Category Archives: News

News, Women's Communities

Monica’s Tears: Restoring Wounded Humanity

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Her first rescue

Visiting a rundown shop on a steamy May morning, Monica Lapuente came across a broken-down porcelain doll. The wear and tear of the years was evident in the tattered dress, split head, and discoloration. It looked, she said, like it had suffered appalling cruelty.

It was an epiphany moment for her; she saw in that doll broken humanity in need of love, mercy and restoration.  And she discovered something amazing too. Hidden in the doll was the original music box that had survived all the vicissitudes of life – heat, cold, dirt, abandonment, battering – and could still play a tune.  All it needed was loving hands to bring it make it whole.

She was inspired to make this doll and all the ensuing ones a religious sister; each showing a different face of mercy and God’s love to the world.  Or as Monica says: “Each Monastery Belle represents and celebrates the universality, diversity, cultural richness, conversion, perseverance, and beauty of the Catholic Church.”

One doll led to another and to date she has restored almost 400 (click here to see them all)! All the materials used for the hand-stitched habits are found in thrift shops and the like, remnants to be brought back to useful life. She only uses porcelain dolls because they symbolize to her, humanity so exquisite and fragile, so easily chipped and broken.  Each one has a unique name too.

One of her newest dolls (right) is a Sister Servant of Mary Immaculate, an community founded in Lviv, Ukraine.  The name she was given is Sr. Mariya Sofiya Oleksandra, S.S.M.I., which means “the wisdom of Mary is the defender and protector of all mankind.”

“Each doll came to me with visible and invisible manifestations of suffering which is a metaphor for the wounded soul of humanity,” says Monica. “But what is broken, abused, rejected, and imperfect becomes whole, dignified, and beautiful in the sunlight of God’s creative and renewing love.”

For more information and to see all of the dolls, visit: monicastears.com

News, Resources, Women's Communities

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Host Liturgy of the Hours Workshop

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Called to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

On February 26, 2022, the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Manitowoc, offered a workshop on the Liturgy of the Hours to discerning women interested in learning to pray or to pray with more depth this beautiful daily prayer of the Church. The Zoom conferences commenced at 10 AM, 2 and 4 PM. They offered a variety of topics, presenters, and experiences. Each session began with the following prayer and the ritual of crossing the forehead, lips, and heart:

Lord, open our + minds that we may learn and understand this great prayer of your Church.

Lord, open our + lips that we may speak your Word and pray with zeal and attention.

Lord, open our + hearts that we may not only understand and speak but may integrate this prayer into our day-to-day life. We ask you to guide every thought, word, and action of this day to your greater honor and glory.

Amen.

Sister Anne Marie Lom explained the use of imagery and anthropomorphism in the Psalms and examples were given. Then, Sister Pamela Biehl traced the origins and development of the Liturgy of the Hours from early Christian times to the more recent format used after Vatican II. Some comments from the participants were:

“It was very helpful to understand the background and development of Liturgy of the Hours and recognize how we can incorporate some earlier elements of this prayer while we pray it today (i.e. lighting a candle)” and “having more background knowledge to the Liturgy of the Hours helped to create better appreciation for it.”

For simplicity, brevity, and clarity, a website was used to show examples of Lauds, Vespers, and Night Prayer. Participants offered their favorite sites/apps for praying Liturgy of the Hours.

A YouTube video explaining step by step the use of the ribbons and sections of the book Christian Prayer was shared.

https://aleteia.org/2017/06/08/a-beginners-guide-to-the-liturgy-of-the-hours/

At 2 PM, Novice Sister Mary Jane Schwartz and Temporary Professed Sisters Maria Guadalupe Martinez, and Cecilia Joy Kugel joined the group. They responded to each of these questions:

  1. Did you pray the Liturgy of the Hours before you entered? If yes, how did that happen?
  2. What struggles did you have learning to pray the Liturgy of Hours?
  3. What do you remember from the course on the Liturgy of the Hours that we shared last year?
  4. Any advice for those beginning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours?

