A Window into our life

Welcome to a new ‘feature’ on our web-site …

We shall call it a ‘Window into the Life of a Dominican Nun,’ in a rather loose way. 

Through this ‘window,’ we hope to give you an idea of what the life of a contemplative nun of the Order of Preachers consists in; to offer some food for thought; maybe also help you to encounter God in a more personal way; and to help any young women who might be discerning a vocation, to understand better who we are and whether how we live, is how they also seek to live, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

The beginning of our Constitutions shows how we are so closely connected to our brothers and sisters in the Dominican Family:

            “… the first reason for which we are gathered together in community

            is to live in harmony, having one mind and heart in God. 

            This unity transcends the limits of the monastery and attains its fullness in

            communion with the Order and with the whole Church of Christ.”

One mind and one heart in God.  It is a rare, rare gift, to live in a community where everyone is intent on loving the Lord with every fibre of their being, especially in a world in which He is for the most part ‘an inconvenience’ and unwelcome.  But here we are, with like-minded and like-hearted sisters, and we each share the same fundamental and consuming desire:

That the Lord may be loved; and that everyone on earth might come to know Him and the immensity of His love for them.

Sr Mary Cathy’s Solemn Profession

On Friday last, 2^nd February, although otherwise 

quite a cold Spring day, the sun shone all day in a beautiful blue sky – symbol of the Sun which was shining in Sr Mary Cathy’s heart and which was visible in her eyes and smile as the day of her Solemn Profession had at last dawned.  She had prepared and longed for this day for many months and now was the moment to make her final commitment as a Dominican Nun until death.

It was a day of joy and thanksgiving for our whole community, Sr M Cathy’s family and our Dominican Family in Ireland.  Fr Gerard Dunne OP, vicar of the Master of the Order for our monastery, officiated and Fr John Harris OP preached the homily, Fr Eamonn McCarthy director of Radio Maria Ireland (a close friend of Sr M Cathy’s) was one of the chief concelebrants at the Eucharist  with 16 other of our Dominican Brothers;  

Sr M Cathy’s family participated in the Readings and Prayers of the Faithful, many of her friends attended – several of whom are members of the Legion of Mary.  Many of our local friends joined us for the Eucharist. The Dominican Sisters, Cabra Congregation were represented by Sr Marie Cunningham OP and our friends from the local community of Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal joined us.

 Being the 2nd of February, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, the Eucharist began with the usual blessing of candles in the cloister and then the community and concelebrants processed to the church.

More Photos available at this link, with thanks to Fr Luuk Jansen OP for his services as a photographer.

The Dominican rite of Solemn Profession is quite simple - the sister making profession places her hands in the hands of the prioress and pronounces the words of profession:

I, Sr NN, make profession, and promise obedience to God, and to Blessed Mary and to Blessed Dominic, and to the Master of the Order of Friars Preachers, and to you Sr NN , prioress of this Monastery of St Catherine of Siena, Drogheda; and to your successors, according to the Rule of Blessed Augustine and the Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers that I will be obedient to you and to your successors until death. 

The priest officiating then says:

Sr NN by this solemn profession you have given yourself to God and to His will: God Himself therefore has consecrated you to Himself through the ministry of the Church, to be associated through a life of prayer and penance, with the ‘holy preaching’ of St Dominic, so that you may be His own heritage and that He may be your heritage forever.

Then the veil is blessed with the following beautiful prayer:

Lord bless this veil which Sr NN wears for love of you and your blessed Mother Mary, ever Virgin, as a sign of her consecration to you.  Through your help and protection may she always preserve the purity of heart that it mystically signifies.  In wearing it may she be recognised as a house of prayer and temple of intercession for all people.  Clothe with your grace her entire being, so that she may love you with all her heart.  May she always live in this love and be introduced one day to the joy of your kingdom, through Christ our Lord.

Then the ring is blessed and presented to the newly professed:

Receive this ring as a sign of consecration and fidelity pledged to God, so that wearing it, you may be defended by the power of heavenly protection, and keep true faith with Him until you come into everlasting joy.

Graduation

For the past five years Sr Niamh and Sr M Teresa have participated in the distance learning programme from Maryvale University, Birmingham.  They have been studying theology very diligently while participating fully in our daily contemplative life.  So our whole community rejoiced with them when they recently graduated with first class honours in Bachelor of Divinity.  Here they are shown with their certificates which they received in the post as they did not go to Maryvale for the Graduation Ceremony on the 21st November -   Instead we  had our own community celebration!
Dobby one of our cats looks on approvingly from the roof top while the photo was being taken!

Study is an essential element in the life of Dominican Nuns - Our Constitutions encourage "a methodical study of sacred truth, according to the capacity of the individual, as a fruitful preparation for lectio divina and an aid to human maturity" - study also "nourishes contemplation" and helps us live our life with a more "enlightened fidelity".

