Gratitude for a Great Come-and-See Day!
Last Saturday, we hosted our July Come-and-See Day, packed with prayer, information on vocations and the life of a Dominican nun, and more!
Last Saturday, we hosted our July Come-and-See Day, packed with prayer, information on vocations and the life of a Dominican nun, and more! The day began with Mass and Terce (Midmorning Prayer of the Divine Office), then a wonderful talk given by Father Michael Carey, O.P. of the Western Dominican Province, who shared with us his vocation story and steps for discerning God's call in your life.
Other talks were given by Sister Joseph Marie, O.P., our vocations directress and novice mistress, a few of our novitiate sisters, as well as a time of sharing with the community. And the entire day flowed around the continual prayer of the Divine Office and adoration.
Our deepest gratitude to Father Michael Carey and to all those who kept us, and the young women in attendance, in prayer. Please continue to offer your prayers for them (and us!) as they continue seeking God's will for their lives. Deo gratias!
Final Days to Register for July’s Come and See!
We’re finalizing preparations for our Saturday, July 21st Come and See Day and if you’ve ever had questions about how to know what to do to follow God’s will, you won’t want to miss it!
We’re finalizing preparations for our Saturday, July 21st Come and See Day and if you’ve ever had questions about how to know what to do to follow God’s will, you won’t want to miss it! Our guest celebrant and speaker is Father Michael Carey, O.P. of the Western Dominican Province. He is currently an associate professor at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California and chair of the Moral Theology Department (for those not familiar with the different branches of theology, our faith teaches us our goal [eternal happiness with God in heaven]; moral theology is concerned about the human actions necessary to get us there).
The day of retreat will also include talks, Eucharistic Adoration, Mass and the Divine Office prayed with the Dominican nuns, and more!
Father Michael Carey is a native of Chicago, Illinois. Later, his family moved to Arizona where he graduated from Arizona State University. That same year he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). Continuing his education, he received a law degree from Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley, and a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas (The Angelicum) in Rome. For many years he has done specialized, itinerant preaching throughout the United States and was chaplain to the cloistered Dominican Nuns in Hollywood, California. As well as teaching at colleges and universities through the U.S.
To learn more or to register, contact Sister Joseph Marie, O.P. or visit the Upcoming Events page on our website.
New Priests Forever!
On the day of their vows, and for our clerical brothers, their ordination, we continue our day of work and prayer, but with an eye on the clock as we pray and consider…”Ah, the Mass is beginning…right about now the liturgy of the Word will end…now, they are a priest…” And our hearts fill once again with joy and gratitude to God…
Father Thomas Aquinas Pickett, O.P. before his first Mass of Thanksgiving.
On Saturday, June 23rd, we had the great blessing of sharing in the First Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by newly ordained Father Thomas Aquinas Pickett, O.P. of the Western Dominican Province. The homilist was Father Anselm Ramelow, O.P. and there were many friends and family in attendance. The Mass, a votive mass in honor of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, began at 1:30 p.m. and was followed by blessings given by Father Thomas Aquinas and a reception in our parlor, with a cake specially made for the occasion by our novitiate sisters.
This was the first Mass of Thanksgiving offered in our chapel by our newly ordained brothers. The following day, Sunday June 24th, we were truly blessed to have newly ordained Father Henry Stephan, O.P. of the Eastern Dominican Province celebrate Mass and give us his blessing.
Then, Thursday, June 28th, we were joined by newly ordained Father Brad Elliot, O.P. of the Western Dominican Province, who offered a Mass of Thanksgiving and gave us each a blessing. We eagerly look forward to the rest of our newly ordained brothers offering Masses of Thanksgiving throughout the next couple months, as their schedules permit.
The Order of Preachers is unique among religious orders in that the different Dominican members – friars, nuns, apostolic sisters, and laity – are bound together by mission and fraternal communion. Our mission is the salvation of souls; one means is our preaching, which is not simply teaching the precepts of the faith. It is a preaching of reconciliation with God and one another, a partaking in the ministry of the word and sacrament, which is a priestly office. As nuns, through our life of praise, prayer and penance, we are called to exemplify this reconciliation and support the active preaching and sacramental ministry of our friars and the rest of the Dominican family.
On the day of their vows, and for our clerical brothers, their ordination, we continue our day of work and prayer, but with an eye on the clock as we pray and consider…”Ah, the Mass is beginning…right about now the liturgy of the Word will end…now, they are a priest…” And our hearts fill once again with joy and gratitude to God, and we commune with our Lady and savor the taste of what she must have experienced in her relationships with the apostles and the ever-growing Church.
We are given a great gift to be able to communicate our thoughts and feelings into words. But there are some things that run so deeply, so profoundly, that even words fail and so they must be said with silence, the speech of God. Te Deum laudámus!
‘Tis the Season…for Ordinations!
During the months of May and June, our holy Mother Church is blessed with the witness of many of our brothers and sisters who profess first and final profession of religious vows, along with those who are being ordained to the Sacrament of Holy Orders: the diaconate; priesthood; and Episcopal.
