Faithful. They hope to one day take formal vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and the three men currently living in the community are all living as if they have already taken them.

“What we pray for most earnestly is the sanctification of our own souls,” said Griffin, “the salvation of all souls, and for God to send more workmen into the fields.”

RealPresenceMissionaries.org

 

“Contemplative Nuns Speak For Themselves” from Where Peter Is

On the website Where Peter Is, there is a recent article on the implementation of the guidelines/instructions contained within Vultum Dei Quaerere and Cor Orans.  In the article, called “Contemplative Nuns Speak for Themselves,”  they cite the Institute on Religious Life and the series of articles we have been doing on the same topic. The IRL articles have been written by our National Director, Fr. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem, as well as by the nuns themselves.  So far, we have heard from the Passionists and the Carmelites with the Poor Clares and the Visitation nuns yet to come.  To read the articles: go to the CloisteredLife.com website,  resources page (middle of page), and click on the VDQ CO articles.

As it says in the Where Peter Is article: “At the same time that Fr. Nelson was planning the IRL’s series of articles, a similar, but much smaller, initiative began in the shape of a new website, Seeking the Face of God. This is a website “About Contemplative Nuns By Contemplative Nuns.” It was established by our friend Sr. Gabriela of the Incarnation, OCD, a Carmelite nun and a regular contributor to Where Peter Is.”  This is another resource for VDQ CO information.

More from Where Peter Is:

On May 15, 2018, the Vatican announced the promulgation of Cor Orans, the document containing the directives for communities of contemplative nuns around the world. In the years that followed, few Catholic websites in the United States have given a platform for contemplative communities who want to follow the Vatican’s directives to share their perspectives. Where Peter Is has covered Cor Orans and has provided a window into how some of the subsequent issues and controversies have affected these communities. You can find our series of articles here.

 

 

Poor Clare First Profession in Santa Barbara

Poor Clare First Profession Made in Santa Barbara, CA

God in His generosity has granted to the Poor Clares of Santa Barbara, CA a first profession in recent months.Sister Colette made her first profession on Aug. 2, 2022, professing vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and enclosure. These vows free the heart of all obstacles so that the person will be able to experience God’s love for her in a deeper and more profound manner than before.As St. Clare encourages, “Love Him totally, who has given Himself totally for you.”The Poor Clare Constitutions state,

“Religious profession is an act of adoration of God which shows forth splendidly the Pascal mystery, impelling us to lose our life that we may find it. It draws its sacrificial strength from the sacrifice of Christ. By our religious consecration we are totally set apart for God in a personal covenant of love, surrendered with Christ through the Spirit to the eternal Father.”

The Poor Clares in Santa Barbara are a member of the Poor Clare Federation of Mary Immaculate.  The member monasteries strive to be wholly faithful to the Roman Catholic Church and to their Holy Rule, written by their foundress, St. Clare of Assisi, 800 years ago.

Member monasteries include those in Santa Barbara, Chicago, Sauk Rapids, Los Altos Hills, Barhamsville, Kokomo, Belleville, St. Louis, Rockford, Roswell, Cleveland and Alexandria.  For information about vocations, contact Mother Aimee Marie, vocationssbpcc@gmail.com, or call (805) 682–7670. Go to their website at poorclaressantabarbara.org.