Judging from the comments in the evaluations, this session was very helpful. Comments included: “It was so nice and helpful to get the newest sisters’ advice and learn about their struggles with the Liturgy of the Hours” and “I liked the multiple age viewpoints all the different Sisters provided.”

Another positive feature of the day was the attendance of Postulant Kathrine Logan and future Postulant, Michelle Ozuna.

The 4 PM conference included in-depth exploration of the daily Canticles of Simeon, Zachariah, and the Magnificat. Another valuable site was shared that connects the reader to commentaries of the Psalms and Canticles for all four weeks of the Liturgy of the Hours. These commentaries were begun by Saint John Paul II and completed by Pope Benedict XVI.

http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/psalter/jp2_b16_commentaries.htm

This session concluded with Vespers for the eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time led by Sister Pamela Biehl. Sister’s explanation of the rubrics for our prayer together, the artwork that drew our attention to the prayer and her prayerful layout of Vespers helped us to end with a true reverence for praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

All were grateful for a day full of learning and grace.

Speaker credentials:

Sister Pamela Biehl holds a MA in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame and Sister Anne Marie Lom holds a MA in Applied Spirituality from the University of San Francisco. Visit the Community website:
fscc-calledtobe.org/

News, Women's Communities

Double Jubilee Year for the Order of the Visitation

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Live + Jesus!

The year 2022 is very special for the Sisters of the Order of the Visitation, as they are celebrating the 450th anniversary of the birth of their Holy Foundress, St. Jane de Chantal, as well as the 400th anniversary of the death of their Holy Founder St. Francis de Sales.

The Holy See has decreed that the Visitation Order can celebrate a Jubilee Year for their Founder, St. Francis de Sales, in their Monastery Chapels throughout the world, and that all may come to receive a plenary indulgence by coming to their Chapel with that intention. The Jubilee began on January 24th, the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, and will end on the anniversary of his death on December 28, 2022.

St. Francis de Sales has been a great light in the Church. He was born in Savoy on August 21, 1567.Before his birth, his mother prayed before the exposed Shroud of Turin for a son to be a Priest. His father had plans for him to be a lawyer with a brilliant future. Francis from early age longed to belong to the Church. He obeyed his father by studying both law and theology, and obtained a doctorate in both Canon and Civil Law, having studied in Paris and Padua.

At the age of 26, through arrangements his friends and unknown to him, he was named Provost of the Cathedral in Annecy, an eminent position. This made it possible for him to ask his father’s permission to belong to the Church, It was difficult for his father; yet he saw that God was calling his son, and he gave him his blessing, not without tears. He was ordained a Priest.

Shortly after his ordination, the Duke of Savoy asked the Bishop de Granier to send zealous Priests into the region of the Chablais, which had returned into his possession. Seventy years before, it had been forced into Calvinism by force of arms;  only 100 Catholics were remaining.

In 1594, with his cousin Louis de Sales, Francis volunteered, working tirelessly for 4 years, endeavoring to touch the hearts of the people,. His life was in constant danger, with Protestant ministers hiring assassins to kill him. The ministers had forbidden their flock from attending his sermons with threats, so Francis wrote small tracks, and had them printed on the truths of the Catholic Church, and slipped them under the doors, so that they could read them without fear. This is why he is patron of journalists. He was a zealous missionary!

Since he could not say Mass until permission came from the Duke, he would crawl on a tree trunk over a torrent to where he could celebrate it, even crawling on it covered with ice! Finally, after 4 years of arduous and discouraging efforts, he won the hearts of the people, and 70,000 Calvinists returned to the Church! To this day, the people of the Chablais are faithful to the Church and St. Francis de Sales.

He was asked by the  Pope to take on the delicate mission of visiting the successor of Calvin, Beza in Geneva, to invite him back to the Church, as there seemed to be a possibility, but it came to nothing.

It is a recorded fact that when he said Mass, his face was seen to shine, even as a young Priest, This was remarked by many, as recorded by St. Jane de Chantal in the process for his canonization, for she herself observed it several times.

When his bishop died, he was consecrated Bishop of Geneva, spending long hours on horseback or on foot, traveling for months visiting all his flock in the mountains. He cared for his Priests, and gave them instructions for preaching well, and he would not permit unworthy candidates to be ordained no matter how much money was offered to him, or families insisted.