The Dominicans in the U.S. are also blessed to have Brothers being ordained in different Provinces this summer. Among them, the Western Dominican Province will have four Brothers ordained to the priesthood at St. Dominic Church in San Francisco at 2:00 PM on Friday, June 22nd, through the Imposition of Hands and the Prayer of Ordination by The Most Reverend Robert Christian, OP, the new Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco who was recently ordained to the Episcopal. You’re invited to join the Dominican family and Holy Mother Church in praising God for his loving mercy on this blessed day!
From left to right: Rev. Brother Thomas Aquinas Pickett, OP; Rev. Brother Pius Youn, O.P. Rev. Brother Christopher Wetzel, O.P.; Rev. Brother Bradley Thomas Elliott, O.P.
Each of the newly ordained will come to our monastery after their Ordination and celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving with us. One of them, Reverend-to-be Thomas Aquinas Pickett, O.P. will celebrate his very first Mass at our monastery this Saturday, June 23rd at 1:30 PM and will give his priestly blessing to all who attend the Mass.
You’re invited to come and share our joy!
Corpus Christi Sunday at the Monastery
Last week on Corpus Christi Sunday, we had the joy and privilege of celebrating our patronal feast with then Bishop-elect, now newly ordained Bishop Robert Christian, O.P., along with many of our Dominican brothers, sisters, laity, and friends and family.
Last week on Corpus Christi Sunday, we had the joy and privilege of celebrating our patronal feast with then Bishop-elect, now newly ordained Bishop Robert Christian, O.P., along with many of our Dominican brothers, sisters, laity, and friends and family. Bishop Robert was the principal celebrant and homilist for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which was followed by a Eucharistic procession and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for adoration by the faithful.
In his homily, Bishop Robert Christian expounded on the beauty and profundity of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as expressed in the sequence for the Mass of Corpus Christi, “Lauda Sion.” Quoting from the Sequence, “Each severed outward token, doth the very whole contain,” he went on to explain, “We are not receiving hundreds of Christs this morning, we are receiving the totality of the one Christ. There’s real communion here.”
Bishop Robert Christian, was Father Robert Christian and student master for the friars of the Western Dominican Province when he accepted our invitation to be our celebrant and homilist for our feast. Prior to his assignment as Student Master, he was a professor and vice dean at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), a Dominican institution in the heart of Rome. Upon the announcement of his appointment as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, we were delighted for him and the local Church; he was ordained bishop in San Francisco the Tuesday following Corpus Christi Sunday.
We are extremely grateful to all of our friends and family, and our Dominican family – friars, apostolic sisters, and laity – who joined us to celebrate this beautiful day. You are all in our prayers. Please join us too in keeping our new auxiliary bishop Robert Christian OP, with all our bishops, in prayer. May God bless him and keep him, and may his ministry bear abundant fruit for the kingdom of God!
Did you miss it? Recap of Janua Caeli
Our first Janua Caeli Retreat Day was on April 21st and our theme for was Fullness of Grace: How to Receive an Overabundance of God’s Gifts and we received an abundance of graces that day!
Our first Janua Caeli Retreat Day was on April 21st and our theme for was Fullness of Grace: How to Receive an Overabundance of God’s Gifts. Our retreat master was Rev. Quan Tran, priest for the Diocese of Orange in California and founder of Fullness of Grace, a ministry aimed at helping Catholics and other Christians grow in their spiritual life by better understanding supernatural grace, and how to gain an abundance of God's gifts by imitating the qualities of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The day of the retreat included talks, Eucharistic Adoration, Confessions, Benediction, Mass and the Divine Office prayed with the Dominican nuns. Our novitiate sisters also joined the young women in the parlor during afternoon recreation for an art project. Most of the young women had never done much art, but were surprised at their own hidden talents uncovered through the simple watercolor project the sisters showed them and all had fun – it ranked as one of the top three moments of the retreat day.
Here's a bit more of what our retreatants had to say at the end of the day:
"I liked best the helpful information to live out grace in the secular world..."
"Father Tran shared much insight about developing our spiritual life. I liked best the 12 essential dispositions needed to receive the fullness of God's grace."
"God is so good to have inspired you to hold this Janua Caeli Retreat Day. Thank you!"
"A few words to describe this retreat to someone else? Contemplative, informative, unique, peaceful..."
"I really appreciated how we were integrated into the sisters' prayer schedule - a very close second was the recreation time with the sisters. Thank you!"
A big thank you to Father Tran, the young women who attended and to all those whose prayers and support helped make this retreat day possible. And if you missed this Janua Caeli, don't miss the next one in October! Invite a friend and register!
Happy 101st Birthday, Sister!
Today is not only the feast of Saint Agnes of Montepulciano for Dominican nuns, it is also our Sister Mary of the Compassion’s 101st birthday!
Today is not only the feast of Saint Agnes of Montepulciano for Dominican nuns, it is also our Sister Mary of the Compassion’s 101st birthday! Join us in celebrating this milestone by offering a prayer for her and reading her fascinating vocation story.
May God grant you many blessings and great joy, Sister!
