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
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”
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
Hearing the news that Mother Amabilis Urszula Debicka, SSCJ, age 94, entered into eternal life on July 16, 2020, is a reminder to thank all of the religious communities who were the initial founding members of the IRL 46 years ago. We were touched to read in the obituary that Mother was remembered as “one of the first major superiors to belong to the Institute on Religious Life.”
Mother was born in Poland in 1926 and had an amazing life story. She was abducted at the beginning of World War II by the Nazi’s when she was in the eighth grade, enslaved, and sold to an SS family who wished to adopt her. As the war was ending, Mother managed to escape from her captivity and walked back to Poland where she spent time in a sanitarium recovering from tuberculosis.
In 1950, she entered the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and in 1961, came to America to serve in the Congregation’s fledgling foundation in the United States. In addition to her administrative roles in the community, Mother was an organist, kindergarten teacher, catechist, and sodality director. She will be remembered for her “personal holiness, Franciscan joy, wit, and wonderful personality that drew many to seek her counsel and prayers.”
Five Ways to a Closer Relationship with Christ & Five Steps to Living Our Faith in Christ
Social
Exemplary, Holy People: We want to imitate the behavior of people who are doing or have done well, e.g., Apostles, Saints, Good Parents, Mystics, recent Popes, Spiritual Writers, Good Relatives that made a positive impression on us, etc. We want to imitate them so we can become good like them! Note that we are not highlighting self-help programs or gurus that do not include God, but real, known, certified and proven life-long Holy People who have earned their measure of Goodness and Respect. They have earned their status as Noteworthy Persons to imitate, each with his or her own unique set of Virtues.
Ourselves: We must recognize and acknowledge our God-given Goodness and Dignity, our call to Holiness. By “owning” the Positive Aspects and Truths of our Faith and the Rewards that follow, we Cooperate towards building up the Kingdom of Heaven, the Mystical Body of Christ.
Rewards
Benefits of Following Christ. Authentic following of the self-emptying Example of Christ and known Saints makes us feel better about being a Good Citizen, a Good Catholic, a good all-around, Well Adjusted, Highly Motivated, Positive Human Being. Worthy People are the ones we like to associate with and imitate, thus we know that we are doing right for God. They truly Live the calling to Imitate Christ; they Affirm and Inspire us by their Holy Example. Living the Christian Virtues brings about its own rewards, such as Freedom, Peace, Harmony and Happiness.
Rewards of Heaven. The knowledge of Being Happy in Heaven forever and ever and ever makes us want to go there—more and more and more! Eternal Happiness in God is well worth any price you can name, especially in light of its permanent, eternal nature. As we become more Christ-Like, we enjoy a Greater Share in His Divinity; We become more “Divinized”.
Marks of Progress
We can log our daily Progress in Honest Journaling, marking of Calendars, charting our Progress. Remember the Good we have Accomplished by Participation in the Graces that Christ earned for us, and still offers twenty-four hours each and every day and night. Journals or notes help review the trials we encountered and Progress Achieved. They recognize and Appreciate the many graces God has Gratuitously Bestowed upon us for our good and our work to Share these gifts with others. It is good to Savor these Precious Moments and to Offer Thanks. This is expressing pure Honesty, not false pride. And remember that Heaven will be filled with Grateful People.
Keep Good, Healthy Control of our Own Environment(s)
We want to maintain Healthy Control of our own environment for the Good of our souls. Think about how we Want to Change for the better, and devise a Plan. We can Simplify our home, our heart and our environment. We work to Maintain clean, Healthy Living conditions both physically, mentally and especially spiritually. We put good, Achievable Limits on the use of the TV, Internet and cell phones. Turn them off and Enjoy the Silence. Bring in Prayer, Contemplation, Reading of Sacred Scripture and Spiritual Writings such as the Fathers of the Church, Lives of the Saints, Documents of the Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, etc. Abbot Claude used to say, “Don’t read good books, read only the best.” We can Capitalize on how to Improve our internal and external environment without becoming a fussy perfectionist. Enjoy your own yard, take a walk around the block, visit a park for a time of Rest and Refreshment. Bring your lunch and Enjoy the day as yet Another Gift God has given to us.