He was a friend to the poor. He had his confessional placed at the entrance of the church, so that the poor and the crippled, and even those with repulsive sores, would not be embarrassed to come to confession. “He was most approachable, never turned anyone away; he always listened with unhurried calmness for as long as people felt they needed to talk. He was so patient and attentive that you would have thought this was all he had to do…all left him happy and satisfied” (St. Chantal’s Deposition for his canonization).

He was an eminent spiritual director, and wrote the classic Introduction to the Devout Life which even today is beloved for its simple and practical teaching. He said that devotion is for everyone, the shopkeeper as well as the Priest and Religious, and that it was wrong to keep devotion out of the Court or the marketplace. He was a man ahead of his time. Vatican II was very much according to his teaching. When the Church declared at Vatican I on Papal Infallibility, it was to those very papers of his, written in the Chablais, that were quoted to prove the doctrine (these are now called The Controversies and published by Tan.)

His good friend, St. Vincent de Paul said of him, “there is no one more like the Son of God on earth, than the Bishop of Geneva.” And this he said with tears in his eyes. Yes, St. Francis de Sales had learned from Jesus to be meek and humble of heart, like His Master. It is the constant experience of those who study his life and his virtues, that the more one knows St. Francis de Sales, the more one knows Jesus; so much was his heart like Jesus. He had great respect for the human person, no matter how poor or how despicable. All could come to him with their troubles. “His whole manner of speaking had great dignity and discretion but was at the same time humble, quiet and candid; he never posed, he was completely unaffected and lacked any stiffness” (St. Chantal).

“His incomparable kindness opened the most firmly locked hearts, and he took out what was evil and put solid resolutions and desires there instead. He was extraordinarily decisive and encouraging; he cleared up doubts and scruples on the spot, there and then inspiring perfect reassurance and peace” (St. Chantal’s Deposition).

In 1610, he founded a new Religious Congregation that would accept those of weak or frail health, as well as those who were older, even the crippled and the blind were admitted, as long as they could live the life. He said he wanted to “give God souls of prayer, souls who would adore God in spirit and truth.” He said he wanted his daughters to be “well shod, but have their hearts bare.” This was a great innovation in his day.

He wrote a Treatise on the Love of God, a masterpiece on the ways of God in the soul. He was declared a Doctor of the Church, and named “Doctor of Divine Love.” He taught about God’s goodness and Fatherly care of His children, and to trust in the Providence of God..

He had dealings with the great names of his day, King Henri IV, who admired him and called him “a rare bird.” When he was in Paris, he was a member of Madam Acarie’s Circle, whose members were the spiritual giants of the day; he was influential in bringing the Carmelites into France. He advised Cardinal Richelieu that he should devote himself to his diocese, rather that the Court of France. Had he heeded his advice, there would not have been such a scandal.

Because of his knowledge of law, and because everyone trusted him, he was often asked to bring peace between warring families, and persons of nobility. He was a great peacemaker.

He is also Patron saint of the deaf because a young man of 25 who had been deaf and dumb since childhood was left without help. St. Francis felt such compassion for him that he worked out a sign language for him, and prepared him for his 1st Holy Communion. He remained in Francis service, because of his great love for him.

St. Francis reformed or tried to reform several lax Religious Communities. In his preaching, he never accused the Protestant Reformers, he spoke of the beauty of the Faith, of the Sacraments, particularly of the Real Presence in the Eucharist. Many were converted by listening to his sermons. When Protestant ministers challenged him to a public debate, he always accepted, and was so convincing, that they hesitated to do so again, and would not appear when scheduled. He had read all their works, and knew their tactics. He was always simple and polite, and the people who listened were charmed by his gracious words of truth. How he loved the Church, and knew the heart and mind of the Church! He had a deep understanding of what the Church really teaches.

