Category Archives: Women’s Communities

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. 

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.

 

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

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.

Join the Dominican Nuns as they sing the Canticle of the Passion this Lent!

From the Dominican Nuns in Marbury, Alabama

The Canticle of the Passion, or the “Passion Verses” as we say, is a specifically Dominican devotion traditionally sung on the Fridays of Lent.  A compilation of texts from Sacred Scripture relating to the sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ, this devotion was revealed by the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Catherine de Ricci, a cloistered Dominican Tertiary of the 16th century, after the Saint experienced the first of her many ecstasies sharing Our Lord’s Passion.

“Our Lady is said to have desired Catherine, when she revealed this Canticle to her, to spread it through the convent as a form of prayer and contemplation supremely pleasing to our Lord. The venerable confessor, Fra Timoteo, wrote it out in full at the saint’s dictation and submitted it for the approval of the Order. Padre Francesco di Castiglione had then become general, and he was not satisfied with allowing its use in San Vincenzio. By a circular letter to all monasteries of the Province he ordered it to be placed amongst the regular devotions and forms of prayer peculiar to the Dominicans; and it has remained celebrated amongst us, under the title Canticle of the Passion, as a monument to the tender love of our great Dominican saint, Catherine de Ricci, for her crucified Jesus”  (from St. Catherine de’ Ricci : Her Life, Her Letters, Her Community by Florence Mary Capes, p. 76-77).

The Canticle of the Passion is a good example of how Dominican devotions flow from and lead to the Liturgy.  Like the Liturgy, the Canticle is woven out of Sacred Scripture and sung to the haunting tones of our Dominican chant, leading us to enter more deeply into the solemn mysteries of this season of Passiontide and Holy Week.

The above is a recording of the Canticle of the Passion as we sang it during this Lent. (The chant we sing in Latin; we have added English subtitles along with pictorial meditations from sacred art.)

Click here to listen to the heavenly music!

 

A Poem Written by Sr. Mary Michael Huseman, OSF, Upon Entering Religious Life

Is My Life Enough?

By Sr. Mary Michael Huseman, OSF
(Written as she was entering religious life in 1993)

What special gift do I have
To repay the One I love?
The One Who gives me everything –
Even grace from above.

I asked Him to forgive me
Of my many, many sins.
He said, “I will – you asked me with love.”
I wanted to repay Him. “Where do I begin?

How do I repay Someone…
Who died for me,
and forgave my sins?
Is there a fee?

How do I repay Someone
Who gave His flesh and blood…
Who gives me joy and peace
And fills me with love!?

I asked, “How could I repay You?
You’ve been here from the start!
There’s nothing I have that you could want.”
He said: “I want your heart.”

What?!” I immediately thought.
“That is a lot to ask!
He took my heart. He took my life.
Now He wants this task?!

He went on to explain,
“If you will abandon your will to Me,
Then you will be part of my Heavenly Plan
That I’ve formed for eternity.”

I have given you many gifts
And much grace from above.
Will you let Me use you
To save the people I love?”

Once again, I gave into Him,
For He melts my heart, you see.
“True happiness comes,” He said,
“When you come and follow me.”

There may be days of darkness.
There may be times when you are blue.
But do not worry. Do not be sad.
I am ALWAYS with you!”


Sr. Mary Michael Huseman, OSF, grew up as the youngest of nine children in Nazareth, Texas, a German Catholic farming town. While visiting the shrine of the Eucharistic Miracle in Lanciano, Italy, she writes: “I was overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit with instant clarity.  All of my doubts about the faith disappeared.  The knowledge and truth of the Love of God for each soul on earth was tangible.  His keen interest in each and every person was amazingly beautiful.  I wanted to put my face on the ground, for it hit my heart the first time that I was truly standing in front of God!”

She eventually discerned the call to religious life and visited a local Franciscan convent to see how the sisters lived their lives, not thinking that this was the right community for her. “If you want to make God laugh,” she said, “tell Him your plans.”  She was was touched by the love the Sisters had for each other, their lifestyle, their traditionalism, their apostolate, and that they were Franciscan.  Sister Mary Michael is now the vocation director for the School Sisters of Third Order of St. Francis in Panhandle, Texas (www.panhandlefranciscans.org).  You can read her full vocation story in the November/December issue of Religious Life magazine.

All Saints Sisters of the Poor Buzzing With News!

by Mother Emily Ann Lindsey, A.S.S.P.
For three years in succession, we have been blessed with Solemn Professions –  Sister Deborah Rose on August 15, 2020; Sr. Jane Clement on September 8, 2021 and this July 25th, the Feast of St. James the Apostle, our Sister Mary Martha (pictured).
The rite of Divine Worship was celebrated by our Chaplain, Fr. Warren Tanghe with Archbishop William Lori officiating at the Solemn Profession of Vows.  Despite the two hour Profession Mass, the end seemed upon us quickly.  With vows taken and witnessed,  Sr. Mary Martha had now donned her new veil, cincture, ring and crown of flowers.  Once formal photos were taken the fun began with an afternoon spent in fellowship with those in attendance.

