Category Archives: News

Cloistered life, News, Women's Communities

Cistercian Sisters Monastery Campaign

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The Cistercian nuns of Our Lady of the Valley Monastery in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, are in the midst of a building campaign for a new monastery.  Arriving in 1957 from Germany to the newly formed Diocese of Madison, the sister currently live in what was intended to be temporary housing.  As you can see from the picture, the monastery, while quaint, it is not adequate for the 22 sisters currently residing there and has needed a lot of maintenance recently to keep it inhabitable.

As you can also see from the building plans, a monastery such as this rising up from the beautiful rolling hills of central Wisconsin will be a glorious reminder to all who pass by that there are women within who have dedicated their lives to prayer and penance for the Church and the world.

“Dwelling in the very heart of the Church, the Sisters offer their lives to God in a hidden oblation of self,” said Bishop Donald Hying of Madison. “We will never know this side of heaven the blessings and graces we have all received through the life and prayer of our beloved Cistercian nuns!”

The completed monastery complex will include a chapel for nuns and guests; quarters and parking for guests; living, working and other liturgical and ceremonial spaces for the nuns; an altar bread production building, garage and various outbuildings.

For more information, contact: Sister Bede, Valley of Our Lady, E11096 Yanke Drive, Prairie du Sac, WI, 53578 or email: nmfund@valleyofourlady.org.

 

 

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2019 Mystical Rose Gala – Pictures from a Glorious Evening!

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The IRL’s 3rd Annual Mystical Rose Gala was held on Saturday, November 9, 2019, at the beautiful Cuneo Mansion & Gardens, in Vernon Hills, Illinois.  With a glorious setting, delicious food, and so many wonderful people, how could it be anything but a great evening.

We were especially pleased to welcome the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, who were honored this year for their work in restoring the sacred within the Church and their witness as faithful religious in the heart of Chicago and beyond.  Fr. Joshua Caswell, SJC, gave a heartfelt and humble talk about the longstanding relationship between the IRL and the Canons, going all the way back to their foundation.

Many thanks to our President, Most Rev. Robert Vasa and our National Director, Fr. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem., for traveling all the way from California to be with us.  And all of the guests, sponsors and religious who so generously supported the evening with their presence, prayers and support.

Finally, we would like to congratulate Sr. Julia Ray, SSC, the winner of the pilgrimage for two to Poland. Sister said she was “overwhelmed” and it was the nicest thing ever!!

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Catechetical Institute of Franciscan University Launches New Religious Discernment Mentorship Program

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New Mentorship Program Launching to Help Those Discerning Religious Life

To assist Catholics discerning a call to religious life, Values Outreach, an initiative of the Catechetical Institute of Franciscan University of Steubenville, recently announced a new mentorship program for young men and women discerning religious life.

These discerners will receive online formation by watching workshops and completing tasks designed to help them grow in their spiritual lives. Workshops will feature talks from a variety of religious from different orders. Topics include the Theology of Religious Life, Monastic Practices, the Nature of Vocation, and the Desires of Our Hearts.

In addition, each discerner will be connected with a professed religious who will act as a mentor as they go through the formation program. Mentors will provide feedback on written tasks and will engage in long-distance, one-on-one communication throughout the program.

Cassidy Roderick, founder and team director of Values Outreach, said “This is an amazing opportunity to connect young adults with the people they need in their lives to help them discern well.”

Roderick noted that it is important for young discerners to relate directly with those in religious life. “It is extremely difficult to discern alone. Anything that can be done to connect them with someone to guide them is crucially important.”

The idea for the online formation program was spearheaded at a recent mentor-training meeting. The Catechetical Institute team was reviewing evaluations from learners taking their workshops, which indicated the workshops helped them to grow closer to God. Seeing this positive feedback, the Values Outreach Office and the Catechetical Institute decided to take the next step forward with this new program that focuses on vocational accompaniment.

The program will take place on the Catechetical Institute’s online learning management system: FranciscanAtHome.com.

This semester-long program is free and will begin in January 2020. The Values Outreach Office is currently accepting applications. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and actively discerning consecrated religious life.

Questions? Email info@valuesoutreach.org. One of their team members would be happy to speak with you!

Or fill out the application to get started with a mentor now!

Men's communities, News

Servants of Christ Jesus Approved as an IRL Affiliate Community

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The Servants of Christ Jesus, founded in 2004 as a community of priests and brothers, are committed to advancing the New Evangelization through the praise, reverence and service of God. Consecrating themselves completely to Jesus Christ, in radical poverty, chastity and obedience, they live the Gospel through the evangelical poverty of St. Francis of Assisi and the apostolic formation of St. Ignatius Loyola.