Even during his life, there were miracles, even bringing a little girl back to life. He also delivered persons who were attacked by the devil, even possessed. After his death, many miracles happened at his tomb. He is beloved by all who know him, and to read his writings, his letters and sermons give the heart the joy of confidence in God and liberty of spirit. Here was a man who truly loved God, and knew the Heart of God

God be praised!

This article was written by the Visitation Nuns in Snellville, Georgia.

Men's communities, News

Fr. Regis Scanlon, O.F.M. Cap., Dies after Long Illness

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Fr. Regis Scanlan, OFM Cap., was a close friend of Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ., founder of the IRL. In fact, when Mother Teresa asked Father Hardon for a priest who could give her sisters intensive Eucharistic Formation, he said that Father Regis was the obvious choice.

Below is the press release that announced Father Scanlon’s death. It really was a remarkable life!

NEWS RELEASE

from Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Communications Office, 3613 Wyandot St., Denver 80211
Fr. Blaine Burkey, O.F.M.Cap., 303-204-1924

Fr. Regis Paul Scanlon, O.F.M.Cap., 78, internationally-known defender of the Catholic faith and locally-loved defender of the poor and marginalized, died at Porter Adventist Hospice, Centennial, Colo., on Nov. 6.

Death came for Fr. Regis only after a long procession of life-threatening illnesses begun already at age 17.

Born the son of the late Jerome Francis and Dorothy Mary (Meyer) Scanlon in Pittsburgh on Feb. 17, 1943, Regis Scanlon attended Pittsburgh’s St. Athanasius Grade School and North Catholic High School before graduating from North Hills High School in 1961. He began studies at Pennsylvania state colleges in Slippery Rock and Mansfield for becoming a math teacher, but decided to study for the priesthood instead.

After taking Latin and Greek courses at Loyola University, Chicago, and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, he entered St. Fidelis College Seminary, run by the Capuchins at Herman Pa. in 1965, graduating in 1969 with a BA in philosophy. He then earned an MA in systematic theology from the Washington (D.C.) Theological Union in 1974.

Meanwhile he made a year’s novitiate as a Capuchin Franciscan at Annapolis, Md. He took first vows in the Order in 1967, and permanent vows in 1970, and was ordained to the priesthood at Herman on Aug. 26, 1972.

For the next six years, Father served as associate pastor at Capuchin parishes in Hays, Kans.; Thornton, Colo.; Dover, Ohio; Herman, Pa.; Victoria and Walker, Kan.

He took mathematics and education courses at Fort Hays (Kan.) State University, and spent the next decade at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in Hays, teaching math courses and serving as associate dean of resident students.

Father then moved to St. Louis and served for a year as associate chaplain at the Newman Chapel at Washington University; after which she served for six years as chaplain of the Catholic Campus Center at Auraria Higher Education Center in Denver. During these years he was also an instructor in the archdiocesan diaconate program and adjunct professor at St. Thomas Seminary.

He appeared several times with Mother Angelica on EWTN in the late 1980s, and became widely known as a defender of the faith, contributing frequently to Homiletics and Pastoral Review, Pastoral Life, The Priest, Soul Magazine, The Catholic Faith, New Oxford Review, Catholic Insight, Crisis Magazine, and his own blog at frregisscanlon.com  Thinking that many had gone astray by misreading the council documents, he produced a series of videos for EWTN on What Vatican II Really Taught. Many people disagreed with his strong views, but the vast majority found him to be a respectful and friendly adversary; and he was regularly the center of much good-natured fun in the community.

In 1990 Father began working with St. Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity, serving as chaplain at Seton House AIDs hospice and later at their Gift of Mary shelter for homeless women.  Mother Teresa personally recruited him to help in the formation of her sisters, and he spent much of the last years of the second millennium conducting retreats for her sisters gathered in South Africa, Madagascar and Tijuana. Father was also for many years the official confessor of the Carmelite nuns in Littleton and the Benedictine nuns in Boulder.

Fr. Regis served as archdiocesan director of prison ministry from 1998 till 2010. He first concentrated on obtaining and training co-workers, and eventually, assisted by six deacons and three priests, and 70 trained lay volunteers, he directed the Church’s ministry to more than 9,500 inmates of 17 prisons and jails in the Denver area. About 850 prisoners were attending Catholic services weekly. After his years as director, he continued to visit some of the jails regularly.