Paschal Joy Shared, Paschal Joy Multiplied
We learned in grade school that if you have three apples and you give one to your friend, you are left with two apples – you’re possession of created goods has decreased. Yet, with spiritual goods, this is not true! In fact, with God, the more you share, the more you have and if you try to keep spiritual goods for yourself, what little you have slips through your fingers.
We learned in grade school that if you have three apples and you give one to your friend, you are left with two apples – your possession of created goods has decreased. Yet, with spiritual goods, this is not true! In fact, with God, the more you share, the more you have and if you try to keep spiritual goods for yourself, what little you have slips through your fingers.
We are doubly blessed, then, by our friends and family, with visits and generosity especially joyous. Recently, one of our Dominican friars, Father Lukasz Misko, O.P., brought a group of students from the St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center at University of Utah by for a visit as part of a pilgrimage tour they were taking over spring break. We had a wonderful visit, sharing stories and laughs, and learning more about each other. We were inspired by their zeal and love for Jesus and the Catholic faith.
Then last week, our joy multiplied once more when a group of Dominican sisters from the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist came to visit one of our novitiate sisters; they all knew each other before she discerned her vocation to cloistered life. The rest of the novitiate stopped by to say hello; one of the Ann Arbor sisters in the group, Sister Maria Silva, O.P., contributed to a new book by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist entitled, “And Mary’s Yes Continues”. This is a beautiful book about religious vocations today and includes many vocation stories of SMME sisters. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about consecrated life, don’t miss this book.
What a beautiful life, Dominican life, with our large and diverse Dominican family! Yet we remain united in the Spirit, by our love of God and our zeal for the salvation of souls, under Mary and our Holy Father Dominic.
Alleluia! He is risen!
Overcome With Paschal Joy: Living in the Fullness of Grace
Alleluia! He is risen! Are you still overcome with Paschal joy? Nearly every day at Mass during the Easter season, if we pay close attention, we hear those words during the preface of the Eucharistic liturgy: “…overcome with Paschal joy…” So how come many of us feel more relief that Lent is over and a bit of anxiety over what to do about all the Easter candy in the house with shorts season right around the corner?
Alleluia! He is risen! Are you still overcome with Paschal joy?
Nearly every day at Mass during the Easter season, if we pay close attention, we hear those words during the preface of the Eucharistic liturgy: “…overcome with Paschal joy…” So how come many of us feel more relief that Lent is over and a bit of anxiety over what to do about all the Easter candy in the house with shorts season right around the corner? Because we are thinking like “grown ups.”
Paschal joy is given only to the extent we are childlike, because the kingdom of heaven can only be received by the childlike. Being childlike is not the same as being childish. Being childlike is to live through Jesus the relationship He had with His Father. It is to be simple of heart, to receive everything as a gift because the childlike recognize everything they have is a gift. It is to see the world as full of delightful surprises – from the colors of the sunset, to the twinkling of stars in the sky, to the way an ant carries its food back to its home. And it is to express this wonder and joy in heartfelt praise and prayers of gratitude.
Jesus was childlike. One of our sisters wrote a haiku from her meditations on Jesus’ appearances after His resurrection: “now the fun begins” as He began appearing here, there and everywhere to His disciples. We must remember that Jesus’ resurrection was not merely a physical “resuscitation”. As Pope Benedict expressed in “Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week”, His resurrection was a quantum leap forward in human existence: to have a physical body, but to be free from all laws of physics and the weaknesses of a physical body. Imagine! And as we live in Christ, that will also be our eventual existence. Though now, for a season, we groan in pain, someday it will not be that way. And because of that hope, we can begin to experience a foretaste of heaven now and be overcome with Paschal joy!
We heard yesterday how Mary was also childlike, and because of her humble simplicity, trust in and love of God, the Word was made flesh in her womb. She was full of God’s grace and her praise and thanksgiving for Him bursts forth in her Magnificat: “my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord! My spirit rejoices in God my savior!” And Mary wants our hearts to also burst forth in freedom and joy, being filled with God’s grace and goodness.
This is our hope, this is what we celebrate for these fifty days of Easter. Let’s begin today by counting our blessings, no matter how small, and giving thanks to God for them. The more we give Him thanks, the more we see what we have to be grateful for and the larger are hearts become to be filled with His love and peace.
Want to learn more about living filled with grace as a young, single Catholic woman in today’s culture? Then our April Janua Caeli Retreat Day is for you! The theme is “Fullness of Grace: How to Receive an Overabundance of God’s Gifts.” Janua Caeli are days of retreat for single Catholic women between the ages of 18-38 who are not actively discerning a vocation, but desiring to learn more about and grow as Catholic women in today’s culture. The day of retreat will include talks, Eucharistic Adoration, Mass and the Divine Office prayed with the Dominican nuns, and more! For more information and to register, visit Upcoming Events.
Alleluia! Our Paschal Lamb Has Been Sacrificed
Alleluia! He is risen! Though we may prepare for Easter with forty days of fasting, we celebrate our new life in Christ by His passion, death and resurrection with fifty days of feasting!
Alleluia! He is risen! Though we may prepare for Easter with forty days of fasting, we celebrate our new life in Christ by His passion, death and resurrection with fifty days of feasting!