The National Catholic Register, in a recent article (Jan 3), highlighted four new emerging communities, showing that in this Year of Consecrated Life, there is life anew in the Church in the USA. Late in 2014, I mentioned a new Franciscan community of women in Buffalo, NY, but here are four more….
Sisters of Our Mother of Divine Grace
These sisters are Associate Members of the IRL who were previously part of a sedevacantist community of sisters in Spokane, WA. Two other sisters in Spokane founded the new community of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa in California. Four more sisters came to Port Sanilac, Michigan, where they were mentored by the Sisters of Mercy of Alma and were founded as a community by Bishop Joseph Cistone in 2010.
“We are revitalizing parishes through catechesis, perpetual adoration and Marian devotion,” Sister Mary Inviolata said. “We hope to expand to teaching. Ecumenism is part of our charism. We have a vacation Bible school with the Methodists and Lutherans. We have a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.”
Sister Mary Teresita says, “God in his loving providence has wonderfully blessed us in ways beyond our imagination. We strive to promote a greater unity in the truth of Christ.”
Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart is a convert to Catholicism from Assyrian Church of the East. She was born and raised in Iraq and came into the Church in 2005. As indicated by their name, the sisters take inspiration from the humble spirit of Mary and Joseph. Their primary apostolate is outreach through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in the Boston Archdiocese. The community, founded in 2011, is attracting vocations, Mother says, because of their faithfulness “to the radical tradition of religious life according to the teaching of the Magisterium.” As someone active in campus ministry for ten years, she says, “Students want to be accepted as people. They hunger and thirst for truth.”
The Brigittines in Amity, Oregon, are IRL Affiliate community members and Sister Margarita Igiriczi-Negy, foundress and only member of the Brigittine Servitores in Tyler, Texas, has a close relationship with them. Brother Bernard Ner Suguitan, the prior, said, “Her prayers are priceless.”
St. Bridget of Sweden founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (aka Brigittines) in 1346. Sr. Margarita is a convert, having been raised Presbyterian in Hungary. Prayers, such as the Brigittine Divine Office, are said in Latin. She hopes to attract other women who love the traditional Latin liturgy. “At the present, the Brigittine Servitores is the only order of the Brigittine family that follows the Latin traditional liturgy,” she said. “Furthermore, it is contemplative in nature. Contemplative prayer is a strong source of graces, both for the individual and for the whole Church.” Sister Margarita teaches Latin at a local parish.
Lastly, Fraternas (Marian Community of Reconciliation) is a community of consecrated laywomen who live in community but work in the world. They were founded in Peru in 1991 and in the United States, are currently in California, Colorado, Connecticut and Texas. Patricia Pollack is with Fraternas in San Antonio, where she is involved in pro-life activities and ministry to the poor. “We meet Jesus in action,” said Patricia. “We are serving teenagers, the poor and families. We work directly with the parish. I see Jesus as a brother who walks that path before me.”