THE TERTIARIES OF PENANCE OF SAINT DOMINIC

As our readers know, the Dominican Sisters of Wanganui have recently celebrated their 10th anniversary, but few people know that there have been traditional Dominicans here in Wanganui for longer than this—in fact nearly twenty years. In 1996, a year before Mother Micaela’s arrival in Wanganui, Fr Gentili, as parish priest, was delegated by the Dominican Friars of Avrille to receive the profession of Sister Mary Jacinta, the first traditional Dominican Tertiary of St Anthony’s parish.

Sister Mary Jacinta, and now several others, are members of the “Third Order of Penance,” which numbers in its ranks many famous Dominicans, from St Catherine of Siena and St Louis de Montfort to St Rose of Lima and St Martin de Porres.

 

 

 

While these famous four were vowed to chastity, many Tertiaries are married; the Third Order was established by St Dominic for lay people living in the world, who yet wished to participate in the apostolate of his friars by their prayers and by any material or apostolic help they could give. At first, for the men, this involved fighting in defence of the Church and its property against Albigensian heretics, but later Tertiaries were more often involved in corporal and spiritual works of mercy, like Blessed Albert of Villa d'Ogna (d. 1279), a peasant who begged from door to door for alms for the sick and poor and eventually built a hospice for their care. Blessed Jordan of Saxony, the second Master General after St Dominic, was very active in encouraging vocations to this as well as the first Order (the Friars), and defended the Tertiaries’ rights as true Dominicans when many Friars thought they were more trouble than they were worth!

THE END OF THE ORDER

“The end of the Third Order is the sanctification of its own members by the practice of a more perfect Christian life and the promotion of the salvation of souls in a way that is suitable to the state of the faithful living in the world.”

 

 

As members of the Dominican Order, the Tertiaries are supported by the prayers and merits of all its members, and their prayers and penance in turn benefit the preaching work of the Friars, the teaching work of the Sisters, and the sanctification of all the members, which is the primary purpose of any religious order. They wear the scapular, the principal part of our habit given us by Our Lady herself, and share in the special patronage it symbolises, whereby she is our “shade from the heat, and from all dangers of body as well as of soul, in the hour of death, a bulwark and defence.” Once a month, they meet to pray together, to receive a short instruction on the rule or the Dominican spirit, and, if they are erected into a fraternity, to receive absolution for their faults against the rule. The rule itself organises their prayers, sacrifices and apostolate in a way that has stood the test of time and led many souls to heaven. No wonder that Pope Benedict XV said, "Among the means of holiness most useful and opportune for the defence and progress of Christian faith and morals in our day, we recognize the Dominican Third Order as one of the most eminent, easy, and secure."

  

THE MEANS TO OBTAIN THE END: PRAYER

“The means of obtaining this end, over and above the common precepts and duties of one’s state in life, are: the observance of this Rule, continual prayer, and as far as possible, liturgical prayer…”

As sharers in our motto of “Contemplari et contemplata tradere,” “To contemplate and hand on the fruits of their contemplation,” the Tertiaries’ first duty is to contemplate eternal truths. Priest-Tertiaries, like St Louis de Montfort, do this by their recitation of the breviary, the Divine Office, but other Tertiaries share in the official prayer of the Church through either:

	The Little Office of Our Lady
OR	The 15 Mysteries of the Rosary The Paternoster Office.

To give them more time to assimilate the rich food contained in the Psalms or the mysteries of the Rosary, the Tertiaries have 15 minutes of mental prayer every day. Finally, they share in our special devotion for the souls in Purgatory by reciting the De Profundis for departed members, family and benefactors of the order.

 



Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Dominican Tertiary

 

PENANCE

 “…the practice of penance…”

Like St Dominic, who disciplined himself every night for his own sins and those of others, the members of the “Third order of Penance” strive to mortify themselves and make hearty reparation for all offences against God. While modern Tertiaries are dispensed from many of the more difficult prescriptions of the ancient rule, they adhere to its spirit through fasting on Fridays throughout the year and on certain vigils, by avoiding worldly amusements and vanity in dress, and by other penances as recommended by their confessor.