Spiritual, Physical, and Healthy Asceticism (Self-denial for the sake of the Kingdom)
We can focus on how to make Holy Progress in the proven, ancient and Holy Art of Asceticism. How? First of all, we must recognize that no true Spiritual Progress can be made without our own Cooperation, our own Sacrifices, and our own authentic Participation in the life and example of our Savior. Being of Service to our neighbor is one of the marks of Healthy Asceticism. Being Fair and Civil to people we don’t like generates Peace and Trustworthiness.
True Sacrifice will often cost us some time, some inconvenience, some effort. Jesus Christ was constantly dying to Himself in order to Accommodate the teeming masses of people ranging from the merely curiosity seekers, those outraged at His behaviors, the hungry, the weak, the envious, the rule-bound religious authorities, the faint-hearted, those who had nothing else to lose, and the Holy Remnant who had enough faith to follow and Believe in Him who is and was. Christ endured with Holy Love for our Eternal Salvation inconvenience, suffering, being degraded and death.
So, how are we to map out ways to more Fervently Accomplish the will of Christ in our own daily lives? What are some Positive Steps we can make to Improve the lot of all mankind?
Five Steps to Living Our Faith in Christ
Step #1: Ask God to Enhance our own Faith, regardless of how little or how much we already have.
Step #2: Learn how to die to ourselves often, so that we can Accommodate the manifold Graces Offered, and become more Available to our neighbors. Thank Him for any Progress made.
Step #3: Seek out our own Peace in God by fostering this Peace and Harmony among all people we meet or associate with, often at the cost of our own inconvenience.
Step #4: Be more eager to practice Sufficiency and not excess, to Fast, to Prayerfully Read Scripture, to Contemplate God’s Love for us and His Love for our neighbors.
Step #5: Become more Approachable by being Patient, Kind and Accommodating. Learn how to give Support and Encouragement to one another. Always be Grateful for what you receive.
Perseverance in these proven methods will reap multiple Rewards, the most important of which is following after the will and Example of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, while working towards Achieving the Kingdom of Heaven, both here and hereafter. Christian Discipline brings on great and Lasting Benefits for ourselves and for the entire Body of Christ. For some who are well-versed in the practice of all of the Virtues, their Hope is a Positive, ever-present reality and source of Divine Energy throughout their entire lives.
Brother Daniel Sokol, OSB, is a Benedictine monk at Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, California.
During the years 1720-1721, an outbreak of the bubonic plague occurred in Marseilles, the largest French city on the Mediterranean Sea. Sr. Anne Madeleine Rémusat, a Visitation nun and mystic, received a revelation that led to the end of this plague on humanity, sometimes called the Black Death. Prayer and penance to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on her part and the cooperation of the diocesan Bishop, Henri de Belsunce, resulted in the cessation of this terrible trial.
While in adoration, Christ revealed to Sr. Anne-Madeleine that the plague would lead to the institution of the feast in honor of His Sacred Heart. Just a few days later, He made known to her the conditions. The message was immediately transmitted to Bishop de Belsunce who published an order establishing the Feast of the Sacred Heart in his diocese. On November 1, for the first time in the world, he solemnly consecrated the city and the Diocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In what historians call the appeasement, sufferers began to recover and the mortality rate fell dramatically. The brief outbreak in 1722 was the last appearance of the bubonic plague in Western Europe. However, a side note about that! The plague ceased for good when the bishop AND civil authorities walked in procession with a banner of the Sacred Heart.
Pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus during this current worldwide health crisis! Consecrate yourself, your family, your parish, your diocese to Jesus. Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in you!
For more information about the Visitation Order, visit their website.