They are trained in Ignatian spirituality, scripture, spiritual exercises, liturgy, evangelization and education to be preachers of the Word, teachers of the Catholic faith, and directors of souls. They seek particularly to announce Christ to souls who have yet to conform their lives to Him – youth, young adults, non-Catholics, and non-Christians. They do this by preaching, teaching, spiritual exercises, administration of the Sacraments, and assistance to the poor.

They were founded in the Diocese of Steubenville in 2004, transferred to the Archdiocese of Denver in 2006, recognized as a Private Association of the Faithful by Archbishop Charles Chaput in 2009 and a Clerical Association of the Faithful by Archbishop Samuel Aquila in 2013.  In the Archdiocese, they serve as chaplains in schools, including the University of Denver, and provide missionary training, family formation, parish missions and spiritual direction.

Their prayer life includes daily Mass and a Holy Hour, weekly Confession, the Divine Office prayed together and an annual 8-day retreat.  Pope Francis appointed Fr. John Ignatius and Fr. Paul Kostka as “Missionaries of Mercy” for the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  This mandate was extended indefinitely in 2017.

Servants of Christ Jesus
4022 S Olive Street
Denver, CO  80237
Phone (720)458-3038
www.SCJesus.org
servants@scJesus.org

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Cloistered life, News, Women's Communities

Visitation Sisters Celebrate Jubilee Year for the 100th Anniversary of the Canonization of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

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On May 13, 2020, the Order of the Visitation we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the canonization of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM. To celebrate this occasion, they obtained from the Apostolic Penitentiary of Rome the grace of a Jubilee Year for all of the monasteries of the Order of the Visitation and the grace of a plenary indulgence to all those who pass through the doors of their Monastery chapels.

The year will open on October 16, 2019 and will close on October 17, 2020.

The usual conditions of a plenary indulgence apply:

  • To be in a state of grace
  • To go to Confession and to receive Holy Communion within 20 days preceding or following
  • To pray for the intentions of the Holy Father

… on the following dates:

  • October 16, 2019 Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM
  • January 24, 2020 Solemnity of St. Francis de Sales
  • May 13, 2020 100th Anniversary of the Canonization of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM
  • May 31, 2020 Solemnity of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary
  • June 19, 2020 Solemnity of the Sacred Heart
  • August 12, 2020 Solemnity of St. Jane de Chantal
  • October 16, 2020 Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, VHM
  • Monthly First Fridays

A video was produced by VocationPromotion.com explaining the timeless significance of the messages of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary in support of this Jubilee Year.

When requesting this grace from the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Visitation nuns  expressed the reason for this Jubilee as follows:

“ [. . .] Desiring to be renewed (in the mission received by our Holy Order of the Visitation), so that the love of the Heart of Jesus might further shine forth over the world, we have thought that the grace of a Jubilee Year, with the possibility of a plenary indulgence, could also allow the numerous faithful who frequent the chapels of our monasteries to intimately experience the love of the Heart of Jesus, and to render him ‘love for love’ according to the desire that he himself had expressed to Saint Margaret Mary.

There are four Visitation Monasteries that are Affiliates of the IRL located in:

Snellville, Georgia

 

 

 

 

 

Tyringham, Massachusets

 

 

 

 

 

Toledo, Ohio

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile, Alabama

 

News

Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) Celebrates 175 Years

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The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (PWPN), formerly known as the Apostleship of Prayer (AoP), celebrated their 175th anniversary in June with Pope Francis. While remaining in continuity with their tradition and history, they now have a deeper engagement with the digital world.

They are the official platform for the Pope’s intentions, with a monthly 90-second video from the Holy Father: The Pope Video. The app “Click To Pray” is the official prayer platform for smart phones. The app invites users to brief prayers three times a day.

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network was born as the Apostleship of Prayer in 1844, in a house of formation for young Jesuits in Vals, in the south of France. Fr. François-Xavier Gautrelet, SJ, spiritual director of these young people, proposed to them a way of being apostles in their ordinary lives and encouraged them to be available for Christ’s mission through the offering of their lives. Fr. Henri Ramière, SJ, from 1861, guided the Apostleship of Prayer in the dynamic of the Heart of Jesus. Today, this proposal of service and prayer is 175 years old.

About The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a pontifical work with the mission of mobilizing Catholics through prayer and action, in the face of the challenges confronting humanity and the mission of the Church. These challenges are addressed in the form of prayer intentions entrusted by the Pope to the entire Church. Its mission is inscribed in the dynamic of the Heart of Jesus: a mission of compassion for the world. This work was founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer. It is present in 98 countries and is made up of more than 35 million Catholics. It includes a youth branch, the EYM: Eucharistic Youth Movement. In March 2018, the Pope constituted this ecclesial service as a Pontifical Work and approved its new statutes. Its international director is Fr. Father Frédéric Fornos, SJ. More information at:

https://www.popesprayer.va

 

Cloistered life, News, Women's Communities

Dominican Monastery in Marbury, Alabama, Celebrates 75th Jubilee

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This year, the Dominican nuns of the Monastery of St. Jude in Marbury, Alabama, are celebrating their 75th anniversary. 