 

APOSTOLATE



“Mindful of the traditions of our ancestors, Tertiaries should labour in behalf of the truth of the Catholic Faith and for the Church and the Pope, in word and deed, showing themselves to be ardent defenders of their rights in all things and at all times.”

 

The Tertiaries in Wanganui accomplish the second half of their motto, “contemplata tradere,” by helping in various ways around the parish; some are members of the Legion of Mary, which is excellent for directing one’s practice of the spiritual and, to a certain extent, the corporal works of mercy. They may help in any parish or Dominican apostolate; the constitutions especially suggest the teaching of catechism. Not everyone is called to advise the Pope like St Catherine or to nurse the sick poor in the backyard like St Rose of Lima, but all should do what they can to “devote their lives to the glory of God and the salvation of their neighbour in an ardent and generous spirit.”  

 



While it is helpful in the practice of the rule to have an established “fraternity,” or community of Tertiaries, for support, it is possible to become a Dominican tertiary no matter where you are, and the spiritual benefits are incalculable. We are happy to give any information we can and encourage vocations, for as Pope Pius XII said:

 

"We hope that the ranks of the Third Order will gather numerous young men and women who, without having a religious vocation, aspire to a more perfect Christian life, who aspire to make a more complete gift of themselves" and thus sanctify their own souls and countless others.

 

 

Tertiaries of Wanganui: From left: Sr Mary Rosaria t.o.p., Sr Mary Anthanasius, Sr Mary Jacinta t.o.p., Sr Mary Lucy, Sr Mary Philomena, Br Guy Dominic t.o.p.




Sr Mary Lucy and Sr Mary Rosaria cut the Feast Day cake

For more information you may contact the Dominican Sisters (if you are in New Zealand or Australia) or alternatively, you can write to:

Father Angelico O.P.

The Fraternity of Saint Dominic

Friary of La Haye aux Bonshommes
49240 AVRILLE
FRANCE

 

All quotes in italics from the Constitutions of the Third Order of Penance of Saint Dominic.

 

 

 

 

CONVENT & SIGNADOU, Wanganui, New Zealand

2013 took on a new apostolic twist for the Dominican Sisters of Wanganui. The beginning of our very own Girls Boarding School! After a lovely sojourn in Melbourne, Australia “with all the family” and a few visitors, January saw us back in NZ as busy as bees. Within the timeframe of a few weeks, there was the convent to move, rooms to organise for the boarders, a pile of paperwork to finish, classes to prepare for, cleaning to be done, the survival of Teachers week and Professional Development sessions, and of course, time for the Good Lord.

 

I don’t know who was the more nervous about our first meeting. Sisters or Boarders? But the 1^st of February finally came and it was on a warm Friday night at around 10:30pm that we heard a car pull up carrying within it our first boarders, one from Malaysia, two from Singapore and one from Auckland, NZ. Allow me now to introduce them to you.

First to step out of the car was Maria Lim all the way over from Kualar Lumpar. Talented in many areas, she is a wonderful Tupperware organiser and photographer, very respectful, studious and obedient, plays the piano beautifully and always has a beautiful smile for you whenever you pass her.

Next were two shy little cousins, from Singapore, although it turns out they are not so shy after all. Anne Rosa Loo and Gertrude Yeo. Anne Rosa will have you in stitches as she tells you a story which really is quite serious but her mannerisms and accent make it so enjoyable you can’t help but laugh. Gertrude turned out to have a sweet nature, lady-like ways and a soft spot for anything in a habit and veil. Both girls, we found out, also love to sing. Sometimes we come in from our refectory to hear dishes being turned into a live musical like that of a scene in Beauty and the Beast, particularly when a musical Sister is on boarding duty. Naturally we have a rule that once we come in for Matins, this has to stop otherwise their voices reverberate to the chapel.

