Tag Archives: Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia

Women's Communities

Dominicans Sisters of St. Cecilia – “You Belong to Us!”

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op tn 2A little boy once asked a religious sister, “Are you married?” When she said no, he said, “Good, ’cause then you belong to us.” Thus begins an article in the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia‘s latest newsletter. I think it sums up perfectly the Year of Consecrated. Let us celebrate consecrated men and women who, because they belong totally to God, belong totally to us.

There are so many news items  to relate relative to the Nashville Dominicans that one hardly knows where to start. Here we go:

  • Two sisters are now teaching at a high school in Auburndale, Tenessee.
  • Sister Anne Frances is full-time on the campus ministry staff at Providence College
  • They have a new foundation in the Sittard, Netherlands, where strangely enough the Peruvian Dominican St. Rose of Lima is patroness.
  • They acquired Villaggio Betania, 20 miles NW of Rome, Italy, to provide a home base for sisters studying in Rome, for facilities for the study abroad program of Aquinas College, and to support evangelization efforts. It was previously owned by the Dominican Sisters of Bethany so it stays in the Dominican family.
  • They are expanding Bethany Retreat House to accommodate the growing number of people seeking a place of quiet and prayer.

According to their last update to us, they are over 300 sisters, including 60 in formation!!

Mother Ann Marie, OP, says: “Each of us is called by God to ‘reach out to others  and seek their good’ (Pope Francis). At a time when  our world is experiencing so much anguish in its search for the peace that only God can give, let us ask Him to make us instruments of hope. Wherever He places us each day, let us allow Him to be at work in us to bring the peace of Christ and the joy of the Gospel.”

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Teaching Eternal Values

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The National Catholic Register has an article in its latest issue (2/9/14) about teaching Orders active in the Church today. I am happy to say that all of those cited are IRL Affiliate members and doing astonishingly well with vocations. Here are some highlights:

 

op edNashville Dominicans:

Their official name is the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and they were founded in 1860, proving that you do not have to be an new order in order to be thriving. The Motherhouse is located in Tennessee, the state with the lowest percentage of Catholics in the U.S. There are 300 sisters teaching in 40 schools in the US, though there are also sisters in Australia, Canada and Scotland.The Dominicans’ motto is veritas (truth) with the mission to contemplate the truths of Christ and pass on the fruits of that contemplation to others.  The sisters equip students “to go out and transform the culture for Christ.”

 

ck2 edSchool Sisters of Christ the King

The School Sisters of Christ the King were founded in 1976 by Bishop Glennon Flavin, the 3rd president of the IRL. There are 32 sisters teaching 1500 students in the Diocese of Lincoln. Their goal is “to bring abut the reign of Christ through Catholic education.” Three former students have become sisters within the order! What a wonderful testimony to the holy example of the teaching sisters!

 

op2 edDominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

These Dominican sisters were canonically established in 1997. Then there were 4 sisters—today there are 120 sisters whose average age is 29! The sisters teach in schools in 8 states across the country. Sr. Joseph Andrew said, “Ours is a holistic approach, touching mind, body and soul. We seek to put a Catholic culture in our schools.”

 

opraem edNorbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey

The Norbertines operate St. Michael’s Abbey Preparatory School, a boarding school for 67 students, in Silverado, California. It is consistently ranked among the top 50 Catholic high schools in the nation. There are also expansion plans to handle 100 students. Fr. Victor Szczurek, O.Praem., says that it was “monastic schools like our own that helped form Christendom in Europe and throughout the world.” Their daily program includes Mass and 40 minutes of Eucharistic adoration. By the end of their 4 years of studies, says Father, the students “are convinced of the vital importance of the Church’s sacraments.”

 

 

 

 

 

News, Women's Communities

Surely the Angels are Delighted!

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aberdeen1The Nashville Dominicans, officially known as the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, are a community experiencing a wonderful growth in vocations. Because of this, they are able to send sisters into “mission” territories. Their newest home is in Scotland, where four sisters were welcomed into the Diocese of Aberdeen in August. They will be living in a 15th century convent called Greyfriars.

The Bishop of Aberdeen, Hugh Edward Gilbert, OSB, remembering old American western movies, likens the coming of these American sisters to the US Calvary charging across the hill to save the day, only they are armed with rosaries not rifles.

Scotland was once Catholic territory. The Diocese of Aberdeen was established in the 11th century but in the 16th century, an Act of Parliament abolished papal authority and jurisdiction throughout Scotland. Eventually, the people came under Presbyterian governance. The Catholic diocese of Aberdeen was formally re-established in 1878. The Catholic population in 2006 was only 20,000 in a diocese of over 700,000 people, true missionary territory.

aberdeen2It seems that when the bishop was in Rome to attend a class for new bishops last year, he encountered Bishop Edward Rice of St. Louis who astonished him by saying: “‘Do you know, ever since I heard that convent (previously occupied in the Aberdeen diocese by the Sisters of Mercy) was empty I’ve been praying the Nashville Dominicans would fill it.” Bishop Rice added, “If you want to re-evangelize Scotland, they’re the people who’ll do it. I’ll write to the Prioress General, tell her she must accept your invitation, and I’ll pay the fare over for one of the sisters.”

To make a long story short, Bishop Rice kept his word and the sisters arrived ONE YEAR LATER!!

Bishop Gilbert says, “It means that Jacob’s ladder, with its busy angels, after lying on the ground gathering dust, is being set up again. Surely the angels are delighted. Surely the stones are glad. Surely those buried here are pleased!”

Read his inspiring homily in it’s entirety here. May this be a start of a great springtime of vocations for the Scottish people!