Category Archives: News

News, Women's Communities

If You Re-Build It They Will Come!

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Mr. John Tipperman of The Mary Cross Foundation believed that “if you rebuild it they will come again.” And come again they did as the newly renovated St. Felix Oratory in Huntington, Indiana, becomes a new home for the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.

On March 3, 2012, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese said mass and blessed the newly renovated building where twenty of the sisters, who will soon be teaching in area Catholic schools, will reside.

Built in 1928, the monastery was a Capuchin novitiate named after St. Felix of Cantalice, Italy, who lived from 1515 to 1587. It’s most amazing treasure is the room where Ven. Solanus Casey lived from 1946 to 1956. The former friary was sold almost 30 years ago but even though the building left Catholic hands, the former owners kept Solanus’ room padlocked with his brown habit lying across his bed.

There are several interesting stories and a video to watch on this amazing series of coincidences that brought a man with a vision and a sister with a mission together.

News, Saints, Women's Communities

St. Clare Relic Goes On Pilgrimage

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For the first time in 800 years, the relic of St. Clare has gone on pilgrimage from Italy, coinciding with the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Order of St. Clare. The fortunate recipient is the country of the Philippines where the relic, a bone from St. Clare’s cranium, will travel to 29 monasteries and other Catholic locations.

The Clarian year began on April 16, 2011, the vigil of Palm Sunday, and will reach its climax on March 18, 2012 , the 800th anniversary of Saint Clare’s Profession. It will conclude on August 12, 2012.

It was on the night of Palm Sunday, March 20, 1212, that Saint Clare left her home and traded her elegant dress for a simple brown tunic. Saint Francis cut off her hair, preserved to this day in a reliquary in Assisi, as she made a pledge to serve Christ. She died in 1253.

News

World Youth Day Logo – Brazil

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The new logo for World Youth Day, which will be held in Rio de Janiero, July 23-28, 2013, was unveiled earlier this month.

It is so beautiful that it it worth reflecting on the image. Featuring Christ the Redeemer, the statue that overlooks the city’s harbor, it also incorporates the four colors of the Brazilian flag: green, white, blue and yellow.

Before beginning his creation, the winning artist, Gustavo Huguenin, 25, read the chapter of the Gospel of Matthew from where the motto of the WYDRio2013 was taken: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”(Mt 28:19). From those words he received the inspiration for the image.

“It brings me great happiness to know that my work will be used in the greatest Catholic event in the world, with our Holy Father, and that this image will be associated with the personal encounter the youth of the whole world will have with Jesus Christ during the WYDRio2013”, said Gustavo.

I pray for all the people who will journey to Brazil. May the young people especially, recognize the call that God has placed in their hearts.

 

News, Women's Communities

The Benedictine Nun and Elvis

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If you tune into the February, 26, 2012 Oscars’ telecast, you may see a most unusual, well-clothed sight – a Benedictine nun whose story is part of a short documentary, God is the Bigger Elvis, that is up for an Academy Award.

Mother Dolores Hart of Regina Laudis Abbey was a well-known movie star of the 1950’s/60’s whose co-stars included Elvis Presley, Montgomery Clift and George Hamilton. I recently saw one of her movies and was impressed by the depth and integrity she brought to the role.

A film crew was invited into the cloister to give the outside world a glimpse of her religious life in the abbey. Thirty-eight other nuns call her Mother Prioress. “I know what I have here is the best thing I will ever have,” Mother says.

Mother said that she adored Hollywood but there was another call pulling at her heart, one even stronger than the love she had for her fiance. “I left Hollywood at the urging of a mysterious thing called vocation. It’s a call that comes from another place that we call God because we don’t have any other way to say it. It’s a call of love.”

For the complete story, visit USA Today.

 

News, Papal Address

Pope Benedict XVI: Three Keys to Vocations

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On February 13, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI, in a message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, asked all the faithful to be attentive to the men and women who “sense a call to the priesthood or to a special consecration.” It is important, he said, to “provide helpful guidance and direction along the way.”

According to our Holy Father, the three things that nourish vocations are:

1)     Scripture – love of and familiarity with God’s Word

2)     Prayer – attentive and unceasing, personal and in community

3)   Eucharist – “the heart of every vocational journey: it is here that the love of God touches us in Christ’s sacrifice, the perfect expression of love, and it is here that we learn ever anew how to live according to the ‘high standard’ of God’s love.”

For the complete text of this article visit Zenit.

