A Dominican Icon Workshop – Fra Angelico Style!
As we commemorate the 8th Centenary of the Dies Natalis of Saint Dominic, we remember the prayerful and charitable spirit of Our Holy Father. Saint Dominic had great filial love and fatherly care for the nuns as he often came to the monastery of nuns to teach and share the fruits of his contemplation. Today, Dominican monasteries continue to be a place for the friars to visit and share with us their spiritual food, and to recuperate physically, spiritually, and emotionally in their life as contemplatives. Thanks be to God; our monastery has been blessed throughout the years with the presence of the friars who are imbued with Saint Dominic’s spirit as they continue to carry on this tradition of our Holy Father.
This past summer, Providence brought us Father Dominic Joseph Bump, O.P. from the Province of Saint Joseph. For the past three years, Father Dominic has been studying the art and theology of Fra Angelico. With great enthusiasm, he came to our monastery and gifted us with an Icon Workshop based on the theology of Fra Angelico. He taught us how to beautifully transform the fruits of our contemplative life into sacred art using oil painting techniques.
As we commemorate the 8th Centenary of the Dies Natalis of Saint Dominic, we remember the prayerful and charitable spirit of Our Holy Father. Saint Dominic had great filial love and fatherly care for the nuns as he often came to the monastery of nuns to teach and share the fruits of his contemplation. Today, Dominican monasteries continue to be a place for the friars to visit and share with us their spiritual food, and to recuperate physically, spiritually, and emotionally in their life as contemplatives. Thanks be to God; our monastery has been blessed throughout the years with the presence of the friars who are imbued with Saint Dominic’s spirit as they continue to carry on this tradition of our Holy Father.
This past summer, Providence brought us Father Dominic Joseph Bump, O.P. from the Province of Saint Joseph. For the past three years, Father Dominic has been studying the art and theology of Fra Angelico. With great enthusiasm, he came to our monastery and gifted us with an Icon Workshop based on the theology of Fra Angelico. He taught us how to beautifully transform the fruits of our contemplative life into sacred art using oil painting techniques.
To kick off the icon workshop, Father Dominic gave us a conference on the theology of Mary and the saints. We have recourse to Mary and the saints for assistance and instruction on how to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and spirit. In Father’s own words, “Let the saints talk to you and teach you about God… The saints are the ones looking for us and there is something in our life that they want to teach us… a virtue that they want to impart to us… As we paint them, they will talk to us and teach us about God…. Pray unceasingly while painting, such as the Jesus prayer and the rosary.”
After a day of meditating on Father Dominic’s words of wisdom, we were filled with great excitement and began with the Sacred Heart of Jesus as our first icon! As we painted, we were encouraged to pray and remain in the Sacred Heart of Jesus; this disposed us to receive God’s love and consequently be able to bring His love to all. This was an important lesson Father Dominic taught us since as a Dominican priest, Fra Angelico painted from the heart of his interior life, a life configured to Jesus Christ. "To paint Christ, one must live Christ." This was a new adventure as we had not worked with oil paint medium or with gold gilding before.
After we finished the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we painted Saint Dominic at the foot of the cross. The cross was where Saint Dominic learned to talk to God so that he could go and talk about God. How appropriate that as daughters of Saint Dominic, we would do the same, to learn to talk to God first, then go out and talk about God!
In an age where we are constantly being bombarded with images through the various forms of communications, the true forms representing God’s Goodness, Beauty and Truth may be distorted or even lost. We learned from Father Dominic that it is important for us as Sister preacheresses to share the fruits of our life of contemplation and speak of God through Sacred Art. These beautiful and holy images are sacramentals which impart grace upon those who paint and those who venerate them. We are so grateful for all the blessings imparted on us from this retreat.
Deo Gratias!
A Prayer for Our Deceased Loved Ones
The golden box on Our Lady’s altar in the nuns’ choir contains the names of the deceased loved ones of our friends, family and benefactors who have been entrusted to our prayer. They are being offered up to the Lord at mass, rosary and the Divine Office each day during this month for souls.
Our monastery has been offering a Novena of Masses for all our deceased loved ones, beginning from last Saturday, November 13th until Sunday November 21st. We hope you’ve been joining us in prayer.