The crown of Fr. Regis’s life’s work was his founding of the Julia Greeley Home in Metro Denver. While working in the jails, Father learned how dangerous it is for single, unattached, homeless women to live on the streets, and he worked hard to start a program to help them rebuild their lives into the dignity of productive and independent living.  Now in its eighth year, Julia Greeley Home (juliagreeleyhome.org) has already served more than 75 women, over half of whom have gone on to rebuild their lives by finding meaningful work, independence housing, and reconciliation with their families.

Besides his religious brothers in the Capuchin Province of St. Conrad, Fr. Regis is survived by a brother Jerome Francis Scanlon (and wife Connie) of The Villages, Fla.; a nephew Jerry Michael Scanlon (and wife Jane) of Mt. Airy, Md.; a niece Jacqueline Derosiers (and husband Rene) of Mt. Pleasant, S.Car.; and grandniece Lauren Derosiers of Mt. Pleasant.

Funeral services will be at St. Jude’s Catholic Church, 9405 W. Florida Ave., Lakewood, with viewing beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday Nov. 14, followed by a vigil service at 7 p.m. The funeral Mass will be on Monday, Nov. 15th at 10 a.m., followed by interment in the Friars Plot at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Wheat Ridge.

Memorials are suggested to Julia Greeley Home Inc., and the Capuchin Province of St. Conrad, Inc.

 

News, Women's Communities

St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home – Rebuilding After the Fire

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On Sunday, May 16, 2021, St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home in East Chicago, Indiana, suffered a devastating fire.  Home to the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, it also is home to children needing emergency shelter or longer term care, and expectant teen mothers. Their mission is the opening their hearts & homes to children in crisis from birth to 18. What a beautiful work of mercy!

Thankfully, everyone was safely evacuated, and no harm came to any of the residents.

As a result of the fire, the entire main building (built in 1920) was completely destroyed, and the interiors of their north and south building are also unable to be salvaged.   Due to limited space now,  the numbers of youth and children they can help has dwindled considerably. Many have been sent to other facilities or to foster homes.

“Grasselli Avenue has turned into a zone of massive reconstruction with huge trucks and equipment covering the entire street,” says Sister Maria Giuseppe. “At the present time, we have a construction crew in the Tauscher Center remodeling the entire area to be more user-friendly and in compliance with DCS codes.  This work is going smoothly and hopefully will be completed within a few months so that our doors may be re-opened to accept new children.  Our nuns are living in our Casa Maria in quite small quarters, with our chapel, dining and living area all blended into one. ”

“The sisters are grateful “beyond words to the many people who have poured forth upon us their love and interest in our Carmelite Home and have showered us with blessings of donations both monetary and material.  We are tremendously  grateful for each one and for the indescribable kindness of each donor – may our merciful Lord Jesus bless them in every way!”

The sisters ask only for prayers to deal prudently and successfully with the many decisions that have to be made so that they can continue on with their ministry among God’s children and youth.

But we also noticed on their GoFundMe page that they are only $5,000 short of their fundraising goal.  Go here if you would like to help!

“We are inviting the Holy Spirit to be present continuously in our Carmelite Home,” says Sr. Maria Giuseppe.  “We hold HIM to be responsible since the whole thing was made for Him and belongs to Him anyway!”

St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home
4840 Grasselli Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312

News, Women's Communities

The Women of Jesus’ Merciful Passion – An Emerging Community Striving to Spread the Message of Divine Mercy

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The Women of Jesus’ Merciful Passion (WJMP) is a new expression of religious life in the Church, whose members desire to spread the message of Divine Mercy as revealed by Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska. The charisms of this community are Holy Hospitality and Spiritual Direction as they serve their apostolate at the Divine Mercy Center in Clinton Township, Michigan.

Besides the usual glorious events surrounding Divine Mercy Sunday, the sisters have an added reason to be happy this year as Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron has announced that he has granted the title of Archdiocesan Shrine to The Divine Mercy Center, in recognition of the Center’s service as a popular place of pilgrimage and its mission of sharing the mercy of God.