Houston, TX, April 14, 2020 – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, priests are being called into great heroic action by offering the sacraments to the sick and dying, finding creative ways to serve parishioners, and maintaining empty parishes with limited staff support. In response, Houston-based Vocation Ministry is set to launch the first-ever nationwide “Uplift Your Priest” campaign from April 20 through May 1. The campaign is designed to inspire the laity to support and encourage their priests who are now on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and to let clergy know that their people recognize their current sacrifices.
“Our priests are in a vulnerable position like never before,” said Rhonda Gruenewald, founder of Vocation Ministry, an international organization whose mission is to equip dioceses and parishes to promote vocations. “They need to know that we are behind them. They need to be ‘uplifted!’”
The “Uplift Your Priest” campaign will use social media and resources available in both English and Spanish on www.vocationmininstry.com to promote a variety of ways the laity can “uplift” priests over the next two weeks. Ideas include offering a spiritual bouquet, drop off or have lunch/dinner delivered, text/email/write a note of encouragement, challenge three families/individuals to pray a Rosary for their priest (think ice bucket challenge on social media), or deliver protective gear or cleaning supplies to the rectory.
“The possibilities are endless,” stated Gruenewald. “We hope by offering concrete and practical ideas that we can mobilize Catholics everywhere to uplift their priests and be a source of encouragement during this stressful time.”
Since its founding in 2015, Vocation Ministry has become a driving force for promoting vocations in North America. Through their hands-on Hundredfold Workshops, Vocation Ministry focuses on establishing and sustaining parish-based vocation ministries to create a vocation-friendly environment that inspires adults and children to consider a supernatural call to the priesthood, consecrated life, or to sacramental marriage.
“Uplift Your Priest” begins Monday, April 20 and will continue through Friday, May 1. Vocation Ministry will be circulating ideas and resources through Facebook, Instagram, and through the resource page found on their website: www.vocationministry.com.
To schedule an interview with Rhonda Gruenewald to discuss how to promote this campaign and “uplift” our priests, contact Carrie Kline at carriek@revolutionizingmissions.com
Letter from Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, to Mother Clare Agnese Acquadro, Abbess of the Protomonastery of the Poor Clares of Assisi.
Dear Mother Agnes, you phoned me about the coronavirus pandemic. It was the time when Pope Francis asked families in involuntary isolation that their hearts go beyond the home. Cor ad cor loquitur. We helped each other to respond in faith and you begged me to write a few words to your nuns.
I do this willingly out of friendship, but above all in the name of Jesus who one day called you to voluntary isolation out of love. Are you not blessed because you walk with Him to the heart of the pilgrim Church, opening your soul more and more to the secrets of His Heart? It is sometimes thought that you have fled the world to rejoice peacefully in God’s friendship. Current events free us from this partial vision. In fact, at a time when, despite the heroism of men and women working in health care, so many families suffer the illness and death of their loved ones in solitude, without being able to accompany them or give them the final farewell, you, contemplatives of the Crucified One, are at their bedside, you to whom the Spirit enlarges the heart to the most hidden frontiers of suffering humanity.
Dear Mother Agnes, the pandemic which confines us in our house is your hour, the hour of contemplative life which brings humanity and the Church back to God, to the essentials of faith, prayer and communion in the Spirit. You, brides of the immolated Lamb, bow maternally over those dying during the day and those struggling with despair during the night, and invoke on every pain and every death the consolation of Hope which does not disappoint. Your discreet and widespread presence, carried by the Breath of the Risen One and the fragrance of His nuptial Love, is a balm of tenderness and peace on the wounds of all brothers and sisters in humanity.
