UPDATE: As we wait to discover the name of St. Joseph Monastery’s newest Novice, (Sister Frances Marie of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus) here is a report from the Diocese of Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they witnessed the ancient rite of the Consecration of a Virgin.
I usually do my big annual round-up in the Autumn, but they are piling up, so here goes:
Do you recall, last year, reading here at Patheos a father’s admission that “Sure, we need nuns, but not my daughter!”. He chronicled his pain on Nora entering the Passionist enclosure, and also his joy, and challenged parents to discern, for themselves, whether to encourage their children toward religious or priestly vocations.
Well, tomorrow, on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Nora will receive the Passionist habit and white veil. The Passionist’s blog notes that this is their second clothing, this year (pdf).
Pray for Nora, as she takes this next step in discernment, and for her perseverence. Pray also for:
The newly-habited Sister Maria Johanna, of the Summit Dominicans and their busy novitiate.
The newly-vowed and recently admitted new novices of the Little Sisters of the Poor (scroll down), who include a video, and the similarly vowed-admitted Carmelites of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The 8 Sisters of Life (one of whom is profiled here) who just proclaimed their final vows.
Postulant Pia, new to the Benedictines of Perpetual Adoration, in Clyde, Missouri, where Sister Maria recently made her first profession.
Newly habited Sister Mary Mercy (I expect we’ll see that name taken quite a lot this year) and Sisters Mary Regina and Mary Joan of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration.
The 3 Alton Franciscans who are making their final vows probably as I write this, and the 19 juniors who renewed their vows.
The 12 newly professed and 6 perpetually professed Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
The 3 newly professed Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Byzantine postulants, Jacqueline and Motria, who tonsured and given the habit on September 7. In November, Sisters Gabriella and Cecilia will will make their life professions to this young and growing monastery.
That’s all I have in front of me; pray for them all. And for the numerous young men who have become monks and friars or entered seminaries. I can’t sit up long enough to showcase them, just now but pray for all of them. We need them.