Finally there was the docile and ever ready to please Monica Bennett sitting quietly in the back seat.  A lover of song and dance also, Monica is a lively addition to the dishes choir and has made remarkable progress since her entrance. Coming from a home-schooling background, she has tackled the idea of different subjects and homework with sincerity, and has not let a broken arm, sprained ankle or fall off a horse stand in the way of success.

 

And what of the Sisters? Well, nervous at the prospect of a boarding house at first, we have found that it is actually a very fruitful and enjoyable apostolate. Day by day we see the fruits of our work. It is well worth it when you hear one of the girls say “I sin less here” or ask to sing Compline with us when it is not the day for it or hear them mention they want to be a religious when they grow up and fight over religious names. Our boarders are a delight and have become part of the family, filling the hole, literally and metaphorically, that was left earlier last year when our Novitiate House left for Australia. On Sunday, when boarders do attend Compline, old and young voices blend their voices together to sing the praises of the Lord. Normally it would be the novices that would break out into laughter if an honest mistake happened; now it is stifled giggles from the girls.  At rosary time, it seems that every time you look up from your contemplation to check on the boarders, pairs of eyes are checking YOU, watching your every move. May we be good examples and bearers of the truth and the light.

 

 

 

So what, might you ask, is boarding school like at Signadou? Like the Dominican spirit, it is balanced - contemplation and action – Love of God and of neighbour –a balance of prayer, study, domestic activities and play.

During the week the girls rise at 6:30am every morning for Daily Mass, then follow the school schedule, after which there is a little recreation and afternoon tea, followed by study hall. To rosary they go, then it is dinner, the dishes choir, then time for their own music practice or free time, followed by recreation with one of the Sisters, and finally bed time with the many stuffed animals that seem to dominate the bed – pigs, penguins, monkeys, dogs, you name it, we have it. Even a pink dinosaur was smuggled into the country and recently we were able to acquire lambs, a cat and bears.

 

Saturday morning is dedicated to cleaning duties, learning the art of grocery shopping, as well as time for study, finishing off homework or writing letters. Duties are assessed and points awarded accordingly: if you get a gold star for your efforts you are sure to be in the running for a little reward. A green sticker on the other hand will mean you are marched back up to tidy your room or spend more time on your cleaning duty. At present, in the afternoon, girls don their frilly aprons and the house is filled with mouth-watering aromas as they learn the art of baking and taste testing. Needless to say it is quite a torture, particularly during Lent, as we go about our occupations with noses in the air and tongues safely locked away, unless of course you are a boarder and you get to taste some of your wares at afternoon tea time. Last week we learnt that one must NOT overmix the muffin mixture. After this little exercise there is physical recreation or choir practice for those who are members of St Dominic’s School Choir, free time, rosary, dinner, recreation and then off to bed a little later.

 

 

Sunday, the day for Our Lord, is prayerful, restful and recreative. The morning is spent resting and attending the Sung High Mass. Girls are allowed to talk at breakfast, other days they do not. Then it is usually a special Sunday Dinner followed by activities in the afternoon. They can range from a trip to a local beauty spot, swimming, playing sports, visiting, recreating with the Sisters etc. The day ends with Benediction of the most Blessed Sacrament, supper, recreation, free time then Dominican Compline, complete with profound inclinations and processions.

 

 

 

 

Feast days are always something special, particularly when God sends you something special. This year the day before the Feast of the transferral of the body of St Catherine of Siena, we received a beautiful big statue of the Saint that we are hoping will one day go in our very own proper chapel. St Thomas Aquinas, our Dominican brother, brought us our very own Tenebrae Stand, for use during Holy Week. Dominican Rite of course. It was constructed by Brother Dominic/Mr Guy Legrega, who is a member of the Third Order of Penance here in Wanganui and who was celebrating his first anniversary of Profession on this great Feast.