How is this possible? This question is asked by a generation paralyzed by the globalization of indifference and blinded by the cult of Mammon. Yet, in the great test of today, each conscience is questioned by this planetary arrest which resembles a universal Lent. The fear of uncontrollable contagion, the collapse of financial stock exchanges and social paralysis force us to open ourselves to more essential questions. One day, the Virgin of Nazareth, astonished by the Angel’s Annunciation, asked a question that was vital for the whole of humanity: How will this happen, since I know not man? The divine answer, unheard of, came down from heaven: The Holy Spirit will descend upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with his shadow. This response inaugurates the last stage of God’s plan, his marriage to his creature in Jesus Christ, He who raises his created bride to the highest peaks of Love.
This dream was that of divine Wisdom at the origins of creation, when the Spirit hovered over the primordial waters, preparing the Garden of Eden for the happiness of the human family. The Lord created me as the beginning of his activity, before all his work, at the origin. When the abysses did not exist, I was generated (Pr 8:22,24). Wisdom was not at all upset by the madness of humanity, she was able to lead it back from its bewilderment with the madness of Jesus’ Love until death on the Cross. For this reason, God exalted him and gave him the name which is above all names, so that in his Name we too might share in the prerogatives of his creative and redeeming love.
Dear nuns and contemplative souls who guard the hope of our threatened land, the Love of the Redeemer who married you, this Love without frontiers and without limits in the freedom of the Spirit, allows you to fly high and far like messenger doves of Peace and Hope. The Love that has been charged with our sorrows and our errors, that was made sin in our favor (2 Cor 5:21) and that has overcome evil, death and Hell with its obedience, this immolated and victorious Love leads you with it in its race towards the most suffering victims of its mystical body.
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), destined for the hell of Auschwitz, one day expressed it this way: Do you hear the moans of the wounded on the battlefields? Do you hear the rales of dying people’s agony? Do the moaning, thirst and pain of men move your heart? Do you wish to be near them, to help them, to comfort them and to heal their deepest wounds?
Embrace Christ. If you are united to him with the nuptial bond, his blood will flow in your veins, his blood that heals, redeems, sanctifies and saves. Joined to him you will be present in all places of pain and hope”. (Ave Crux, Spes unica, September 14, 1939).
In the days of that horrible tribulation, Etty Hillesum, another sacrificed Jew, in ecstasy by a joy wholly Christian because of a fascinating intimate discovery, tenderly held her God to help Him, because she felt Him wounded by an unspeakable hatred.
It is true that we are not all chosen souls, the weight of error weighs down our wings of compassion, but is not our contemplative life wrapped up in Mary’s immaculate offering, indissolubly united to the Easter sacrifice of her divine Son? What is the point, then, of mourning heavily for our sins? Let us forget our misery and have eyes only for this infinitely fruitful Covenant of which we bear joyful witness to the world. Because of the voluntary isolation of our souls hidden in the cracks of the rock, are we not the Church-Bride dedicated to the worship of the Bridegroom God, representing the whole of humanity, ardently awaiting his return like the sentinels of dawn?
Dear contemplatives of the Lord’s Passion, you find in this suffering of Love all humanity and all divinity united in one flesh. You are lovingly present to God and in God to all creation which He carries in His sovereign hand. In love, you move the stars, you move the mountains, you irrigate the earth with subterranean and purifying living waters, you turn the hearts of Angels and men towards peace in history, you embellish the Church with flowers and tasty fruits, in short, you cheer the Heart of the Holy Trinity with your resonant praise to the Glory of his Love.
Since you are in the front line of the Church in all the battles of the Spirit, we, priests and laity grappling with the urgent needs of the field hospital, lift our eyes to the light that shines on the Tabor of your cloisters. We stand in the plain supported by your listening to Jesus and your arms raised to heaven. Your life illuminates our life and makes us more alive from this divine Life to be given to the beggars of this world. Be blessed and thanked by Him whose intimacy fills every desire and even more so. Take care of us in your prayer, together with the Successor of Peter who implores you to assist him always and above all in this hour of the pandemic.
Dear Mother Agnes, in this unprecedented time of Lent and hope, I remain united and grateful to you for your call, glad of this deeper communion which rekindles our hope in the Risen Christ. Glory to God, Thanks be to you, Peace on this Earth in the midst of its tribulation!
