Monthly Archives: August 2020

Cloistered life, News, Women's Communities

Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary of Buffalo Announce Relocation Plans

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August 15, 2020

Dear Friends,

This letter is long overdue, as so many of our friends and benefactors have expressed warm concern in hearing of the move of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary from Buffalo. The community has been considering the possibility of a move for the last several years. Our location in the city, the serious maintenance demands of our building and a growing desire for a physical environment where we might live out the fullness of our Dominican contemplative life made it clear that remaining in our Doat Street location was unrealistic. At first it seemed impossible to relocate, in light of our strong ties to the Diocese, the devotion of many friends and benefactors, and our strong Chapter of the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic. Gradually, however, the community began to feel called by the Holy Spirit to consider a move to a place in the United States lacking a contemplative monastery of nuns, in response to the call of Pope Francis for contemplative religious to recognize the cloistered life as a work of evangelization among the People of God. Since Buffalo has a vibrant community of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, we began to consider a move to another diocese in a different part of the country.

After much prayer and discussion, our community has decided to relocate to the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. The bishop, Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, has long desired to welcome a community of cloistered religious into the diocese.

Once the decision was made, matters developed rather quickly, particularly with the offer of purchase for our present building and property by the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School, which plans to open a school at the location. This decision came as a shock to many of you, our dear friends. We must continue to impose on your patience and understanding, as current circumstances make it impossible for us to say a proper goodbye to you in the way we had hoped. We originally intended to celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass for all of you at the monastery on Doat Street, followed by a reception, but even now it is still not possible to arrange anything of this kind. We trust that in the future God will provide for this.

We hope to be fully moved to Columbus by the end of September. Our address will be: Sts. Peter and Paul Retreat Center, 2734 Seminary Rd SE, Newark, OH 43056-9339 and our telephone number is 740-928-4246.

Until early September, we continue to reside in temporary accommodation with the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance & Christian Charity in Stella Niagara, New York. We could not have found kinder and more gracious hosts than the Stella Franciscans, and we thank them for their hospitality and the blessing of the time we had with them.

It is not an exaggeration to say that it is with heavy hearts that we will leave Buffalo and our many friends who have known us over the years, even decades. We want you to know that wherever we are, the good people of Buffalo and Western New York will always be in our hearts and prayers. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for your tremendous support, friendship, and generosity over the years.

With our heartfelt love and prayers,
Mother Mary Dominic and Sisters

News

Update on Poor Brothers of St. Francis – Fort Wayne

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On Wednesday, May 13th, 2020, the Feast of  our Lady of Fatima, the Poor Brothers of St. Francis ceased as a Franciscan community in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

The Diocesan Press Release: “The beloved Brothers have made this decision based on their personal, vocational discernment as they consider where God is calling each of them. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades and the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend would like to thank the Poor Brothers of Saint Francis for their service and devotion to our diocese and community. We extend our prayers that God continue to guide and bless them in the days ahead.”

From the Brothers:

“ Beloved Family, Friends, and All who have supported us Brothers,
​May the Lord give you His peace. May He fill you with the overabundance of His merciful love, and grant you every grace to become saints in this life. We send you this update first of all to thank you. It’s hard to express in just those two words the gratitude we have for the gift each one of you has been to each one of us. It seems that much more is owed to you for all that you have done to help us follow the Lord. St. Paul tells us “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” (Rm 13:8) Surely, our love for you is much more than what he can convey in this forum, but this is a start. Thank you for everything.

​The second reason we are writing you is to inform you that our community is, of its own accord, disbanding. As of May 13th, 2020 the Poor Brothers of St. Francis will no longer exist. It’s very difficult to know where to begin in telling you why and how we have come to this decision. What’s even more difficult is relating it to you with all the love and gratitude we have for each one of you. Instead of trying to communicate all of that here, please know that we “long to see you, that [we] may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” (Rm 1:11-12)

​Since it is unlikely that we will be able to speak with each one of you and answer all of the questions that you may have, we offer here a brief summary of how we came to this decision. We had known for some time that our inexperience of founding a religious community would be difficult to overcome. Shortly after we began, brothers had been of the mind that we would need help from men with many years of experience living a faithful and fruitful religious life.

In a meeting with His Excellency, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, held on March 31st, 2020 we related this awareness to him. As has been his custom, Bishop Rhoades acted speedily in our favor and acquired for us the assistance of Fr. Joseph Tuscan, OFM, Cap. During Fr. Joseph’s time with us it became clear through our meetings with him that we “were [not] of one heart and one mind,” (Acts 4:32), in terms of each brother’s personal discernment of his vocation. Fr. Joseph helped us see that the Lord was leading each one of us down different paths which would ultimately mean we couldn’t live together in the same community.

