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May 1,
2006, the great Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, is
our 1 Year Anniversary from 'flying from the nest'
of our mother Monastery (Our Lady of the Angels
Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama) to head out to our
new home in Black Canyon City Arizona. This
Anniversary was a day of GREAT rejoicing as we were
blessed to receive the first aspirant to our
Community. Mary
McDonald, a native of
Phoenix, joined us for a three month period of
discernment. Our family is growing! This
brings us much joy and excitement. |
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For the next three
months, Mary will be an 'Aspirant' or 'Pre-Postulant'.
What is an Aspirant? This is a time of discernment,
without any commitment, when she can better understand and
begin to live our life as a contemplative PCPA. She
will take part in our daily life and activities, all the
while discerning if this is God's Will for her. It is
an increased time of prayer and discernment for both her and
the Community. After a period of 3 months, she will be
given the option of officially joining our Community as a
Postulant. At this time, she will receive the
Postulant garb (short veil and jumper) and will be known as
'Sister Mary'. After one year as a Postulant, she will
move on to the Novitiate, receiving the Holy Habit, white
veil and a new name. We ask that you keep Mary in your
prayers, and all those who are discerning their vocations.
Also, as mentioned
above, this next step begins on the very day of our 1 year
anniversary! It was on May 1, 2005, that we set out
from our Monastery in Hanceville, to journey to the West and
begin this new Foundation. Our first year was filled
with much excitement, from snake bites to gila monsters,
from wild fires to major house repairs! And already we
find our family growing and our house too small. And
so we embark on yet another step in the
journey...fundraising for the new Monastery. We ask
for a remembrance in your prayers and for your assistance in
whatever capacity you can to make our dream a reality!
With 14 vocational inquiries and more each day, we feel a
great impetus to move forward rapidly to build and thus
begin to accept vocations and better live our cloistered
contemplative life. Saint Joseph,
our Patron and Advocate, Pray for us. |
Fr. Clements with Mary MacDonald our new Aspirant Mary with her mom, Linda McDonald Fr. Rob Clements, Mary, and Linda Thank You St. Joseph...for leading us to Arizona and caring for us in such wonderful ways Sr. Marie St. Paul and Sr. Mary Fidelis with showing off the Feast Day decorations behind us: Red Chili Pepper lights! We are in Arizona!
Fr. Rob Clements, on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1), preparing for the ceremony to receive our new aspirant. Let us pray: Enlighten our mind, we beseech Thee, O Lord, with the light of Thy brightness: that we may be able to see what we ought to do, and have the strength to carry out what is right.
Stretch forth, O Lord, to Thy faithful the right hand of heavenly aid: that she may seek Thee with her whole heart, and may be made worthy to obtain that for which she asks. Grant unto this Thy servant, O Lord, the pardon of her sins, comfort in life, and continual guidance: that serving Thee, she may deserve duly to attain to Thy mercy.
"Do Thou, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, defend this Thy family from all adversity: and graciously protect from the snares of their enemies those who with their whole hearts prostrate themselves before Thee. Let grace from Heaven, we beseech Thee, O Lord, enrich Thy Church, which Thou didst will to make illustrious by the merits and example of Our Holy Father Francis, Thy Confessor.
Thou didst also admirably illumine Thy Church with the virtuous excellence of the Holy Virgin Clare, Our Mother, and didst establish a new Religious Order, mercifully grant that, following in her footsteps, we may merit to attain to the splendor of eternal glory. Amen."
O Jesus, Thy honor is the sole object of our desires for a growth in the number of Thy Brides. We unite ourselves with the infinite love and intentions of the Sacred Heart with regard to this soul, imploring Thee to pour Thy grace upon both her and ourselves, so that we may always serve Thee faithfully, and correspond to our sublime vocation as true servants and lovers of the Most Holy Sacrament and daughters of our seraphic father, Saint Francis. Amen.
For Fr. Clements this was a day of great joy, as he saw Mary (one of his former parishioners) take this step toward the Religious Life. Father has known Mary since she was 4 years old. On April 28th, we began a Novena to Cardinal J.H. Newman, asking his intercession for the necessary funds to build the Monastery and Chapel. It was on that very morning that this rainbow appeared right over the property where we would like to build. How good it is to be cared for by so kind a Father! Sr. Mary Joanna celebrating our 1 year Anniversary Southwestern Style
Fr. Rob Clements, on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1), preparing for the ceremony to receive our new aspirant.
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