Tag Archives: Summit Dominicans

Cloistered life, Women's Communities

Joy Within His House: A Cloistered Nun’s Reflections on Following Christ

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Sr. Mary Magdalene of the Immaculate Conception, OP, a member of the  Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey,  has written a book to give those who live on the outside of the cloister a glimpse into the experience of those who live within. Called Joy Within His House: A Cloistered Nun’s Reflections on Following Christ, in it she shares the joy she finds in living the life of a cloistered nun and following Christ. Several dozen captivating photographs from inside the cloister help to illustrate the prayer, study, work, and recreation that order the nuns’ days.

Sr. Mary Magdalene of the Immaculate Conception, OP

Many people may have misconceptions about monastic life, especially the cloister: what nuns do all day, what they are like, why they choose this life, and what they have given up. A life of contemplation is not something esoteric, secretive, or hidden; rather, it is a mystery.

Despite facing some different day-to-day realities, you might just find one or more facets of that mystery that will enrich your own life. This book demonstrates that laypeople can also take the principles of Dominican spirituality and monastic life and use them as tools to help them grow in holiness. to encourage others to become saints, and to try to give lay people the principles of monastic life that they can use to help them live as better Christians.  At the same time, religious can glean many helpful points from it as well.

At the Dominican Monastery in Summit, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the heart of their monastic life, where they unite their lives with Christ which is then offered to the Father in a holocaust of praise for the salvation of the world. The Divine Office flows out from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, extending their worship of God throughout the day. Flowing from their life of liturgical praise is private prayer and lectio divina. They also have the special privilege of both perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament joined with the prayer of the rosary. This they call the Adoring Rosary.

For those who would like to visit their monastery chapel, here is something amazing they can see — a 400 years old copy of the Shroud of Turin!  This Shroud replica was commissioned by the Most Serene Infanta, Maria Maddalena of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, wife of Cosimo de’ Medici in April, 1624. To give the copy greater value it was placed for a time on the Shroud of Turin. In gratitude for the generous help of the fledgling Monastery in Summit, New Jersey after World War I, the Dominican Nuns of St. Catherine’s Monastery gave it to the Summit Dominican Nuns on April 6, 1924.

To order:  please visit the Dominican nuns’ Cloister Shoppe or Amazon or the OSV Catholic Bookstore.  The Cloister Shoppe also has their famous Seignadou Soap products and other handcrafted goods like greeting cards, candles, and handmade wood rosaries.

The book will be released on October 13, 2025, but you can pre-order to reserve a copy!

To learn more about the community: summitdominicans.org

Cloistered life, News, Women's Communities

The Shroud of Turnin – in Summit New Jersey!

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It is a dream of many people to to travel to Turin, Italy, to see the Shroud of Turin, the burial cloth of Christ. Well, there is an option closer to home at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey. And this copy of the original has a supernatural quality all its own!

This replica of the shroud was commissioned by Maria Maddalena of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, in April, 1624. It was placed on the real shroud for a while and this is the amazing thing – the wound on the side of the original STAINED THE COPY! In 1987, 15 scientists from the Association of Scientists and Scholars International for the Shroud of Turin arrived at the Dominican monastery in Summit to study this copy, and they affirmed that the stain on the copy is blood and of same blood type as those found on the original shroud.

The Duchess presented the replica to the Nuns of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Rome who had it in their safekeeping for almost 300 years. In 1924, the nuns in Rome presented the Summit Dominicans with this treasure. For years it was kept within the nuns’ enclosure but now it is available for public viewing. The chapel is located at 543 Springfield Avenue in Summit, New Jersey. It is open from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily.

Pope Benedict XVI asks of us during this Year of Faith that we “may deepen our knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in Him.” The mystery that the shroud teaches us to meditate on is Holy Saturday, the “‘no man’s land’ between the death and the Resurrection, but this ‘no man’s land’ was entered by One, the Only One, who passed through it with the signs of his Passion for man’s sake: Passio Christi. Passio hominis. And the Shroud speaks to us precisely about this moment….The voice of God resounded in the realm of death. The unimaginable occurred: namely, Love penetrated ‘hell.'”

News, Resources

Buy Local (Monastery)

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Here is a wonderful picture of Fr. Cassian Folsom, OSB, the recipient of the IRL’s 2012 Pro Fidelitate et Virtue Award, presenting Pope Benedict XVI with a bottle of his community’s newly brewed beer. Since the community’s home is at the birthplace of St. Benedict of Nursia, it is appropriately enough called Birra Nursia (Nursia Beer).

Which is a reminder. Whenever possible, I buy gifts or order cards from our monastic communities, supporting them in the work that helps them to keep their lights on. Try some of these favorites from a few of our IRL communities:

Brigittine fudge: The only community of Brigittine men in the US. Originally founded by St. Bridget of Sweden. Fudge is tops with my mother.

Seignadou Soaps from the Summnit, NJ, Dominican Nuns. Seignadou means “sign from God” and commemorates the sign received by St. Dominic confirming his work. Caribbean Coconut, Citrus Basil, and Cedarwood Sage are some of the scented varieties.

Hand drawn cards – the word “card” does not do justice to these hand-drawn and colored calligraphy cards. I simply tell the Passionist Nuns in Ellisville, MO, what I want (birthday greetings, condolence card, ordination, etc ) and they do a customized card for the recipient. For $25.00 I got a beautiful 8 1/2 x 11 folded, hand-drawn card, sent out immediately.  Smaller sizes available. Must call or write to them: 15700 Clayton Road, Ellisville, MO, 63011 or 636-527-6867. I should add that the receiver is remembered in the nuns’ prayers and masses for all time. What a gift!

The Holy Transfiguration Skete in Eagle Harbor, MI, offers homemade jams in not your usual run-of-the-mill varieties – bilberry, chokeberry, wild crabapple, red currant. They are a Catholic Monastery of the Byzantine rite.

Bon appetit!