In the final analysis, we will have a peaceful parting amongst us. For we still have “a sincere love of [our] brethren, [and] love one another earnestly from the heart.” (1 Pt 1:22) We have this same love for each one of you. We will always be your brothers wherever God leads us. We have wanted to convey here something of that bond we’ve experienced with each one of you so that you may be assured that through this transition you all remain in our hearts, and will be fixed there until we reach the time of no more partings.

​​​​​​​​In Christ and Francis,
​​​​​​​​Your Poor Brothers”

Eremitic Life, Women's Communities

An Emerging Franciscan Community in the Beguine Tradition

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By Sr. Courney Haase, CoC

The Companions of Clare is an emerging religious community located in Skowhegan, Maine.  As the name implies we follow a modified Franciscan rule of Clare of Assisi.  The Companions are revitalizing the beguine tradition in America following the format and structure.

Let us begin with Beguines?

Without burdening you with too much historical data, I invite you to do a Google search of the beguines in history. They were strong, independent women who loved God but did not wish to enter monasteries, the only available option.  They were autonomous in concept and lifestyle. Many women saints and founders started as beguines.  Numbers among beguines were St. Colette of Corbie, St. Angela Merici, and many others.  They were women who wanted to spend their lives with community support and in prayer. The beguine tradition is currently being studied and there is a revival of their spirit, especially in the lowlands of Europe where they originated. There are some YouTube videos at the end of the Companions website as well as a small list of books that are interesting and pertinent. I hope this cursory overview ignites your curiosity.

Religious life as we know it is changing as is the Church.  Beguines were on the cutting edge of a different style of religious women. The Companions of Clare are following suit.  The new is meeting the old! Both the Church and a new version of the beguines are breathing the Spirit of new life. All of us are looking ahead and occasionally we necessarily review the old. There is value in both and in new birth. Sometimes it is painful but always rewarding.

More about the Companions 

And so enters the Companions of Clare.  The mission of the community is adoration and thanksgiving and is geared to mature women who wish to spend their days with like-minded people. Many times maturity develops an insight or “second sight” to the soul. The community feeds on the liturgy and is dedicated to an intense contemplative prayer lifestyle. It is meant to fill a need for women who wish to reenter religious, life if they have previously left (but is not restricted to that end), or for women who wish to spend the remainder of life in prayer.

Social work is not our goal.  The five priorities of the Franciscan order consist of prayer, formation, evangelization, community and ministry.  The Companions pray without ceasing, are formed in Franciscan ideals and virtues, evangelize by our dress, work to live and grow in a community of spiritual women and encourage silence in our noisy world. The beguineage is considered a sacred space to all who visit. Living here demands mindfulness.  It is not always a piece of cake as you can imagine. But the rewards are by far sweeter.

The physical work of the Companions is basically maintaining the household and doing handiwork.  There are 3 alpacas which supply the community with fleece for spinning and weaving.  The end result of the work is not judged for selling but rather is used as gifts for benefactors and to enhance the contemplative spirit of the beguinage. The housekeeping, garden and outdoor work as well as handiwork help to free the heart for prayer. If your talent is writing, you may be asked to supply literature for publication. During the formative years some personal funds are reserved, after room and board is paid, as backup for formation members. All things are held in common after profession of vows.

The Prayer Life of the Community

The Divine Office is prayed in full and in common.  The rosary and any other private prayer are at the discretion of the sisters.  Time is set aside for Lectio Divina and, of course, classes for formation are scheduled.  Mass is attended and a Holy Hour for adoration is included in the day.  The Companions have been blessed with the sponsorship of the Franciscan Friars. Those who have asked us to remember their intentions sit with the communion of saints and sisters in the chapel as we pray.

In our prayer we focus on seeking and adoring the Face of God.  Our seeking and eventual spiritual vision is worth any amount of discipline.  Speaking of which, the Companions work hard to maintain a peaceful environment during the trouble times the world is facing.  This is the main source of our discipline.  Living as a group in peace and harmony is an intense discipline. Artificial discipline is not a goal.

The Beguinage (Convent)

The beguinage has room for 7 sisters.  It sits on 7 acres and has a hermitage in the woods for visitors.  Anyone who is interested in coming, even for a “Come and See,”* is required to submit to some screening and vetting.  This is for safety.

As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin so beautifully reminds us: “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.  We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.  We should like to skip the intermediate stages.  We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.  And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability and that it may take a very long time. And so I think it is with you, your ideas mature gradually- let them grow, let them shape themselves without undo haste”…

*During this period of pandemic requests for “Come and See” visits are on hold.  This is regrettable but allows you more time for discernment, personal prayer and a sense of personal solitude.  Definitely, this time for some is a blessing in disguise. Information is still supplied and telephone inquiries are still accepted.

Further information and pictures of the Convent of Peace and Good can be viewed on the website www.companionsofclare.org.  Any other questions? Do not hesitate to call me.

Sr. Courtney Haase, CoC, Guardian
Convent of Peace and Good
627 Middle Rd.
Skowhegan, ME 04976
207-431-2664

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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