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On August 11, 2006, Solemnity of Our Holy
Mother Clare, our Community went from 'phive' to six, as
Mary McDonald became Sr. Mary and officially began her
Postulancy. This is a great sign of hope and source of
joy for us! Postulancy is typically for one year,
after which time the postulant becomes a novice and is
invested with the holy Habit and receives a new name.
Join your prayers of thanksgiving to
ours, as we thank the Lord for this new vocation and humbly
ask the Lord of the Harvest to keep sending laborers to His
Vineyard! |
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The Entrance ceremony for a postulant
takes place after Mass, and begins with the Regnum Mundi
chant, which translates:
I have had contempt for the
kingdom of this world, and all temporal adornments, because
of the love of my Lord Jesus Christ, Whom I saw, Whom I
loved, in Whom I believed, and Whom I worshiped.
After
this the Superior reads an excerpt from St. Clare's letter
to Bl. Agnes of Prague. Then the Superior asks: "What
does your heart desire?" To this question the
postulant replies by stating her desire: |
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"I desire to begin
the time of discernment — the time of listening to God as He
speaks in and through the Community. I ask for your prayers
that I may spend the rest of my life in His Eucharistic
Presence and prepare my soul for the great day of union
between bride and Bridegroom."
The postulant is
then invested with a short veil, which she will wear for one
year, in anticipation of the Holy Habit which she receives
as she enters the Novitiate.
After being
veiled, the presiding Priest *which in this case was Bishop
Olmsted, then prays over the postulant. Below is a
small portion of what he prays:
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.
After this prayer, the
Community then prays the following prayer for the new
postulant: 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.
The ceremony concludes with
the chanting of our Communal 'motto' - Adoremus In Aeternum
Sanctissimum Sancramentum (Let us adore eternally the Most
Blessed Sacrament). |
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Bishop Olmsted blessing a new Chalice for Mass - which was generously donated to us For Clare, Our Lord's True Presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament was her greatest consolation and her life. So it is for us, her daughters To celebrate the great Solemnity, we were blessed to have Bp. Olmsted celebrate Mass, which was concelebrated by Fr. Adamson, Fr. Kline, & Fr. Reddy. The Final Blessing after a BEAUTIFUL Mass in honor of Our Holy Mother Clare After Mass, the Entrance Ceremony began with Mary stating her desire to fully the begin the time of her postulancy Sr. Marie Andre, our Superior, is seen here 'investing' Mary with the postulant veil Finally, the veil was on...and Mary officially became "Sr. Mary"... After receiving the veil, Sr. Mary was blessed by Bishop Olmsted Nearly 50 of Sr. Mary's family and friends were able to attend Mass and witness this first step towards the full embracing of the evangelical counsels Sr. Mary McDonald, our first Postulant...Thank You, Jesus The McDonald Clan: Jesse, Emily, Seminarian Thomas, John, Sr. Mary, Diana, Kevin, Mrs. Linda McDonald, and Mr. Merle McDonald Farewell Phoenix Phive...Now we are the 'Nix Six! Sr. Marie Andre, Sr. Mary, and Bishop Thomas Olmsted
Bishop Olmsted blessing a new Chalice for Mass - which was generously donated to us
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