“With its designation as an archdiocesan shrine, we recognize that the Shrine of Jesus The Divine Mercy will continue its service as a sacred place of pilgrimage, a font of tremendous grace and aid for many of Christ’s faithful, and a welcoming reflection of God’s enduring mercy to all souls,” said Archbishop Vigneron.

The shrine will be open to the public from 2-4 p.m. on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, with Eucharistic adoration, access to the Our Lady of Guadalupe atrium, prayer request box, candle shrine, gift shop, outdoor Stations of the Cross, and the Our Lady of Sorrows rosary garden.

Archbishop Vigneron will celebrate a private Mass at the center that day, which will be recorded and available on the shrine’s website and social media channels.

The Center, founded in 2006, is under the care of the Servants of Jesus of The Divine Mercy, a lay association of the faithful whose mission is to encourage people to experience the mercy of God, to minister with love and compassion, and to open the door to healing through which all may pass. It is also home to the WJMP, the emerging women’s community aspiring to become a religious order.

In her book, A Call to Trust, Catherine M. Lanni, Foundress and Spiritual Moderator of the Servants of Jesus of The Divine Mercy and of the Women of Jesus Merciful Passion, describes how in 1994 the Lord requested that she establish and form a religious order of women. In 2012, Catherine received permission from Archbishop Vigneron to begin work on this new community of women. The Statutes and Bylaws for this community of women were approved in 2016. In 2019, Archbishop Vigneron gave his approval and blessing for the women interested in discerning this community to begin living in common on the property of the Divine Mercy Center. May 13, 2019 marked the inception of the WJMP and the call from the heart of Jesus became a reality.

The members of the WJMP seek to attain holiness and live in community while following the Rule of the Ten Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They seek to imitate Mary’s life and virtues in thought, word, and deed, which are rooted in the Gospels.

If you are a Catholic woman 16 to 40 and are feeling called to the charisms of this community, they invite you to contact them at www.wjmp.org or 586-777-8591.

Most Pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph we implore your assistance to help guide humble, healthy, and holy women to this new community of women which is a call from the heart of Jesus. Help them to know the divine will of God and embrace the vocation which He has destined for them. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Cloistered life, News, Women's Communities

Carmelite Monastery in San Rafael Officially Closes on March 1st

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On March 1, 2021, the Carmelite Monastery of the Mother of God in San Rafael, California, officially closed its doors after 55 years in Marin County.  The four remaining nuns were informed in May after a decree of closure was issued to the archdiocese by the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life. The sisters range in age from 59-98, the oldest being Mother Dolores Sullivan, OCD, 98, one of the founding sisters of the monastery, founded from the Carmelite monastery in Carmel, California.

The monastery resides on 45 acres studded with 400 redwood trees worth millions of dollars, all planted by Sister Vanni, the last Prioress. But when you have so few sisters, she said, “you really have to look at your vitality.”

The monastery has a distinctive “eastern” look about and for good reason, the sisters were entrusted with a very special mission – to pray for Russia. Here is how this came about:

We have a special call from (Jesus Christ) and from Mary, His Mother, to pray for our own Archdiocese and also for Russia. We were founded in 1965 in answer to a summons from Our Lady of Fatima, received by our Foundress, Mother Miriam of the Trinity. Our Lady has asked for prayers for the conversion of Russia. Mother Miriam responded to that call as though addressed specifically to her, and for those who would join her in founding his Carmel.

After the fall of Communism, two of our Sisters went to Russia to found a small “Carmel” in Moscow. However, it was eventually discerned that our vocation is to pray for Russia within our Carmel here in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Our former home in Moscow has since become the nucleus of a thriving Catholic parish, under the direction of the Divine Word Fathers. St. Olga’s Parish began there and now has expanded into a larger building nearby. There are already 350 parishioners who attend Catholic services there regularly.

It is obviously a very difficult and sad time for them and for the community who have loved and supported them. Two nuns will go to the Carmel of Mary Monastery in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and the remaining two will go the Carmelite Monastery of St. Therese in Clinton Township, Michigan.