 

NB: Naturally we got the hint from our Lady and gave the statues a dust before veiling them for Passion Week.

May God continue to bless this apostolate and grant us many holy religious vocations.

 

Uh.......Religious vocations!

 

 Deo Gratias

 

 

 

Meet the new Novices and their Patron Saints

It has been just over a month since the four postulants have undergone a metamorphosis.  Their "new look" has a profound and spiritual meaning. Both in the Church and in the eyes of the world the religious habit symbolizes at one and the same time,

          (a)  separation from the world, the renunciation of its spirit and its customs, and

          (b)  dedication to God. "The religious habit should always express consecration to Christ: that

                 is what all await and desire" (Pius XII, Allocution to Religious (Nuns), Sept.,15, 1952).

                 One may say the habit is like a flag in an unbelieving environment, a living testimony, a

                 silent but eloquent affirmation of our faith in God and of our dedication to Christ and to

                 humanity.

                 The habit does not act like a sacrament, but it is, for sanctification and for the

                 apostolate, a precious aid which should not be disdained. It is true, indeed, that the habit

                 does not make the monk, but it certainly contributes to keeping him safe.   

          (c)  The pledge - though this has nothing to do with the vow - to live as a religious and to

                 sanctify oneself.  "If you are not aware of a deep distaste for the world in yourself, a holy

                 and divine ardour for Christian perfection, leave this cloister, my dear Sister..." (Bossuet)

                 To take the religious habit is, surely, to put on Jesus Christ.

          (d)  The spirit and virtues characteristic of the Order whose habit one wears. The habit also

                 reminds the religious of the beauty of their vocation and urges upon them the idea that by

                 wearing it with dignity they are doing honour to their Congregation.

(From The Novitiate, by Louis Colin, C.SS.R) 

Not only do the Novices look different now, they also answer to a new name.  To aid those who still struggle to tell them apart or to remember their names we are happy to "introduce" you to the new Novices and their Patron Saints:

Sister Mary Anna

Patron: St Anne  Some people would say it’s unfortunate we don’t know much about St Anne. But just think about what we do know! We know that she was a holy Jewish woman who was married to St Joachim who had no children, yet never stopped praying and hoping for one. She patiently endured the stigma of childlessness, so ignominious in Jewish culture at the time, and kept her faith and hope in God.

And what came of such faith and hope? The blessing of a child who was ‘full of grace’, who would be ‘blessed among women’ and whose soul did ‘magnify the Lord’. Did St Anne have any knowledge of the extreme privilege of her only daughter? Perhaps she did in her God-given motherly wisdom, even though it took centuries of debate among theologians to settle the question in their minds; we don’t really know. 

What we do know is that St Anne, together with St Joachim, did what generous souls do with precious gifts from God – they gave her back to Him. And they didn’t hesitate. Our Lady must have still been a very little girl when her parents presented her at the Temple and said goodbye, not just to their perfect daughter, but also to the years of happiness and comfort she could have given them had they not made this sacrifice. (I think St Anne must have a soft spot for all our dear parents who have said goodbye to their daughters as they entered the Convent; they know what she felt like.) God never fails to reward such generosity, and He repaid this faithful couple with the extraordinary privilege of being the grandparents of the Word made Flesh.

Nevertheless, some people still say we don’t know much about St Anne. I would rather say that her little story is so full of lessons for us that we could meditate on it for hours. It’s a story of a trial not fully understood, but humbly and patiently borne all the same. It’s a story of patience filled with holy faith and hope, which is rewarded a hundredfold – and more like a thousandfold – by God, Who never abandons those who trust so much in Him. It's a story of generosity repaying generosity, with God having the last say in the most generous Gift of all. In short, it’s a story which is shot through with the unmistakable threads of Love.