In praying for all the faithful departed, we are doing a corporal work of mercy. One of the most beloved prayer for the dead is the ancient “Eternal Rest” prayer, often sung in Latin as the “Requiem.” Please join us in chanting this heartfelt petition to God in suffrage for our deceased loved ones, so that being purified, they may speedily attain the beatific vision of God.
As we continue to pray for our our dear ones, let us turn to the apostle of mercy, Saint Maria Faustina to learn how we can unite ourselves with Our Lady, the Star of the Sea in our prayer for souls…
… I asked the Lord who else I should pray for. Jesus said that on the following night He would let me know for whom I should pray.
[The Next night] I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant.
I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her "The Star of the Sea." She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard and interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls.
-Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska #20
Translation of the Dominican Requiem Chant:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. To you we owe our hymn of praise, O God in Zion, and to you our vows will be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer, to you all flesh must come.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Deo Gratias!
Praying for Souls in the Prison of Purgatory
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
During the month of November, we are reminded once again of the privilege to assist our loved ones and all our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in Christ.
These are days filled with faith in believing that the souls of our beloved, who are still being deprived of the vision of God, may speedily attain the joy of Eternal Life through our prayers and sacrifices. We hold the keys to help open the gate of heaven for them since they can no longer help themselves. To the apostle of Mercy, Saint Maria Faustina, Jesus has revealed this mystery…
Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames.
All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf.
Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice.
The treasury of the Church that Christ speaks about is the spiritual goods of the communion of saints: “the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God.” And, the Church, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Jesus Christ, has the authority to open this treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints so that we may obtain from the Father the remission of the temporal punishments due to sins (CCC 1474-1479). We have the power to bring relief to the Holy Souls who are being purified by gaining indulgence for them. Here are the different ways we can do that:
During the month of November: Each day, we can receive plenary indulgence to apply to a particular soul by visiting a cemetery and pray (even mentally if one is unable to so physically) for the departed. This is an exceptional decree that is being granted to us by the Apostolic Penitentiary due to COVID.
Throughout the year we can also gain plenary indulgence for souls by:
Eucharistic Adoration. “Visit the Blessed Sacrament for adoration lasting at least a half hour.”
Praying the Rosary. “Devoutly recite the Marian Rosary in a church or oratory, or in a family, or at gatherings of baptized Christians
Reading or listening to Sacred Scriptures for at least a half an hour; if the time is less, the indulgence will be partial.
Pray the Stations of the Cross.
We may choose who the indulgence applies to: either ourselves or to a holy soul in purgatory.
Fulfill all these three conditions:
Go to confessions.
Receive Holy Communion.
Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. One Our Father and one Hail Mary fully satisfies this.
Over all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most efficacious means of alleviating the suffering of our deceased loved ones.
A novena of masses will be offered at 8:00 a.m. in our Monastery Chapel for all our beloved departed from November 13, 2021 to November 21, 2021.
Please join us in offering prayers and sacrifices for all the Holy Souls by mailing us the form at the end of this blog with the names of your loved ones whom you wish for us to especially remember during the month.
In remembering our deceased loved ones, we are filled with hope that we too may join them one day and together we shall know the goodness of Our Father as we encounter His deep love and mercy for us.
Deo Gratias!
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ALL SOULS DAY
November 2, 2021
Please remember my dear loved ones during the month of November.
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Requested By:
Name: ---------------------------------------------------------------
Address: -------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail: ---------------------------------------------------------------
Mail to: Dominican Nuns | Corpus Christi Monastery | 215 Oak Grove Ave. | Menlo Park, CA 94025
Annual Retreat
Our community is taking our annual “vacation” with the Lord as we’ll spend more time in solitude and prayer for 8 days. All requests for spiritual bouquets and online orders will be processed after our retreat. Be assured of our prayers for you during this time of grace for us. And please pray for our community and for our retreat master, Father Luke Buckles, O.P. of the Western Dominican Province.
Father Luke was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ in 1978. He taught at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology upon graduation with a doctorate in Theology. Father had been teaching at the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (the Angelicum) for 17 years and recently returned to the Western Province where he resumed his teaching at the DSPT.
Deo Gratias!
Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. -Jesus
Month of the Holy Rosary
On this date, October 13, 1917, Our Mother Mary appeared to the three shepherd children and revealed to them the secret to obtain world peace: pray the Rosary daily.