This beautiful icon was commissioned by the Passionist Fathers as a part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the year their Founder, St. Paul of the Cross, received the charism to found their Congregation.
The figures in the main part of the triptych are Jesus, experiencing His death on the Cross, with the Blessed Virgin Mary on one side and St. Paul of the Cross on the other. Saint Paul has his hand over his heart, where on the Passionist habit is depicted the beautiful “Passionist Sign” or emblem (pictured above Jesus). Below the Cross is the devil, about to experience his final defeat.
Tot he left and right are two angels carrying instruments of the Passion – the spear and the reed of hyssop. The Passionist saints on the left are St. Gemma Galgani and Bl. Isadore de Loor. On the right are St. Gabriel Possenti, with the skull, and Bl. Dominic Barberi, who played such an instrumental role in the conversion of Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman.
For a detailed description and for more information on the Jubilee celebrations, visit the Passionist nuns’ website (PassionistNuns.org)
I pray to a merciful God to console you in the great trials you are presently experiencing. However, don’t stop placing them all in the Most Holy Wounds of Jesus. This will ease them for you. Also place them under the mantle of Mary’s Sorrows. She will bathe and soothe your heart with her tears. —St. Paul of the Cross
A Reflection by Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, servant mother of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth in the Archdiocese of Boston
During these very difficult times of dealing with the Coronavirus and its effects, people are struggling in so many ways, grief for the loss of loved ones, physical pain for those who are infected by this virus, emotional struggle living in this unknown situation and the fear of what comes next, financial challenges for all those whose businesses and jobs have already been jeopardized in recent weeks, the impact of which might be carried for months and years ahead for so many people.
In the midst of all this, people have mixed spiritual struggles as well. Some are relieved that the Church has been following the government restrictions regarding all the faith gatherings, including Sunday Masses, others are struggling from missing the essential part of their spiritual life, the Holy Eucharist, which is the summit of our Faith. Many are turning to God, the Saints, and spiritual devotions to look for hope, others are looking for an answer, “Where is God in the midst of all this?”
Throughout history, human tragedies have fallen upon humanity; epidemics, wars, recession etc. Across the centuries, the Church has been the source of comfort and aid when people suffer the most. During the Middle Ages, Monasteries and Convents were the key medical centers of Europe and the Church established an early version of a welfare state. During the Influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, Religious Sisters of numerous Religious Orders played an indispensable role in fighting the flu.
Just like the early Religious Communities in America, who are remembered as the pioneers for healthcare and human services in the history of our nation, Religious men and women today in the face of COVID-19 crisis serve as lighthouse keepers in the storm of this epidemic. Lighthouses are meant to be seen as a directive point at the shoreline. Today many people have been writing, calling, reaching out to Religious Men and Women for help, comfort, consolation and spiritual support.
Many Religious Communities have increased their prayer hours, started many novenas, increased other spiritual practices for the intentions of the world that has been shaken by so many lost lives because of this virus.
Just like lighthouse keepers, the light comes from within the lighthouse and the keeper of the lighthouse is there to serve the purpose of the lighthouse. We Religious Men and Women believe that Jesus is the ultimate lighthouse and we are only His instruments.
Power of Prayer: In these days and weeks of affliction, prayer has become like the air that helps people breathe, the hope that they desperately need; the hope of returning back to their parishes and their faith communities, the hope of going back to a secure job and financial stability for their loved ones, the hope to find comfort in being with one another, etc. Our life of prayer and hours of Adoration is what we have to offer to kindle this hope in the hearts of people around us and beyond.
Our community has been keeping daily Adoration from 12:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Our time in the Chapel adoring the Lord and interceding for people has become our daily offering for God and people. First, to console the Heart of Jesus Who is suffering with His Mystical Body, the Church. He longs to be one with His people in the Holy Eucharist, “How many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings” (Lk 13:34). Second, to console hearts of people who long to be one with Him, “My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord (Ps 84:2).