News

Courageous Cardinal Down Under

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We don’t often think about our fellow Catholics in Australia but an Archbishop there deserves our prayers and thanks for building up the kingdom of God, particularly in his native land.

A wonderful article by George Wiegel, who is a personal friend of Cardinal George Pell, describes what the Cardinal had to face as a prelate and what he has accomplished. To put it bluntly, he says that Cardinal Pell is the man who saved Catholicism in Australia.

To wit: “When his seminary faculty threatened to resign en masse because he insisted that the seminarians attend daily Mass, Pell called their bluff, accepted their resignations, filled the seminary with new faculty — and never looked back.”

He reformed religious education, brought in new orders of religious women, began the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and the Family, helped create Vox Clara as a check on English-language liturgical translations and, incredibly, brought World Youth day to Australia.

As Mr. Weigel says: “Australia and the entire world Church owe George Pell a large debt of gratitude.”

News

Cardinal Caffarra & Consecrated Life

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Last week, on the World Day of Consecrated Life, Cardinal Carlo Caffara of Bologna said that the consecrated life is a sacrificial offering because “dying and leaving behind the structures of this creation, you enter into the incorruptible life of the risen Lord.”

“Your chastity exalts the spousal meaning of your body; your poverty is for the possession of the good that is only satiated by the person of Christ and communion with Him; your obedience introduces you in an experience of freedom that the world does not know and cannot know,” he explained.

According to the prelate, “perhaps we are moving toward a time in which the Church here in the West will be stripped of many things.”

“But she will not be able to do it without holy priests, capable of sanctifying and of offering sacrifices in keeping with justice.”

“Therefore, remain firmly attached to Christ, and nothing will trouble you,” concluded Cardinal Caffarra.

Please visit Zenit to read the entire article.

 

 

News

Apostolic Visitation Testimonials

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Mother Mary Clare Millea, A.S.C.J., Apostolic Visitator for Institutes of Women Religious in the United States, recently presented an overall summary of her findings to Archbishop Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL).

It is interesting to read the testimonials on the official “Visitation” website. Here are a few samples:

It was very obvious that Mother Clare’s concerns were for the good and holiness of religious life in the United States and for the Church. Mother Clare asked questions but allowed me the opportunity to pursue responses of my interest.

My experience of sharing with Mother Clare had the qualities of the Gospel account of Mary and Elizabeth’s visitation.  We were mutually respectful of and receptive to one another and I believe the Spirit hovered over our exchange.  I continue to seek clarity on the underlying motivation for the Apostolic Visitation.  I thank Mother Clare for her warm hospitality and gracious receptivity.

News

World Day of Consecrated Life

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Today, the United States celebrates the World Day of Consecrated Life.

In an article in the The Boston Pilot, a Sister reflected on what it means to be consecrated to Christ:

Consecrated Life is a witness to generous Gospel dedication.

The Consecrated Life is a witness to the promise of eternal life…that God indeed will have the last word in our lives.

The Consecrated Life strives to mirror the compassionate heart of Christ.

The vows of poverty, chastity and obedience proclaim to the world that there is something more to life than materialism and success. Only God can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

THROUGH OUR PRAYERS, MAY WE BE BLESSED WITH THESE FRUITFUL VOCATIONS!

 

Men's communities, News

“Inside the Vatican” 2011 Man of the Year to be Honored at the 2012 IRL National Meeting

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This year, the IRL’s Pro Fidelitate et Virtute Award will go to the Very. Rev. Cassian Folsom, O.S.B., named the 2011 Man of the Year by Inside the Vatican magazine.

In the article, Dr. Robert Moynihan, editor-in-chief of the magazine, wrote: “Sometimes we are able to see a splendid adventure of life and faith just at the moment that it is unfolding. … Such is the case with Father Cassian Folsom and the refounding of the Benedictine monastery in Norcia, Italy—the birthplace of St. Benedict in about A.D. 480—which was closed in 1810, and reopened after 190 years in the year 2000. For what Father Folsom has done for Norcia, for what he has done for monasticism in general and Benedictine monasticism in particular, for what he has done for the Church’s liturgy and for what he has taught all of us about following Christ by his Christian example, we feel privileged to have the opportunity to select Cassian Folsom, who is also an old friend, as our ‘Person of the Year’ for 2011.”

Please join us at the IRL banquet dinner honoring Fr. Cassian which will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2012, at the University of St. Mary of the Lake. The banquet is just one part of our National Meeting (April 13-15, 2012) which this year is focusing on The Sacred Liturgy  as a Foretaste of Heaven. All are invited to attend. Please visit our website for more information.