There are so many reasons to turn to St Anne when in need – she knows all about enduring long trials, she knows all about keeping hope when things seem hopeless, she knows all about making the biggest sacrifices, and she will definitely lend a sympathetic ear-- she’s so humble and motherly, don’t you know! Dear St Anne, pray for us!

Sister Mary Columba

Patron: Blessed Columba of Rieti.

Columba is Latin for ‘dove’, a symbol of the Holy Ghost Himself as well as that of a simple, pure and peaceful soul who, according to Sacred Scripture, takes her refuge and rest in God and especially in the wounds of Christ.

It is also a name borne by a number of great servants of God. We may mention a few virgin martyrs dating from the Roman persecutions, the Irish missionary St Columba as well as the renowned Benedictine preacher of our era, Bl. Columba Marmion. Less well known to those outside the Dominican order however would be the 16^thcentury tertiary Bl. Columba of Rieti, a mystic noted for her role as a dove of charity and peace in her turbulent surroundings.

She was one amongst a number of saintly Dominican women who seem to have been expressly raised up by God as a sharp contrast to the irreligion, disorder and immorality prevalent in Italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. These women, nearly all of the Dominican Third Order, had an intense devotion to St. Catherine of Siena and made it their aim to imitate her as nearly as possible.

Dedicating herself to God from her youngest years, Bl. Columba led a life of retirement and great austerity in her home, where she received visions of St Dominic and St Catherine of Siena who encouraged and directed her soul. Receiving the habit of a Dominican tertiary at the age of 19, she gained a reputation for miracles and sanctity among the people despite initial suspicion of her frequent ecstasies and prophecies, and was much sought after as a spiritual advisor by lay persons and clergy alike, including Pope Alexander VI. 

She was later made the superior of a convent of Tertiaries in the Italian city of Perugia. The sick both inside and outside her convent were healed by her touch, and the plague which had often threatened Perugia was abated by her prayers and her suggestion of penitential processions. Lastly, the love of the Catholic Church and her members was another exemplary feature of our saint’s life. The state of the Church then and the terrible chastisements that were to be inflicted on Italy were a cause of much suffering to her, and she was said to have warned Pope Alexander VI of his sins and to have spoken against the projects that he had commended to her. She finally passed away on the feast of the Ascension in 1501, after a long and painful illness. 

One would think that such extraordinary gifts and achievements and would render the life of Bl. Columba quite difficult to imitate by our little novice. However, lofty contemplation and the supernatural gifts of miracles and healing where genuine are always indispensably accompanied by a life of heroic virtue and deep union with God that will be mostly concealed and to which we are all called.

Less obvious to the outsider was the inner life of our saint, which was described to be “deeply seamed and scarred with the marks of the cross of her Divine Bridegroom.”Distrust, reproaches, injuries, and the blackest calumnies were her portion from the beginning especially with the suspicions and jealousy aroused by her manner of life. Her sufferings from various illnesses were extreme; but she endured all with unalterable sweetness and patience, touchingly stating that

“Our Lord is amiable everywhere and under all circumstances, but that it is on the cross that He shows Himself the most loving of friends.”

Dear readers, the marvelous life of our saint was founded solidly upon the Cross of Christ and an intense love for Him and our neighbour. May she intercede and obtain for us the same, in order that the ordinary and unassuming events of each day become a source of grace both for ourselves and for souls.

 Sister Mary Jordan

Patron: Jordan of Saxony.  Hang on, IS there a Saint Jordan?  Well, not exactly - Sister Mary Jordan's patron is 'only' a Blessed - quite an illustrious Blessed, though perhaps not very well known.

For some people, the only religious connotation attached to the name 'Jordan' may be the fact that Our Lord was baptized in a river by that name.  The Jordan is a rather fast-flowing river in Palestine, which flows through the Sea of Galilee and then into the Dead Sea.  Perhaps we can use the geographical Jordan to help us get to know Blessed Jordan, since we can draw parallels between the two. The River Jordan ends its course in a Sea - Blessed Jordan ended his earthly exile in an ocean.  And while the river Jordan rushes pell-mell southwards, Blessed Jordan's life was one of ceaseless, intense activity for God and for souls.  I'm sure he must often have experienced the feeling common to most Dominicans - some days are simply too short to fit in all the work to be done!