Our Mother also identified herself: I am the Lady of the Rosary. When asked if she would grant the many requests from the people, Our Lady gave the children this answer: Some I shall grant, and others I must deny. People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended!
Before the eyewitnesses of 70,000-plus people at the Cova da Iria who saw the Miracle of the trembling and dancing sun, the Great Saint Joseph also appeared with the Child Jesus and blessed the world. Let us pray for our world and praise the Lord through the rosary each day as Our Lady advised. And with Our Lady, let us chant praises to the Almighty God for His mercy in giving us this beautiful month to honor Our Mother.
Deo Gratias!
A Chant to Praise God with Our Angelic Friends
This week we have the joy of honoring our Angelic Friends: the Archangels and our own Guardian Angels, to whom God has entrusted our souls to their care and guidance.
Our Holy Mother Church teaches us that God is glorified through the Angels, and by their great dignity and splendor, God shows how infinitely great He is! (from the Preface of the Mass of the Archangels)
So with these holy creatures of God, let us together chant a psalm of praise. Our Sisters prepared this special video for you to join us in praising God for his love and Providential care for us…
Are we aware of the assistance of these wonderful friends? And who are they exactly?
Saint Michael the Archangel (“Who is like God?”) is a warrior against Satan and who has in his command legions of angels (Revelation 12:7-9). He is the protector of Israel (Daniel 12:1), the Church and all peoples. It is quite beneficial for us to invoke his name daily for protection from the snares of the Devil.
Saint Gabriel the Archangel (“Strength of God”) is a messenger who announces to Zechariah the birth of Saint John the Baptist, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:5-38). Remember to ask him for help each time we greet Our Lady with his words “Hail, full of grace.”
Saint Raphael (“Medicine of God,” “God’s Remedy,” or “God Heals”) is the Archangel who cares for Tobias ( on his journey Tobit 5-12). Don’t forget to ask for his help daily as we travel through this life on earth. He is the patron of travelers, of purity, of happy meetings, and of thanks, praise and prayer, among others!
Each of us also have a Guardian Angel to protect and guide us during our life pilgrimage. Let us be attentive and obedience to the guidance of our Guardian Angel. Why? Because our Guardian Angel is in heaven and always look upon the Face of God and knows God’s will for our life (Matthew 18:10).
Let us praise God unceasingly and thank our Guardian Angel and all these wonderful Angelic Friends daily for their angelic service!
O most holy angel of God, appointed by God to be my guardian, I give you thanks for all the benefits which you have ever bestowed on me in body and in soul. I praise and glorify you that you condescended to assist me with such patient fidelity, and to defend me against all the assaults of my enemies. Blessed be the hour in which you were assigned me for my guardian, my defender and my patron. In acknowledgement and return for all your loving ministries to me, I offer you the infinitely precious and noble heart of Jesus, and firmly purpose to obey you henceforward, and most faithfully to serve my God. Amen.
-Saint Gertrude’s Guardian Angel Prayer
Deo Gratias!
Icons of Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Gabriel the Archangel written by our Sister Amata Marie of Divine Mercy, O.P.
Singing Is For One Who Loves
Have you heard that "Singing is for one who loves," and “One who sings well prays twice"?
Our contemplative life is about preaching, praising, and blessing God. In order to sing well, our novitiate sisters spend time learning music, chant and prayer as part of their formation. We’re sharing with you a recent recording of the Introit (entrance antiphon) from this 25th Sunday in Ordinary time.
Chanting praises to God is one of the best ways to pray and to express our love for God. Join us in chanting this short introit throughout the week. Memorize it and sing it...and do it all for God's glory.
Tune back for the next chant recording!
Deo Gratias!
Meet our New Novice!
On August 28th, the Feast of Saint Augustine, our monastery joyfully celebrated the vestition of our postulant. “Vestition” is a sign of reception into the Order.
“Postulare” is the Latin term for “to request.” And the postulant spends a year living within the enclosure, discerning and “seeking” to become part of the community. On this day, our postulant officially made the request and the Prioress, representing the community, received Sister’s petition. Upon being accepted, our new novice was clothed with the habit of the Order of Preachers and received a new name signifying her new life in Christ. Congratulations to Sister Mary Emmanuel of the Immaculate Heart!
Praise be to God for his mercy. The Church is blessed with one more soul desiring to serve Christ and His people through a life of prayer and contemplation.