Being able to participate in a distance learning course is a greatly appreciated by us contemplatives who observe the law of enclosure. The sisters have found this study very beneficial. Maryvale also offer short courses for those who find 5 years too intimidating. www.maryvale.ac.uk
Distance learning Theology courses are also on offer from our Irish Dominicans www.prioryinstitute.com.

Advent - First Sunday Year A

Mass Readings: Is 2:1-5; Rom 13:11-14; Gospel Mt 24:37-44.

The Mass Readings for this first Sunday of Advent provide us with a wake-up call – St Paul tells us that ‘the time’ has come and that we must wake up now and in the Gospel Jesus tells us to stay awake and stand ready for His coming.  What caught my attention most was the theme of ‘light’ – St Paul urges us to give up all that we like to do under cover of darkness and to live our lives in the light and the Prophet Isaias invites us to ‘walk in the light of the Lord.’ 

As we begin this season of Advent we are invited to come into the light – to remove the blinds from the windows of our hearts and to let the light shine in – remembering that the true Light is Jesus Himself.  He is the True Light shining on us and who desires to penetrate and posses our inmost being. 

This theme of light and darkness is fascinating - like a silver thread it is woven into the pages of the Bible – beginning with the Book of Genesis when “darkness was upon the face of the deep .... and God said, ‘Let there be light’; and the last chapter of the Book of Revelation, describes what God has in store for us when we will see him face to face – there will be no more night and He himself will be our light.

The struggle between light and darkness is a perennial one - it is the struggle in which we are all engaged – the struggle to keep our hearts free and not to allow ourselves to be enslaved by false attractions – the struggle to keep our hearts free for God alone. Today there is a lot of darkness in the world around us - more than ever before it is necessary for us, who call ourselves Christian “to cast off the works of darkness and let our armour be the Lord Jesus Christ.”   We must let nothing enslave us or captivate our hearts or impede God’s light and love from shining through our lives to a needy world.  

In this context I remembered a story about catching monkeys - seemingly a nut is placed in a net with a hole big enough for a monkey to reach in his hand to catch the nut but sufficiently small as not to allow the monkey’s fist to be released.  The monkey of course will put in his hand to grab the nut – but then he is faced with a choice: either hold on to the nut and lose his freedom as he cannot be released from the net without opening his fist or let go of the nut and retain his freedom.  Sadly he will opt for enslavement rather than let go of the nut.  Can we see ourselves in the monkey? 

We remember how Augustine’s life was transformed while reading this passage from the letter to the Romans: - after years of struggle and resistance, in one instant he was free to break loose of his past and come into the light – or rather to allow the light to penetrate and show up the darkness of his life.  So too for us, all our yesterdays lead us to the NOW of today and NOW is always new and different and must mean letting go of whatever hinders us from surrendering to the God who is lovingly awaiting our response – He has chosen to need our hearts to pray His prayer and do His loving on this earth.  Can we use these days of Advent to relax in the light of the His presence and ask him to draw back the blinds of our hearts and open our eyes and ears to His love streaming into our hearts? The following quote from Jean Corbon’s book Path to Freedom seems relevant: “Our ultimate liberation is to open ourselves to a new presence, and the peak of our activity is to relax in the gratuitousness of receiving.  The more the Lord frees us the more he gives himself.  His gift is a presence of light.  Our task is to open the blinds of our prison and let in the rays of his light.”

May His light stream into our hearts this Advent enlightening “the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope to which he has called us”- may we make room for him to be born anew in our hearts as we prepare for His coming this Christmas. 

Icon Writing

 

 

 

 

Recently Mikai Cucu conducted a week long course on icon writing for our sisters who are interested in this special art. Six sisters in all participated - some who are already quite proficient in the art and others just beginners. All in all it was a wonderful week for all. One sister expressed her appreciation as an opportunity to "swim in deep waters.  We had a wonderful week, resting on Mount Tabor, contemplating the rising of the Light, emerging from the darkness (of our souls).  The experience was intense, wholesome - affecting our souls, our hearts, and our bodies - and most rewarding.  A special word of thanks to Mihai who gives himself totally to this ministry"

 

Here we share with our readers some glimpses of the work - and all agreed that it was an intense week of work bearing much fruit in the beautiful icons shown in the picture above.

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Sunday of Lent - Year C

 

“Strong is His love for us” –

we could say that this phrase from the responsorial psalm sums up the message of today’s Mass readings.

Our God is a ‘consuming fire’ who “forgives all our guilt” and “heals our ills” (Ps 102).  He is “compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy.”

In the Gospel Jesus explains in the parable of the fig tree which did not bear fruit that he is always prepared to give us a second chance, to give us more time, in the hope that we will repent of our sins and failures.  “Give it (ie the fig tree) one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it – it may bear fruit next year!” (Gospel - Lk 13:1-9).

It is the same God who appeared to Moses while he went about his daily work of tending the flock and spoke to him from the burning bush.  Moses was standing on “holy ground” without knowing it!  God reveals His name as I AM.  When we live in the present we live in the PRESENCE of our God who knows all about the plight of His people and their desires for freedom. 

