On November 13, 2023, the Poor Clares in Roswell, New Mexico, celebrated the 75th anniversary of their foundation with a solemn Mass of thanksgiving, over which His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke presided. The chapel was packed to overflowing with friends who came from all over the country for the occasion. Although not all who attended were able to stay afterward to greet the sisters briefly in the parlor, the line was long enough to keep the sisters busy greeting visitors for a full hour and a half!
Most touching was the presence of friends whose parents or grandparents had supported the monastery since its small beginnings in 1948. The journey of the foundresses by train from Chicago was delightfully recounted in the very popular and joy-filled book A Right to Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C., who was a very young sister at the time of the foundation. Since then, the “farmhouse-turned-monastery” has flourished and become a motherhouse to five daughterhouses, either founded from or restored by the Roswell community. Today the Roswell community has twenty-four members, with two aspirants scheduled to enter in the coming months.
As part of the jubilee celebrations, the Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to those who make a visit to their monastery chapel before the conclusion of the jubilee year on November 13, 2024. The indulgence may also be gained by those unable to visit in person due to infirmity or inability to travel if they offer their sufferings to the Lord or carry out practices of compassion.
“We ourselves can make no suitable return to you for all your goodness to us, so we rejoice all the more that Holy Church herself can help us out in this way!” wrote Mother Mary Angela, P.C.C. “May this jubilee indulgence bring you (and all the deceased loved ones for whom you may wish to offer this indulgence) an eternal reward for all of your goodness to us.”
For more information about the Poor Clare Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe, visit:poorclares-roswell.org
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.
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).
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.”
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.
The Magdala Apostolate is an outreach project of the Institute of Catholic Culture and is dedicated to providing sound doctrinal formation—both initial and ongoing—for women religious and novices, in accord with the Church’s call for a new evangelization. Each term, they offer free, online, semester-long courses in the faith to any religious sister or community who applies.
Here is a testimonial from the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa who believe that this program provides their Sisters with orthodox, faithful and profound spiritual and academic formation that would be hard to obtain elsewhere.
“…Unity through charity, and pursuit of truth through learning”
As the Constitutions of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa are based upon the ancient Rule of St. Augustine, we are devoted to living according the above motto. In this “pursuit of truth through learning”, the Magdala Apostolate of the Institute of Catholic Culture has come to our unparalleled assistance. In the decade since our founding we have been blessed with many beautiful vocations to our congregation, and as such our Mother House, Mater Dei Convent, is home to Sisters in every level of formation and profession. Mater Dei serves as Novitiate, House of Studies and Apostolic House all in one. Through courses offered through the Magdala Apostolate, formation is available for all our Sisters and their varying needs. As an individual and in community, our Sisters have benefited from the Magdala Apostolate from postulancy unto perpetual profession and beyond.
In the Postulate and Novitiate, the Philosophy, Scripture and Catechesis available through the Magdala Apostolate have constituted a foundational aspect of our formation program. The immense support that the Magdala Apostolate education provides for the Sisters’ ministries becomes all the more evident after profession when the Sisters, often teaching in some capacity, have a classroom of eager eyes, looking to them for the truth of History, Philosophy, Art, and—most importantly—the Faith. Having been intellectually fortified for the task by the Magdala Apostolate, our Sisters are better equipped to meet this need. Many Sisters have found the courses so helpful in this regard, that they will seek the opportunity to continue their education with the Magdala Apostolate through classes and recordings long after the profession of vows. Not only does the Magdala Apostolate provide edification for our Sisters intellectually but also spiritually. The many courses and special lectures on the liturgical year, lives of the saints, and spirituality have been utilized by the Sisters, as individuals and as a community, to expand our minds and hearts with the love and knowledge of God.
In sum, the Magdala Apostolate has enabled us to provide our Sisters with orthodox, faithful and profound spiritual and academic formation at a level that would be nigh impossible to receive without it. The ability to learn from our convent home, to enroll in courses that best suit our personal and community needs, and to know better and better through these courses the Lord who is the Lord of all truth so that we may, faithful to our charism, better impart “…the beauty goodness and truth of the Catholic Faith…”. With much gratitude to the generous benefactors of the Magdala Apostolate, and to all that labor with this wonderful branch of the Institute of Catholic Culture, we wholeheartedly pray that this apostolate grow, with Our Lord’s help, forming the minds and hearts of Religious so that we may in turn form the souls of those to whom we minister.