Blessed Jordan's big claim to fame in the Dominican annals is that he was the second Master General of the Order of Preachers, taking charge after the death of St. Dominic.  He was born in Padberg Castle in Saxony (near the Elbe River) of noble German parents in 1190.  Besides an illustrious parentage, God also blessed him with a bright intellect.  Master Jordan did well in his studies, and eventually became Professor Jordan, a teacher at the University of Paris.  He began seminary studies, and had progressed through the minor orders to the rank of subdeacon, when he seems to have got stuck.  What work should he devote his life to? 

 He was still puzzling over it, when St. Dominic arrived in Paris.  Jordan made his confession to the Saint, and asked him his big question - what should he do about his future?  St. Dominic (one wonders whether he knew he was addressing his successor as Master General) advised the young man to go on with his studies for the priesthood, and get ordained.  Jordan followed his advice, but the idea of becoming a Dominican apparently hadn't occurred to him.  It was only when the great Dominican preacher Blessed Reginald of Orleans journeyed to Paris, that God's will became clear to Blessed Jordan.   Touched by Reginald's golden words, he immediately determined to become a Dominican friar.  At the end of Lent 1220, Jordan was clothed in the beautiful black and white habit of the Order of Preachers.

Once in the Order, Blessed Jordan began a life of immense activity.  He is perhaps best remembered for his sermons, which attracted over a thousand novices to the Order.  Doting mothers were terrified of him - they took drastic measures to keep their sons out of Jordan's way, for if a youth heard him preach, he would be off post-haste to join the Dominicans.  Among the crowds of novices who took the holy habit thanks to Jordan's sermons were Blessed Pope Innocent V, Blessed John of Vercelli, and St. Albert the Great.

Along with preparing his magnetic sermons, which did so much to increase the still young Order of Preachers, Blessed Jordan busied himself with many other labours for the Order and for souls.  He increased the number of Dominican provinces from 8 to 12, founded the first Dominican General House of Studies, helped to establish the University of Toulouse; he wrote books - among which must be counted the very first biography of St. Dominic - and on top of all that was a kind spiritual director to many souls. 

In fact, his brilliant achievements in the visible world - new provinces, grand universities, books - fade somewhat when we consider his most outstanding characteristic: Charity.  All who met him were attracted by his good nature, and many a troubled soul came away comforted by the gentle words of Blessed Jordan.  We are told of a student who was tormented with disturbing thoughts, which instantly dispelled after Blessed Jordan laid his hands on him.  Another discouraged youth felt his mental skies clear instantly after he hearing Blessed Jordan pray the words at the end of Psalm 26: "Wait for the Lord!"   Certainly, for a young novice embarking on her Canonical Year - which according to all authorities is the Year in which one is tested by trials - Blessed Jordan is a quite literally a very comforting Patron to have at one's side!

My favourite story of Blessed Jordan is the one of How Our Lady Solved the Problem.  Satan hates anything that could serve to win souls to Christ - and he saw the Order of Preachers as a major threat in this regard.  Consequently he set about doing his best to cut the young Order to pieces.  Ordinary methods of attack - like stirring up people to object to a new Order that didn't even keep a proper larder - weren't quite effective enough, so he took up the rather puerile tactic of making a general nuisance of himself in certain Dominican monastery, of which Blessed Jordan happened to be in charge.  Satan had great larks disturbing the tranquillity of the monastery, disturbing the friars so that they could hardly say their prayers in peace.  Blessed Jordan determined on drastic measures - nothing less than asking the Queen of Heaven to take the matter in hand.  He ordered that instead of reciting the Salve Regina every night, as they did, the Brethren were to sing it, in procession.   