How it began is truly divinely inspired…

In the 1930’s, Mother Mary of Jesus, the prioress of the cloistered Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary in Catonsville, Maryland, saw as in a vision a race riot, with a crowd of angry people with clubs in hand engaged in a violent struggle. Then the scene changed and the same mob knelt in prayer, each one with a rosary in hand. On the hill in the distance there was a monastery with Sisters of all races praying the rosary with arms outstretched before the Blessed Sacrament. Mother Mary of Jesus felt that God was indicating His desire that there should be an interracial community where any young Catholic woman called to live the cloistered, contemplative life would be welcome. Mother Mary of Jesus died on November 18, 1939, having confided her “dream,” as she called it, to Mother Mary Dominic.

When a young woman was denied entrance to Catonsville because of her race, the time seemed right. Mother Mary Dominic and Mother Mary of the Child Jesus obtained permission to write bishops around the country. Mutual friends put them in touch with Bishop Thomas J. Toolen of Mobile, Alabama. He extended a kind welcome and introduced them to Fr. Purcell, who had long desired a monastery of Contemplative Sisters at the City of St. Jude.

Aspirants came and tried their vocation and in time the first two young women persevered to make Perpetual Vows, June 13, 1950. As more Sisters were received, the little house began to bulge at the seams. Dreams and plans for a “real monastery” were discussed and put away for a future day. To ease the strain of limited space, the Sisters installed a folding stairway to the attic. On Archbishop Toolen’s next visit, he was shown their achievement and asked again for permission to build. Archbishop considered a moment, looked at Mother Mary Dominic with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Yes Mother, go ahead. If the Sisters can help, you will save a lot on expenses.” On January 1, 1953, the bulldozer arrived to begin construction. On October 28, 1953, the Sisters moved into the new half-built monastery, which was completed over the ensuing years as funds allowed, forming the simple yet cherished building they have today.

Sheltered within the cloister walls, the Sisters were already living the harmony and equality before God and man that were so hotly contested in society during the 1960’s. Young women continued to be drawn to give their lives to God; in the monastery, no racial tensions arose to mar the focus on love of God and of the Sisters. When Mother Mary Dominic went to her eternal reward on July 20, 1966, she knew that her life’s work had been an offering acceptable to God. Today, they continue to give their lives to God for the salvation of souls, grateful that the community is no longer unique in admitting young women of any race.

As the tumult of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s rocked both society and the Church, the cloister at Marbury represented an oasis of stability and tradition to the young women who entered during this time. Until her death on June 2, 1980, Mother Mary of the Child Jesus wisely protected the community from disturbances and ensured that the Sisters received authentic Catholic teaching.

The community was founded as a monastery of cloistered contemplative Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary, a branch of the Dominican family specifically dedicated to honoring Our Lady and interceding for souls through the perpetual recitation of the Rosary. From the beginning, the Mother Foundresses had desired to continue their life of Rosary devotion more closely united to the Dominican Order as papally enclosed nuns. With a new edition of the Church’s canon law and the need for updated Constitutions, the time seemed ripe. On August 15, 1995, all the Sisters in the community joyfully pronounced their Solemn Profession as Nuns of the Order of Preachers.

Hour after hour, the Sisters succeed each other praying the Rosary, for Mary’s honor and in intercession for the needs of the world. Our Mothers bequeathed to us a tender love for Our Lady, in our Dominican spirit, as we live out Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary.

Please visit their website for more information!

(Information gleaned from their 75th Jubilee Newsletter)

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Register for the Magadala Apostolate Fall Classes Now!

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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. Each term, they offer FREE semester-long courses in the faith to any religious sister or community who applies.

Deadline to register is one week away!

Fall 2019 Courses

SC 101: Foundations in Sacred Scripture
Stephen Smith, Ph.D.
Tuesdays, 4:30 – 6:30 PM EST
September 10 – December 17, 2019 (no class on Nov. 26th)
This course offers an introductory and foundational study of Sacred Scripture. Students will study the principles of Catholic Scripture study, gain insight into the development of the biblical canon and review the Church’s fundamental doctrines and documents on the study of Sacred Scripture.

SC 102: Introduction to the Old Testament (Class full – register to be placed on waitlist)
Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D.
Mondays, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST
September 9 – December 16, 2019 (no class on Monday, December 9)
This course is a survey of the historical, wisdom, and prophetical books of the Old Testament as a preparation for the New Testament era. The course includes the revelatory stages of salvation history, the importance of Biblical typology, and the function of fulfilled prophecy.