And…

Something new buzzes around the property of the All Saints Sisters of the Poor.  Up until three years ago, we Sisters would not have dreamed that our property would one day be home to ten beehives and thousands of bees.  But that is exactly what has happened.  Our Community has a long history in wildlife preservation beginning with bluebirds.  Some years ago we added monarch butterflies to our efforts and so it seemed natural that honey bees would follow!

Partnering with beekeepers, we are now home to up to 13 hives.  Thanks to Clem and Marty, who instructed us in Beekeeping 101, we agreed this would be a great way to help the declining honeybee population and so the partnership was formed.  Now in our third year, we all know what needs to be done.  The beekeepers manage the bees and the hives and when it is time to extract the honey from the screens, we know honey season has arrived.  Once the honey is extracted we sterilize glass jars and caps and begin the sticky process of pouring the honey.  We learned very quickly that honey has a mind of its own so you have to be on your guard.

The amount of honey we sell depends on the amount of the harvest and whatever is earned goes back into maintaining the bees and hives, purchasing equipment, bottles, jars, and the like.  We sell locally under our own label, Our Lady of Walsingham, in our Convent Gift Shop on a first come first serve basis!

All Saints Sisters of the Poor
P.O. Box 3127
1501 Hilton Avenue
Catonsville, MD 21228

410-747-4104

AllSaintsSisters.org

info@allsaintssisters.org

Carmel of St. Joseph in Terre Haute Celebrates 75 Years!

On Carmel’s Height, Day & Night,
Someone prays for you

By Sr. Clare Joseph, O.C.D.

Celebration of our Foundation

Mother Agnes and Founding Sisters

On October 8, 2022, a day after our actual Foundation Day on the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, our community will mark the 75th Jubilee year since our foundation from the Carmelite monastery in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1947.  We will honor this joyful event with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  Our Archbishop Charles Thompson will preside while several of our Carmelite friars will join him to concelebrate.  Pending the COVID restrictions, we hope to make it a public event where all are invited to join us in this jubilant celebration.

Our Beginnings

Before our foundation was made from the Indianapolis Carmel, the Archbishop of Indianapolis, Archbishop Joseph Ritter, dreamed of having a Carmelite community in Terre Haute praying.  The city had become infiltrated with corruption and crime and Archbishop Ritter longed to have nuns right in Terre Haute, praying that the city would once again become a wholesome place for people to live and raise their families.  And so, it was Archbishop Ritter who planted the first seed for our foundation. When we moved here on October 7, 1947, we lived in a house on the property and, with the help of friends, our monastery was gradually built, stage by stage.

Growth

Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Luke 9:33).

Fast forward 75 years, our firmly planted seeds have taken root as we have grown into the contemplative community that we are today here in Terre Haute, Indiana.  God has watered the seeds and provided the growth, blessing us in abundance.

Our current monastery stands on a hill overlooking Terre Haute, the city that we love and which we pray.  Our chapel roof is distinguished by three peaks, representative of the three tents that Peter wanted to make for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.  Over the years we were able to acquire the property adjacent to our original plot of land.  This allows us to cultivate gardens and an orchard, which provide us with fruit and vegetables throughout the year.  The additional grounds also provide us opportunity to pray and encounter God in nature.

Gratitude to overflowing

Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the great and loving support we have received from our families, many friends, and benefactors.  Their help has come to us in a variety of ways, from our building days to our current reality and day to day needs.  No sooner do we have a need, offer prayers to God, then we receive a phone call or knock on the door from one of our numerous friends, offering their support, eager for the opportunity to “pay us back” for praying for their needs.  Words cannot express our gratitude for all the assistance and support we have received over the years.

Significantly, our sisters from the Indianapolis Carmel – the community that we were founded from – have overwhelmed us with their ongoing support and generosity.  Although they are few in number and have relocated to Oldenburg, Indiana, to the campus of the Franciscan community, they are closer to us than ever before, in heart and in our united prayers.

“… chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Peter 2:4-5) .

We are especially proud and grateful for the community that we have become and are becoming.  In addition to the unique treasure that each sister is, the cultures of our international community of sisters further enriches our common life.  We share and sincerely experience the joys of life in community with one another, making real Our Holy Mother St. Teresa’s desire that in our communities:   “… all must be friends, all must be loved, all must be held dear, all must be helped” (The Way of Perfection, 4:7).  It is our “living stones” that we cherish most of all – one another!

Mostly, our gratitude is to God for God Himself; for His fidelity, His love, His peace, His sustaining and providing for us, our Church, and our whole world in every way; for loving “the world so much that He gave His only Son.” (John 3:16).  Every momentous anniversary of our monastery is an opportunity for us to recall with profound gratitude and awe the graciousness with which God has smiled upon us from our first years in Terre Haute.

Our Vision Statement reads that “we are consecrated women of the Teresian Carmel, living in sisterly communion, holding the lamp of contemplation ‘till we become a living flame of love.’”

We believe that this flame of love has a continual and tremendous spiritual influence in our world, beyond the parameters of Terre Haute, Indiana, even while it may be hidden from our eyes.  It is the Spirit of God moving all over our world that brings life and hope and this is what we have dedicated our lives to here on the mount in Terre Haute, Indiana.

“… and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).

Visit: heartsawake.org

Monica’s Tears: Restoring Wounded Humanity

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