You know what happens next - Our Lady very promptly put the troublemaker in his place, and restored peace to the Friary.  But, typical of Our Lady, that wasn't all.  She appeared to Blessed Jordan and gave him this beautiful promise: "I will watch over the Order of Preachers forever, and I will see to it that no member remains long in mortal sin; for either I will win them to repentance, or they will cease to be Dominican."   To this day the Dominicans sing the Salve Regina in procession after Compline, trusting that Our Lady will keep her promise and make sure that the devil stays far away from her children.  I suppose that only in eternity will we find out how much the Dominicans owe to Our Lady's intercession, and how many dangers she has averted since the days of Blessed Jordan until now.

In 1237, Blessed Jordan made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was on his way back to Europe when his ship wrecked, and he was drowned.  He did get home - but not to his monastery.  Instead Our Lady, the Stella Maris, conducted him to Heaven, the true home for all earthly exiles.  From there, he still naturally takes an interest in the Dominican Order, and one particular Novice hopes that he will pray extra hard for her, as his newest namesake!

Sister Mary Bernard

Blessed Bernard Scammacca of wealthy and pious parents was born in Sicily at the beginning of the fifteenth century. He spent a careless youth in spite of receiving good education and training. Coming back to his senses after having badly injured in a quarrel, he went and begged to be admitted to the Order at the Dominican convent of Catania. There is little recorded of Blessed Bernard’s life. He did not attain fame in preaching but was content in the private direction of souls and the work of the confessional. As a religious, he spent his time in prayer and solitude, kept the rule precisely and was particularly kind to sinners in the confessional.

Like St Francis of Assissi, legend tells that Blessed Bernard had great power over birds and animals. The birds would flutter down around him, singing when he walked around the garden, praying. However, they kept still as soon as he went to ecstasy for fear of disturbing him. On one occasion, a porter was sent to call him in his room and saw a bright light shining under the door. He peeked through the keyhole and saw a beautiful child shining with light and holding a book from which Bernard was reading. Hurriedly, he went to get the prior to see the marvel.

Sister Bernarnd following in the steps of St Francis and and her Patron -Blessed Bernard?

Blessed Bernard had also the gift of prophecy. He used it on several occasions to warn people to amend their lives and prophesied his own death which occurred on the 16^th of February 1486. He appeared to the prior fifteen years later, telling him to transfer his remains to the Rosary chapel and a man was cured of paralysis by touching the relics during this translation.

God made Blessed Bernard wonderful by the contemplation of divine things and by the glory of his virtue. His feast is kept on the Octave of the Epiphany of Our Lord, 11^th of January.

Here ends our introduction to the Novices and their Patron Saints. We pray that they co-operate with grace and follow in the steps of their Patrons -always striving to please God daily more and more! 

The Clothing Ceremony in Photos

 

At last we have some photos to show our families, friends and benefactors who were unable to attend the Ceremony in January. Please remember to pray for the Novices who received the holy habit and who will withdraw from the turmoil of exterior things this year in order to unite themselves more fully with Christ. This union forms the foundation of their religious lives and it is from this union which they will receive grace by which souls can be won.

"The human mind, like water when enclosed around, is gathered up to higher things, because it seeks that from which it is descended; but when it is left free it perishes because it spreads itself uselessly on lowly things.  It is of the greatest importance...that a man should hide himself in that blessed secrecy where, instructed by heavenly teaching he may form a just estimate and understand the value of human life devoted to the service of God alone; he may abhor the turpitude of sin, he may conceive the holy fear of God; he may see clearly unveiled the vanity of earthly things..."

May they lay good foundations, may their hearts be so enkindled by His love that they will set all aflame when returning to the active apostolate. 

What has been happening around the convent?

We’ve all been asked by Mother Catherine to write a bit about our ‘new’ patron Saints, so that our readership gets to know a little more about them. I have a considerably easier task than the others, though, because I have a sneaking suspicion that plenty of people already know about St Anne.