We pray for the people of Marin County who are losing their beloved sisters, and we pray that the sisters will be blessed in and be a blessing to their new communities.

For more information:

https://catholic-sf.org/news/san-rafael-carmelites-to-resettle-in-separate-monasteries

https://catholic-sf.org/news/carmelites-pray-for-new-home-together

Men's communities, News

Transalpine Redemptorists to Build Monastery in Montana

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On October 7, 2020, the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (or F.SS.R. : Filii Sanctissimi Redemptoris) was granted a canonical invitation to establish a monastery in the diocese of Great Falls – Billings, Montana. Most Rev. Michael Warfel and Fr. Michael Mary signed the papers bringing this flowering of religious life from Scotland to America.

Two months later, the community, also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists, purchased 200 acres in Forsyth, Montana, with the intention of building a future monastery there for their American foundation. The house will begin with four members of the order. The name they have given to the property is Montana Rosa Mystica. The Gospel on the day of the purchase read: Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis, abiit in montana cum festinatione (And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste). “

On June 18, 2008, the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (Transalpine Redemptorists) were received back into full communion with the See of Peter.   The F.SS.R. was founded in 1988 and erected as a Clerical Institute of Diocesan Right in 2012 in the diocese of Aberdeen in Scotland, UK, after the 2007 Motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI.  The Order has two other monasteries: one on the island of Papa Stronsay in Scotland and the other in the diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Papa Stronsay is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, and the name derives from Papey minni ( little Priests’ Island from the Old Norse).  After a 700 year absence, priests came back to Papa Stronsay and now they have a little island in rural Montana.

See the The Harvest, the diocesan newspaper for more information

News, Women's Communities

Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa Acquire Former Ursuline Property

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On this Feast day of St. Angela Merici, the Ursuline Sisters, who have served in the Diocese of Santa Rosa for more than 130 years, announced the sale of their property at 400 Angela Drive in Santa Rosa, California, to the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa.

After careful, sometimes painful discernment, the Ursuline Sisters determined that they are no longer able to carry on their ministries from this location. Three years ago, the property and buildings suffered severe damage from a wildfire. It took the Ursulines three years to repair the damage.

Recently, they decided to sell the convent, as well as the adjacent property, to the Marian Sisters.  The Ursulines expressed their deepest gratitude to all the people who have supported them and graced their halls and grounds. “We are truly blessed. It is our desire that the Marian Sisters enjoy the property and make it their home for many years to come.”

The Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa were established in 2012 and have grown readily since then. They serve in Catholic schools, the Chancery, and Parish offices, and do catechetical instruction, retreat talks, youth events, liturgical music, and sacristy care.

“We are honored to work with the Ursuline Sisters through this transition,” Reverend Mother Teresa Christe, MSSR, stated, “and we look forward to continuing to use this property for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. The acquisition of the property is a big step in deepening our roots in this community.” The Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa hope to establish residence at Ursula Hall Spring 2021.

From the  Marian Sisters’ Blog:

As a result of the 2017 fires, the Sisters have worked hard to repair the grounds and bring the convent to a safe condition.
​
It has been an honor to work with the Ursuline Sisters through this transition. The Ursuline’s have given so much to the community of Santa Rosa, and we pray that our religious family may be able to do the same. The acquisition of the property is a big step in deepening our roots and allowing us the room to grow, as many women are answering God’s call to religious life and wishing to join us.

We ask for your prayers in this transition, so that we – through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, and St. Angela Merici – may give Our Lord a place where He is loved and served above all else.

For more information about the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa, visit www.mariansisters.com.

(Article adapted from the Ursuline Sisters Press Release)

News, Women's Communities

Magdala Apostolate Spring Courses – Registration Begins!

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The Magdala Apostolate offers free educational courses to women’s religious communities. They have top notch professors and incredible content. This spring, they are collaborating with the IRL to offer a  class on the Evangelical Counsels.

Registration for the Spring semester begins on Thursday, November 19th, and will close on Sunday, December 13th. Please register early as classes fill up quickly!

