Sr Mary Teresa accepted for Solemn Profession – 24th March 2011.

It is our custom the all the memebers of our community vote on accepting each sister for postulancy, novitiate and for profession. The following is a homily given by the prioress on the 24th March when the community accepted Sr Mary Teresa for solemn profession. Sr Mary Teresa will make her solemn profession on the 29th June

Sr Mary Teresa, it is significant and providential that the community accepts you for Solemn Profession on the eve of this great feast of the Annunciation of the Lord when we commemorate the moment when the Eternal Word took flesh in Mary’s womb - when Mary responded with her ‘yes’ to God the Father’s invitation.

At that moment the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. While Mary’s ‘yes’ is important she is pure capacity for the working of the Holy Spirit in her – it is all His doing and Mary said: “Let it be done unto me”. Pope John Paul II in Vita Consecrata emphasises the role of the Holy Spirit in the vocation to consecrated life. The following is adapted from Nos 19 and 39 of that document.

It is the Spirit who enables us to recognise the appeal of such a demanding choice. Through His power, we relive, in a way, the experience of the Prophet Jeremiah: ‘You have seduced me, Lord and I have let myself be seduced.’ (Jer 20:7). It is the Spirit who awakens the desire to respond fully; it is He who guides the growth of this desire, helping it to mature into a positive response and sustaining it as it is faithfully translated into action; it is He who shapes and moulds our hearts, configuring us to Christ, the chaste, poor and obedient One, and prompting us to make his mission their own. By allowing ourselves to be guided by the Spirit on an endless journey of purification we become, day after day, conformed to Christ, the prolongation in history of a special presence of the Risen Lord.

With penetrating insight, the Fathers of the Church have called this spiritual path philokalia or love of the divine beauty, which is the reflection of the divine goodness. Those who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are led progressively into full configuration to Christ reflect in themselves a ray of the unapproachable light. During their earthly pilgrimage, they press on towards the inexhaustible Source of light. The consecrated life thus becomes a particularly profound expression of the Church as the Bride who, prompted by the Spirit to imitate her Spouse, stands before Him in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:27).

The same Spirit, far from removing us from the life of humanity, inserts us more deeply into the life of the Church – as Dominican nuns we are called to intercede unceasingly for the needs of the whole human family. At the deepest level of our being we are caught up in the dynamism of the Church’s life, which is thirsty for the divine Absolute and called to holiness – it is to this holiness that we are called to bear witness.

The vocation to the consecrated life is, despite its renunciations and trials, and indeed because of them, a path of light over which the Redeemer keeps constant watch: ‘Rise and have no fear’. Sr Mary Teresa, as you begin your preparation for making this total gift of yourself to the Lord in Solemn Profession, you can count on the support of our prayer during the coming weeks. A solemn profession is a time for renewal for all of us when we fan into flame the gift of vocation which God has given us.

Sr Niamh's Profession - photos

We are sorry that it has taken us so long to share Sr Niamh's profession photos - the ones taken in the chapel are rather dark -due mainly to the fact that our chapel is extremely bright and therefore photos tend to come out dark!




Prostration at beginning of ceremony when the sister being professed asks for God's mercy and that of the community.












Sr Mairead, Prioress, questions Sr Niamh regarding her readiness to make profession.








Sr Niamh makes profession in the hands of Sr Mairead, prioress.













Sr Niamh's veil is blessed and she receives a ring.


















Afterwards with some of our sisters and some Dominican friars



























Sr Niamh planting a tree which her family presented her in memory of the occasion: pictured here with Jos our gardener and Micheal who is giving a helping hand in the garden during his summer holidays from college


















Sr Niamh shares a joke with Sr M Teresa and Cathy











Later in the week we celebrated as a community - Sr Niamh and Sr M Teresa (her novitiate companion), dressed in work clothes, treated us all to afternoon tea with samples of their homemade delicious confectionary while at the same time entertaining us with funny skits.
And of course our celebrations would not be complete without a party in the novitiate in honour of the occasion

Sr Niamh's Solemn Profession

Monday the 31st May, the feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, was a wonderful day of celebration for our community and indeed for the whole Dominican family in Ireland, as Sr Niamh Muireann made her solemn profession as a Domincan nun. She was joined by her parents, family, relatives and friends - many of whom travelled a long distance to be with her. Fr Larry Collins OP, vicar of the Master of the Order for our community, presided at the celebration and fourtenn other priests (12 Domincans 2 Carmelites from Sr Niamh's home parish and 1 Benedictine Monk, Rostrevor) concelebrated the Eucharist - Fr Terence Crotty OP preached the homily. We were also happy that some of the Domincan students from St Saviour's, Dublin and novices from St Mary's, Cork, and a Benedictine brother could join with us. Many of the local lay Dominicans were also present.