Our Adoration time and daily intercessory prayers and devotions are like the two oars that we carry in the boat of “aid and support” to all who are in need. The aid we give is our supplication before the Lord to care for His people during these trying times. It is in silent Adoration and heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament that we pray for our people to receive comfort that our Lord is close to the brokenhearted and a “very present help in time of trouble” (Ps 46:1).
Sister Mary Ruth from the School Sisters of Christ the King in Lincoln, Nebraska shared, “During this global health crisis, we realize that we are called to fervent intercessory prayer, begging Our Merciful Lord to bestow healing and consolation upon all those suffering in any way. We are more aware than ever what an immense privilege it is to be able to assist at Mass each day in our chapel and to receive Holy Communion, offering this prayer for so many who are currently unable to do so. On the third Sunday of Lent, our chaplain led us in a Eucharistic procession around our Motherhouse grounds as we chanted the Litany of the Saints. We have continued to pray this Litany daily after mass for an end to the devastation caused by COVID-19. At 3:00 each afternoon, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in our chapel and we gather to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.”
Outreach through service and social media: Some of the Religious Communities who have ministries within their own convent like Missionaries of Charity and the Little Sisters of the Poor continue their faithful and joyful dedication to the residents.
Join to the Little Sisters in saying a million rosaries to end the pandemic.
As Mother Margaret Charles from the Little Sisters of the Poor in Palatine, Illinois, wrote, “As Little Sisters of the Poor, we are exactly where we should be – in the midst of our elderly brothers and sisters, caring for them, doing our utmost to keep them safe and happy. Our elderly suffer from the sudden isolation, they miss their friends in the common dining areas and activity rooms. They miss their families. We try to help them reach out through Skype to their loved ones. We sing, celebrate birthdays, and call Bingo from hallways.”
The Franciscan Capuchins from Capuchin College in Washington, D.C. make lunch bags and deliver them to people who experience homelessness. They leave lunch bags for them on a table under a bridge so the homeless can come and pick up their food, even though the Brothers continue to follow the order of social distancing, they still wanted to reach out to those most in need around them. The Brothers also have many musical talents and have desired to sing outside the building of nursing homes across from their monastery to comfort the elderly and the staff as they watch them from the windows of their rooms, as Brother Michael Herlihey O.F.M. Cap. said, “We are hoping to bring to them the joy of music and the praise of God.”
In our community we have made a list of names of the seniors who live alone in their neighborhood to reach out to them on a regular basis to help them with their grocery shopping since the elderly feel vulnerable to be out in public places. Also, recently we made a delivery of flower arrangements to twenty-four locations around our city; post-office, CVS, three grocery stores, eight Fire Department stations, Police Department, two emergency rooms, one hospital, another urgent care center, etc. I wrote them a letter on behalf of the community titled “Hidden Heroes, Good Samaritans, and Next-Door Saints.” Each Sister wrote a personal note with each flower arrangement. It is our little way of expressing our gratitude with the assurance of our prayers for those who put their lives every day at risk for the people of our city and beyond.
Many Communities who are very active in social media have taken these tools of evangelization to be out there for people who are in need of words of encouragement and support. The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light from the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn have created a special phone call line called “Need a prayer? We care and we are here for you.”
When we read the story of the Bible, the storms were never evidence of God’s absence. It was the opposite; the storms were the arena in which God moved to show us His presence. Jesus calmed the storm because He was there. That is true then and it is true now. In the book of Ecclesiastes 4:12, we read “The chord of three strands is not quickly broken.” As we continue to weather the storm of COVID-19, we journey together in prayer and service, placing our hope in the Lord Who said in the Gospel of John 14:27, “Peace I leave you; My peace I give you […] do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Let us keep our gaze on the Lord, our Lighthouse, trusting in His promise that no harm will overtake us, no disaster will come near our tent (Ps 91:10).