Registration for the Spring 2023 semester will close on Monday, January 9, 2023. The following is a list of courses:
HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE II —Mother Maria Regina van den Berg
THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES —Mark Wunsch, Ph.D.
NICAEAN AND POST-NICAEAN FATHERS —John Pepino, Ph.D.
INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT —Ximena DeBroeck, Ph.D.
SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY —Rev. David Anderson
BIBLICAL APOLOGETICS —Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D.
In addition to their classes specifically for religious sisters, the Institute of Catholic Culture also offers courses online available for all in people seeking to learn more about the Faith, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Here is one for the Spring semester:
CATHOLIC POLITICAL THOUGHT 101 —Chad Pecknold, Ph.D.
From: Fr. Daniel Bowen, Vocation Director, Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy
727-348-4060 (cell) vocations@orderofmercy.org
St. Peter (left) & St. Raymond (right)
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the infamous Roe v. Wade abortion decision, tens of thousands of preborn babies will receive the gift of life rather than succumb to the death sentences of abortionists.
The US Supreme Court decision, which reversed the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, was consoling news to Christians and people of good will around the world.
It is also clear that the persevering and relentless work of pro-lifers around the country sheds light on a similar zeal for lives and souls as shown in the life of the Mercedarian founder, St. Peter Nolasco.
St. Nolasco began his work in Spain in the 1200’s to redeem the lives of Christians whose faith was in danger due to their being taken captive by Muslims. St. Peter and his companions would travel to the cities and countries held by Muslims and bargain with the captors, offering to exchange funds, or even their own lives if necessary, in exchange for Christians who sometimes chose to embrace Islam rather than die by the sword.
St. Nolasco was motivated with the zeal Our Savior Jesus Christ, following the Lord’s example of redemptive love in giving his life as a ransom for the human race. This redemptive love for souls is at the heart of the Mercedarian charism.
Pictured with padlock on his mouth that his captors used to prevent him from proclaiming the Gospel.
Another prominent saint of the Order is St. Raymond Nonnatus (Latin: Nonnatus – “not born”), often invoked by expectant mothers since he was delivered from his mother’s womb by Cesarean section. St. Raymond is the patron of the Mercedarian Novitate in the United States, of those falsely accused, of expectant mothers, of Christian family life, and of the unborn.
We encourage you to pray the “Prayer for Christian Family Life to St. Raymond Nonnatus” which laments the assaults on the family and asks St. Raymond that, through his intercession, all homes “may ever be modeled after the Holy Family of Nazareth.”
Prayer for Christian Families
Lord, Father Almighty!
The family is the most ancient institution of humanity, for it is as old as man himself. But because it is Thine own institution and the only means by which man can come into this world and develop to the greatest perfection, therefore the forces of evil are assaulting it, causing men to despise this basic unit of Christian civilization. In suicidal fury they seek to deal it a mortal blow. Let them not succeed, Lord, in their destructive designs on the Christian family.
Through the intercession of the glorious St. Raymond Nonnatus, pleader in heaven for the happiness, welfare, and peace of Christian families, we beg Thee to hear our prayers. By the merit of this great saint, our patron, grant that our homes may ever be modeled after the Holy Family of Nazareth. Let not the enemies of Christian family life triumph in their sacrilegious attacks, but rather convert them to the truth for the glory of Thy holy name. Amen.
Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy Vocation Office – Mercedarian Friars 6398 Drexel Road Philadelphia, PA 19151-2510 (215) 879-0594
To find out more, contact the Order of Mercy at the addresses below:
The Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA, have announced that the Holy See officially approved the suppression of their monastery, and the sisters’ subsequent request to merge with the Dominican Nuns at Corpus Christi Monastery, Menlo Park, CA. The nuns requiring assisted living and skilled care have chosen to reside in the Los Angeles area.
This bitter-sweet announcement formally confirms what had already been reported and comes from the remaining nuns who have devoutly lived a life of work, prayer, and contemplation at the Monastery of the Angels, established in the Hollywood Hills nearly 100 years ago. With this announcement, doors have been opened to explore new works of collaboration that will continue the sisters’ spiritual ministry of prayer. It will be a new outreach to the loving faithful who cherish this peace-filled oasis of holy ground.