The revised Dominican rite of profession is quite simple and maybe somewhat stark but profound in its theological significance. The litanies and the prayer of consecration - which are part of the Roman rite of religious profession - have never been part of our Dominican tradition (although they are offered as an option if desired).
Our community have chosen to keep to the simple rite which is more in keeping with the tradition of our Order. We will try to give a brief description of it here for those interested.

The rite begins (after the Gospel) with the sister being professed prostrating herself while asking for God's Mercy and the community's.
Then after the homily the prioress questions her regarding her willingness and readiness to dedicate herself to God in our way of life. After a pause for silent prayer begging God for His grace and mercy the sister (kneeling) makes profession into the hands of the prioress. According to our tradition obedience only is mentioned but all three vows are included - in fact through profession we commit ourselves to faithfully live our whole life according to our constitutions. The formula of profession is as follows:

I, sister N.N., 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 Sister N. N. 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.

Then the priest who presides reminds us that it is through this simple act of profession that God consecrates us for Himself:

Sr N. N. by this solemn profession you have given yourself to God and to His will: God Himself, therefore, has conse¬crated 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

He then blesses the veil saying:

Lord, bless + this veil which Sr N.N. 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 a 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.
All: Amen.

He blesses the ring and gives it to the newly professed saying:

Sr NN 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

The rite of profession concludes with the singing of the antiphon Amo Christum - here we give the translation:

I love Christ into Whose bridal chamber I enter.
Whose Mother is a Virgin, Whose Father knew no woman.
Whose organ sounds out with melody for me.
When I love Him I am chaste. When I touch Him I am clean.
When I accept Him I am a virgin. With his ring He has betrothed me and He has adorned me with glorious jewels

The Eucharist continues as usual.





After the cermony the guests were invited to a buffet lunch, Niamh's mother had baked a beautiful cake which we cut in due course.




The day was brought to a close with a half hour's silent Eucharistic Adoration followed by solemn Vespers - at which Fr Ronan Cusack OP from the local Dominican priory preached a short homily. Benediction followed - we were happy that many of the guests were able to remain for this conclusion of a perfect day!

More photos to follow in a few days - on the whole our community are 'camera shy' - but we hope to have some to share with our readers in due course.

Jubilee Celebrations

Above left Sr Clare Marie with Sr Mairead, prioress and Sr Margaret, sub-prioress. Below Sr Clare Marie and Sr M Kathleen (who celebrated her golden jubilee of profession last November) enjoy a morning cup of tea in the novitiate.

On Friday the 24th April we rejoiced and celebrated with Sr Clare Marie, giving thanks to God for 50 years of religious profession. While we know that all her large family and extended family are united with her in spirit today, Sister decided on a quiet celebration with the community.

Fifty years ago Sr Clare Marie made religious profession as a Mercy sister and engaged in a very successful apostolate as a primary and later secondary school teacher. However in her mid 30's, once again the Lord called and she generously responded to follow His guiding Hand which led her to our community. At no little cost to herself and her beloved Mercy Congregation she dedicated herself to our Dominican contemplative way of life, making solemn profession in our community on the 1st of January 1978.

When we celebrate anniversaries of professions all of us are led to reflect on the meaning of our own profession. Our Dominican profession is a very simple rite, when placing our hands in the hands of the prioress we promise obedience according to our constitutions until death. Although we only mention obedience in the formula of profession we pledge fidelity to our whole Dominican contemplative way of life - implying the vows of chastity, voluntary poverty, obedience, community life, prayer, study etc. Celebrating 50 years of fidelity of a sister in her vocation encourages us all to serve the Lord with renewed enthusiasm, with joy and thanksgiving.