In addition to their classes specifically for religious sisters, the Institute of Catholic Culture also offers courses online for a wider audience. These classes include priests, religious, the lay faithful, and non-Catholics alike from the US and abroad and are open to any curious adult seeking to learn the faith. The format of ICC classes is very similar to Magdala, with some differences since the class size is usually quite large!

If you are new to the Magdala Apostolate, please take a few minutes to browse their website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kelsey Mcmanus at coordinator@magdalaapostolate.org or (540) 635-7155.
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EVANGELICAL COUNSELS
Spirituality 301
in collaboration with the Institute on Religious Life

Mondays, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
January 18 – May 10 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Rev. Brian Mullady, O.P.

This class gives a comprehensive study of the evangelical counsels in relation to the spiritual life. Topics include: Original Justice, Original Sin, The Old and New Law, Christ, Concupiscence, Poverty, Chastity and Obedience for both religious and laity. This study includes both primary sources and modern reflection on these sources.

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SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY
Theology 302

Mondays, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
January 18 – May 10 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Matthew Tsakanikas, Ph.D.
This course will present the sacraments as the channels of the life of the Holy Trinity revealed and made present. We will focus on the scriptural, liturgical, and patristic origins of the “mysteries” which constitute the center of the inner life of the Church.

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HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE II
Spirituality 102 / History 202

Tuesdays, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
January 19 – May 11 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Mother Maria Regina van den Berg, Ph.D.
This two-semester course studies the development of the consecrated life, in its various forms, with an emphasis upon the living of the vows, the life of prayer, the enclosure, and the role of the apostolate. Within the context of Church history, we will read primary documents such as Rules and Church documents about consecrated life. The second semester will cover from the Council of Trent to the present.

Prerequisite: Introduction and Development of the Consecrated Life I.

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ETHICS
Philosophy 202

Wednesdays, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
January 20 – May 12 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Mark Wunsch, Ph.D.
This course on Aristotelian/Thomistic ethics studies the good human life: achieving the ultimate end of contemplative union with God through growth in virtue. Included is the study of the voluntary character of human action and moral good and evil.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
Scripture 201

Thursdays, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
January 21 – May 13 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D.
This course is a survey of the books of the New Testament as the fulfillment of the old covenant epoch, including the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline Corpus, the Catholic Epistles, and the book of Revelation.

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BIBLICAL APOLOGETICS
Scripture 502

Thursdays, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
January 21 – May 13 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D.
This course is designed to equip students with the tools needed to defend the Faith from Sacred Scripture and to expose the errors of various Protestant heresies effectively. This is accomplished through lectures on the most common biblical apologetic subjects, and a seminar-style study of the actual dynamics of debate.

Prerequisite: Introduction to the Old Testament and Introduction to the New Testament

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The following two courses are offered through the Institute of Catholic Culture to all curious adults at no cost. While they are intended for a wider audience, you will find the content to be rich and the instruction intellectually stimulating.

PHILOSOPHY 101
The Pursuit of Wisdom
with the Institute of Catholic Culture

Thursdays, 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM ET
January 21 – June 24 (19 sessions, 24 hours)
John Cuddeback, Ph.D.
This course is an introduction to philosophy especially through reading dialogues of Plato. Since Socrates and Plato stand as foundational pillars of the great Western tradition of philosophy, in reading these dialogues we have occasion to consider the major areas of philosophical thought and many of the main questions of the greatest thinkers through the ages. The course will emphasize first principles of reasoning, foundational concepts, docility to reality and to the wise, and a philosophical habit of mind. Pre-Socratic thinkers will also be treated.

CATECHISM 201
The Art of Catechesis
with the Institute of Catholic Culture

Saturdays, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
January 23 – March 27 (10 sessions, 10 hours)
R. Jared Staudt, Ph.D.
The Art of Catechesis provides an overview of the Church’s mission to hand on the Catholic faith to new generations. It looks at the history, principles, and methods of catechesis and how we can employ them within the growing challenges of a secular culture. It will look at how to teach the faith using the Bible and Catechism, complemented by an approach of evangelization and discipleship. It will also engage topics such as the New Evangelization, culture, beauty, and prayer.