The Dominican Order continues to aggressively explore opportunities for preserving the monastery property. Currently, the chapel remains open with daily Mass at 7:00 a.m. Prayer groups will continue their scheduled activities.
“Monastery Goodies” will remain in full operation and is a source of support for the elderly nuns requiring assisted living. Pumpkin Bread and Candy remain available through the monastery Gift Shop or online at MonasteryGoodies.com.
This note was received from Fr. Hezekias Carnazzo, Executive Director of the Institute of Catholic Culture (ICC), an IRL Affiliate Community. He asks for prayers for members of the ICC community who were killed in the terrorist attack at a Catholic Church in Nigeria on Pentecost Sunday 2022.
As members of the ICC family, and more importantly, as members of the Body of Christ, you and I have a special call to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those in most need.
By now, I am sure you will have heard of the terrorists who broke into the Nigerian church in the middle of Pentecost Mass and shot over fifty people. Yesterday, we were further shocked and saddened to learn that some members of that parish are also members of our ICC family and students in our Bioethics course. Yesterday afternoon, we received an email from one of the parish priests asking our ICC family to gather in prayer for all those suffering from this terrible attack. He writes:
I ask for the prayers of the whole ICC community. My parish (St. Francis Catholic church, Owo, Nigeria) was attacked by terrorists yesterday during the Pentecost Sunday Mass (it’s all over social media and news channels in Nigeria). We have lost about 39 of our parishioners already and so many are still under intensive care.
Myself and the other priests are so engrossed in pastoral care for our parishioners at this emotional moment. It is devastating and saddening to see so many children and adults murdered in cold blood. The church (what is left of it) is temporarily closed as an active crime scene and the faith of the people is being tested by the horrific ramifications of the attack.
Please, take a moment right now with me and with our entire ICC family to pray together for this priest, for the people of Saint Francis parish, and for all Christians in Nigeria. Let us especially ask for the intercession of the new martyrs of St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria.
✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Lord God of Hosts, God of our Salvation, God who alone workest wonders: look with mercy and goodness upon thy humble servants, and in thy love for mankind hearken unto us and have mercy on us. For, behold, our enemies have gathered themselves against us to destroy us and to bring ruin to our sanctuaries.
Help us, O God our Savior, and deliver us, for the sake of the glory of thy Name, and grant that we also may say with truth, as did Moses when he spoke to the people of Israel: ‘Behold, and stand fast; and you shall see the salvation that comes from the Lord. The Lord shall fight for you.’
Yea, O Lord God, our Savior, our Strength, our Hope, and our Protection: remember not the transgressions and unrighteousness of thy people, and turn not away from us because of thine anger; but in mercy and goodness look upon thy humble servants who bow down before thy loving-kindness. Rise up to help us, and grant us victory in thy name. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who, in the mystery of thy dispensation, will lay down their lives in battle, and on the Day of thy Judgment bestow upon them crowns of incorruption. For thou art the Protection, the Victory and the Salvation of those who put their hope in thee, and to thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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, andlike 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).
On November 13, 2023, the Poor Clares in Roswell, New Mexico, celebrated the 75th anniversary of their foundation with a solemn Mass of thanksgiving, over which His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke presided. The chapel was packed to overflowing with friends who came from all over the country for the occasion. Although not all who attended were able to stay afterward to greet the sisters briefly in the parlor, the line was long enough to keep the sisters busy greeting visitors for a full hour and a half!
Most touching was the presence of friends whose parents or grandparents had supported the monastery since its small beginnings in 1948. The journey of the foundresses by train from Chicago was delightfully recounted in the very popular and joy-filled book A Right to Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C., who was a very young sister at the time of the foundation. 
Since then, the “farmhouse-turned-monastery” has flourished and become a motherhouse to five daughterhouses, either founded from or restored by the Roswell community. Today the Roswell community has twenty-four members, with two aspirants scheduled to enter in the coming months.
who make a visit to their monastery chapel before the conclusion of the jubilee year on November 13, 2024. The indulgence may also be gained by those unable to visit in person due to infirmity or inability to travel if they offer their sufferings to the Lord or carry out practices of compassion.