Below is a short video of the vestition. Please continue to pray for our sisters in formation and for vocations to the contemplative life.
Deo Gratias!
God Is Here ... To Give Power And Strength To His People
With profound gratitude to the Almighty God, our monastery celebrates our Centennial Jubilee this year, and today, we joyfully celebrate the 68th Anniversary of the Consecration of our Chapel!
Being “consecrated”, our monastery chapel has transformed from being an ordinary gathering place for prayer into a holy temple, dedicated to the pure worship of God. The Lord indeed is present in this holy place to bless and “to give power and strength to His people.”
As we continue to preach God’s love, praise His Holy Name, and bless Him for all his benefits, we gratefully remember all our beloved Sisters who had gone before us, and all of you, our dear benefactors, families and friends who have helped us over the years with your loving support.
Here is our gift to you…a chant sung by our sisters. Please join us in singing praises to our Loving God…
Praise be to you, O Lord…
“For in this visible house that you have let us build and where you never cease to show favor to the family on pilgrimage to you in this place, you wonderfully manifest and accomplish the mystery of your communion with us…” -from the Preface of the Dedication of a Church.
Deo Gratias!
Three-Fold Celebration: Centennial Jubilee, Corpus Christi and Mass of Thanksgiving!
The best things come in threes, and beginning May 29th, we began the month of June with three joyous celebrations: the 100th anniversary of the founding of our Monastery, Corpus Christi Sunday, and a Mass of Thanksgiving with one of our newly ordained friars.
The best things come in threes, and beginning May 29th, we began the month of June with three joyous celebrations: the 100th anniversary of the founding of our Monastery, Corpus Christi Sunday, and a Mass of Thanksgiving with one of our newly ordained friars.
This year marks the Centennial Anniversary of the foundation of our monastery. Due to COVID restrictions, we planned two celebrations to open our Jubilee year, as attendance needed to be monitored by issuing tickets to the Masses and receptions. This first celebration was held Saturday, May 29th, and included our Dominican family. Father Christopher Fadok, O.P., prior provincial of the Western Dominican Province, was our celebrant and homilist, and he was joined around the altar by many of our friars. After celebrating Mass, we all enjoyed a box lunch generously donated by the Western Dominican Province and our first in-person visit with our Dominican brothers and sisters in over a year!
Our Centennial Anniversary celebrations continued the following weekend as we celebrated Corpus Christi Sunday with our family, friends and benefactors. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco was our celebrant and homilist. This celebration occurred on the liturgical anniversary of our foundation (liturgically, our monastery was founded on the Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi - Corpus Christi would have been celebrated on the previous Thursday). Again, we were overcome with gratitude for all the graces and blessings God has given us, and continued to shower down with the presence, kindness and support of so many that day, especially our Archbishop and the priests, deacons, and seminarians who were present. At the end of Mass, as we finished the recessional hymn, we looked up in the choir to see Archbishop Cordileone walk in with Sister Maria Christine, a delightful surprise! He wanted to make sure he was able to greet us personally and gave us his blessing. Following Mass, we enjoyed a leisurely reception.
To round out our celebrations, friar Chysostom Mijinke, O.P. of the Western Dominican Province, who served as deacon for our Jubilee Mass on May 29th, returned to our monastery on June 8th as Father Chrysostom to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving and give us first blessings. This day is particularly special to Dominican nuns as it is the feast of Blesseds Cecilia and Diana, two of the earliest nuns of our Order, and who were particularly dear to our Holy Father Dominic and Blessed Jordan of Saxony, the second Master of our Order. After Mass, we had a good visit with Father Chrysostom before he headed off to a busy summer and his new assignment as a Dominican priest.
Father Chrysostom Mijinke, O.P., newly ordained priest of the Western Dominican Province, giving first blessings to our community after Mass.
The past year has brought us many challenges and in many ways, life has a “new normal” due to COVID. Yet the most essential things remain - love, communion, and the reason for our hope. Be sure to check our website for updates as we continue to gradually expand our public chapel hours and post Centennial Jubilee updates and events. And a big thank you to our Dominican family, our Archbishop and the Local Church, and all our friends, family, and benefactors who continue to support our contemplative life. Please know you remain in our hearts and prayers before our Eucharistic Lord.