As God sent Moses to the people of Israel to be His mouth-piece and His instrument in freeing them from their bondage, so today He needs each of us to tell others of the love, compassion and forgiveness of our God.  We need not be afraid to open to Him for He will surpass all our expectations and dreams with the abundance of His love - “Strong is His love for us!”

“Only where God is seen does life truly begin.  Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is.  We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution.  Each of us is the result of a thought of God.  Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.  There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ.  There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.”  (Pope Benedict XVI).

Sr Mary Cathy's Profession - 2nd February

After a week of wind, rain and hail stones the sun shone brightly on Saturday morning  and continued to shine all day - symbol of the light and joy we celebrated on this feast of the Presentation of the Lord as Sr Mary Cathy made her Profession - an appropriate way to mark this day dedicated to Consecrated Life.

Fr Gerard Dunne OP, vicar of the Master of the Order for our  monastery, presided and was joined by our brothers from the local community and several others including Fr Gregory Carroll, Provincial and Fr Eamonn McCarthy from Cloyne diocese - a friend of Sr Cathy.
In addition to Sr M Cathy's family we were very happy to welcome Sr Marie Redmond OP, novice mistress and her two novices, from the Cabra Congregation of Dominican Sisters and all our student brothers from St Saviour's Priory, Dublin.  Fr John Harris preached the homily - which we hope to share with you later.  We were joined in the chapel by a large number of Lay Dominicans and local friends.

The following photos will convey to you something of the joy which we all experienced.

Sr Mary Cathy makes prostration and asks for God's mercy and that of the community

The prioress questions Sr Mary Cathy before making her profession

 

Sr Mary Cathy makes her profession in the hands of the prioress as is customary in our Order:

 

I, Sr Mary Cathy Howard, make profession, and promise obedience to God and to Blessed Mary and to Blessed Dominic and to the Master of the Order of Friars Preachers, Bro Bruno Cadore, and to you Sister Mary Breda Carroll, Prioress of this Monastery of St Catherine of Siena, Drogheda and to your successors, according to the Rule of the Blessed Augustine and the Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers, that I will be obedient to you and to your successors for three years.

The scapular is blessed

Sr Mary Cathy receives the veil:  "receive this sacred veil, by which you will be recognised as a house of prayer to your Lord, and a temple of intercession for all people."

After the ceremony Sr Mary Cathy with Fr Gerard Dunne OP, vicar of the Master of the Order for our monastery.

With Fr Gregory Carroll OP, Provincial

With Fr John Harris OP who preached the homily

With her Dad

With her Mam

 

With members of her family

 

 

 

 

 

 

With her friends from the Legion of Mary

With Sr Mairead, novice mistress and Sr M Breda, Prioress

 



 

Dominican Sisters and students and our friend Jim Walsh who played the organ

 

 

 

With Srs M Kathleen and Clare Marie of our community

Vocation Weekends 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single young women attracted to our Dominican Contemplative way of life are very welcome to attend any of the following vocation weekends in 2103

 

 

15 - 17 February

8 - 10 March

26 - 28 April

17 - 19 May

13 - 15 September

25 - 27 October

 

or at other times by arrangement

 

Please contact Sr Mairead OP

Monastery of St Catherine of Siena

The Twenties, Drogheda, Co Louth

email: siena3@eircom.net



 

 





Meeting of the International Commission of Dominican Nuns

 

 

Our community was privileged to host the annual meeting of the International Commission of Dominican Nuns from the 6th to the 13th October 2012.

The International Commission comprises eleven nuns who represent the eleven 'regions' into which the Domincan Nuns are divided.  They meet each year with the promoter for the nuns - presently Fr Brian Pierce OP hold this position.  The commission cannot legislate for the nuns but they are an important organ of communication between the Master of the Order and the nuns and also foster communication among the nuns themselves. 

It was a great joy for us to welcome these sisters, some of whom came from as far away as the Phillipines, South Africa, Peru, Mexico and USA while others came from countries nearer home - Italy, Czech Republic, Spain and Switzerland.  Fr Pablo Condrac OP joined them for a few days. All the meetings are conducted in English/Spanish - this year a Lay Dominican, Monica Maher who works in South America did the necessary translation from Spanish to English and English to Spanish.  The Eucharist, Lauds and Vespers were celebrated in Spanish on two days during the week. 

The members of the commission work very hard during this annual meeting but this did  not prevent them from joining our community on two evenings for the evening meal and recreation in our community room.  Mid week they took a day off and visited Glendalough - a few of our community accompanied them - unfortunately it was the one day that week which rained all day!! Later in the day we visited the Dominican Sisters in Wicklow who warmly welcomed us and told us about their work in the ecology centre. On our return jouney we joined our Domincan brothers in St Saviour's Priory for Vespers and supper where again we received a very warm welcome.

One of the highlights of the week was a cultural evening of song and dance - our photos do not fully capture the atmosphere of joy which pervaded our time together - however, we share them with you in order to give a little glimpseof what was a very happy and joyful evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit to Glendalough