I have, as such, decided to fill you in on what’s been going on around the Convent since Christmas, in case you were wondering (because there are many and varied things to speak of, all verifiable by photographic evidence).
 

Firstly, the Wanganui Sisters all came over to sunny Australia for three exciting weeks. It was so lovely to have them! As one of the most junior inhabitants of the Convent, it felt like I’d suddenly acquired 8 ‘big’ Sisters who just happened to be away from home for a while who all knew how to look after their poor little Sister. (Especially when she was wearing the Holy Habit for the first week! You would be surprised at how many things a new Novice can get wrong in that regard…) Christmas with them was delightful, especially when we all sang Christmas Matins together.

Then, on the Friday, we set off for our secluded, quiet and peaceful retreat destination – Pallotti College.

We were privileged to have Fr Pfluger come all the way from Menzingen to preach the retreat, which was brimming with Scriptural references which were cross-linked with a certain Carthusian writer’s thoughts, and included a little of Archbishop Lefebvre’s spirituality on the side, providing much rich food for the soul to digest.

The setting was idyllic, with rolling, tree-covered hills, plenty of paths for one to walk alone and meditate, and even had a little stream that made a gentle waterfall.   

 




After eight days of this, we returned back to earth. Well, some of us did. The postulants who were to receive the Habit were still on retreat.

I can safely say it was one of the more interesting experiences I have had to be all eyes-downcast-silent-as-the-grave-recollected whilst twenty-seven other people are buzzing about. Twenty-seven?  

Yes, the count is correct (as they say in operating theatres), because when we arrived back from Retreat, we acquired some special visitors that same day – eleven young American ladies, who had come all the way across the Pacific Ocean to witness the ceremony and to have a little look at Convent life.  

 

Actually, that’s not quite correct (‘Veritas’ must shine through!) – ten young American ladies came to visit. One other one came to stay! This means we have two postulants at present, after four of us became Novices on Epiphany.

 

 

On that train of thought, I will simply say that the Feast of the Epiphany was wonderful. I won’t try and write about it, because it is sacred ground and one’s thoughts on receiving the Holy Habit is the kind of thing that loses its perfume when exposed to the air, so to speak. However, we can provide some pictures which will hopefully speak their thousand words’ worth…

 

 When the postulants return after having put on the holy habit, their hair is cut by the priest. Then the prioress veils the postulants with the white veil...

 

THE CROWNING: "Behold dear daughter, two crowns, one beautiful, the other of thorns. Choose the one with which you wish to be crowned."

  

The priest gives to the new Novices, who are kneeling, their Crucifix and Rosary.  THE NAMING: The priest approaches the novices and says: " In the world you were known as: ... In the Order you will be known as: ...."

"God, whose mercies are  numberless and the treasure of whose goodness is infinite, we give thanks to Thy most gracious Majesty for Thy gifts to us!"
  

The next week was one of extreme busy-ness. (I don’t think the word ‘business’ would really convey what I meant, so I’ve decided to take a leaf from Dr Seuss here.) Some people had family visiting, so they went on their own adventures for a few days (always back in time for Compline, though!), while the other Sisters spent time with the American girls, seeing all kinds of interesting things. Here are some more visuals to delight the eyes:
 

Sadly, the week of fun and festivity had to come to an end, and on the Saturday following the Ceremony we were pared down to 13 here at Rosary Convent, after our New Zealand Sisters and the American girls returned home.

We now face another exciting year (we turned 1 here at Rosary Convent on the 17^th of January! Happy Birthday to us!) of educational experiences – which includes classroom teaching for the Second Year Novices, learning the Catechism of the Vows and the Rule and Constitutions for the Canonical Novices, and the new world of Religious life for our new postulants; the purpose and end of all this being, of course, not to fill out our little brains (which certainly does happen!), but to help us know, love and serve God all the better, so that we may grow closer and closer to – and one day be united with – Him.