SC 502: Biblical Apologetics (Class full – register to be placed on waitlist)
Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D.
Mondays, 2:00 – 4:00 PM EST
September 9 – December 16, 2019 (no class on Monday, December 9)
Prerequisites: Introduction to the Old Testament and Introduction to the New Testament
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.

CT 101: Introduction to the Catechism (Class full – register to be placed on waitlist)
Stephen Smith, Ph.D.
Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:00 pm ET
September 12 – December 19, 2019 (no class on Nov. 28th)
This course is designed to give students a broad overview of the history, structure, and content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the “sure norm for teaching the faith” (John Paul II). Each of the four “pillars” of the Catechism will be explored: the Creed, Liturgy and Sacraments, Morality and the Ten Commandments, and Prayer and the Our Father.

TH 302: Sacramental Theology
Rev. David Anderson
Tuesdays, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM ET
September 10 – December 17, 2019 (no class on Nov. 26th)
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.

CH 101: History of the Ancient and Biblical World
John Pepino, Ph.D.
Wednesdays from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET
September 11 – December 18, 2019 (no class on Nov. 27th)
This course introduces students to the study of history through an examination of the Hebrew, Greek, and Roman contributions to the creation of the West. Taking the truth of Divine Revelation as its methodological starting point, the course traces the history of the chosen people as presented in the Hebrew Scriptures, examines the rise of classical Greek and Hellenistic civilization, and follows the development of the tremendously influential empire of Rome.

SP 101 / CH 201: History and Development of the Consecrated Life (Class full – waitlist full)
Mother Maria Regina van den Berg, Ph.D.
Thursdays from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
September 12 – December 19, 2019 (no class on Nov. 28th)
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 first semester will cover from Apostolic times through the Council of Trent. The second semester will cover from the Council of Trent to the present.

PH 101: Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
Mark Wunsch, Ph.D.
Wednesdays from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
September 11 – December 18, 2019 (no class on Nov. 27th)
In this course, we will seek to understand and appreciate the fundamental questions and principles associated with philosophy, primarily through the reading, analysis, and discussion of select texts of Plato and Aristotle. In the process of accomplishing these ends, the students will become acquainted with the nature and relevance of philosophical speculation, while developing a working knowledge of both the history of ancient Greek thought and basic philosophical terminology.

For more information and to register, please visit: MagdalaApostolate.org

Cloistered life, News

Habemus Prioram = The Dominican Nuns at the Monastery of the Infant Jesus in Lufkin, TX, Elect New Prioress

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On July 12,  under the Presidency of Most Rev. Joseph Strickland of Tyler, the Dominican nuns of Lufkin, Texas, elected a new prioress: Sister Mary Margaret, OP.

Sister was born in Aurora IL and originally entered the Dominican Sisters of Springfield IL. Shortly before her final vows she discerned her vocation to the cloister and came to Lufkin in 1972. Previous to being elected prioress, Sister Mary Margaret was Sub-Prioress and in charge of the Print Shop. Sister is very talented artistically, as well as practically and spatially (i.e., she would have been a good engineer). Sister is also the Liturgist and principal organist. So please pray for her, she has her hands full! And pray for all the nuns as well. The rest of the community now awaits their new work assignments for the next three years.

They also express deep thanks to Sister Maria Guadalupe who concluded her six years of totally selfless service to the community. God reward you, Sister!

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Visitation Sisters Offer Free Ebooks to Help With Discernment

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Many young men and women struggle with discerning their God-given call in life. Will it be marriage, the consecrated life, or the single life? Added to this is a general confusion regarding what one’s vocation is all about.

You can get help and direction with three ebooks published by the Visitation Sisters of the Second Federation. They are free to download and do not require an email.

1.  Straightening the Wayward Path: Online Chats About Discernment

The ebook answers these questions:

  • Can we sense from our own interests where God is calling us?

  • What is the best way to pursue this path?

  • How can a spiritual director help me?

2. Discerning with Saint Jane: Finding Your Place in God’s Will with the Foundress of the Visitandine Order – A Novena of Reflections

In this nine-day novena of reflections, you will find a saintly guide – St. Jane de Chantal, co-foundress of the Visitation order – to walk with you on your discernment journey.

3. “Living Jesus” in the Visitandine Spirit – The Spirituality of St. Francis de Sales and Other Salesian Thinkers

The wisdom of St. Francis de Sales, carried forward by his spiritual descendants over the centuries, is available in this easy-to-read collection of 25 essays.

The articles in this third ebook first appeared as newsletters sent by the Sisters of the Visitation. They span a diverse range of topics such as suffering, the love of the Sacred Heart, and vocations.

All three ebooks are available free, in eight different formats, at Visitation Sisters Ebooks on Smashwords.