For Sale...For Heaven's Sake!

Anyone want to by a house? It's a lovely, two-bedroom Colonial townhouse located in Springfield, VA. It's convenient to mass transportation, Dulles and Fort Belvoir. It's reasonably priced and newly painted - even has a backyard! OK...I know this is weird, but this house is in our way. Let me explain...

Mary Margaret Clark has been an Affiliate of our community. She has done our "Live-In" Program and has been accepted to enter this monastic community. The one piece left of Mary's worldly responsibilities is the sale of her home. A woman just can't enter a monastery with a house. There's just no way around it and, as you might imagine, the sisters have been storming heaven for the past two months. So, I conclude, GOD knows something we don't know. (This is a major understatement, I know, but comforts me.) GOD has a plan. GOD will bless Mary with life in this monastery. It is not a question of if, but when.

So, many of us are renewing our efforts to include both prayer and action. One of the women in our "Live-In" Program is running off 1,000 flyers for her place of business. One of our dear Oblates has "lit a candle" for Mary in some neat, internet-kind-of-way. So, my contribution is this blog. If you know anyone who might be looking for a new dwelling, please encourage them to google the following address: 7396 Stream Way. GOD bless you for helping us. Please keep our Mary in your prayers as she waits patiently for GOD's plan to unfold.

Blessings and love,

- Sister Vicki

Our Sisters at Last...

Sisters Doris (Novice Director) Kathleen and Karen Lynn receive a blessing from the community...

Sisters line up to greet our new sisters...

Photo op with the prioress...


Sisters and guests share refreshments with the families of our novices...

Our Newest member...

What a joy to walk Jen to the door...

Sister Cecilia reads from the Holy Rule...

The entire community waits for its newest member in the Gathering Space.

We sing: "Come, O my daughter, listen to me. I will teach you to reverence GOD."

BIG news at Bristow...

Sister Doris and her Novices...

Our newest sisters receive the Holy Rule from the prioress...

Postulant Jennifer takes her place in our circle...

Our postulant receives the blessing of the monastic community...

More celebration photos on Tuesday...

Holy Leisure to the max...

Four of the wonderful women in discernment with our community enjoyed an outing to Kings Dominion last week. It was my very first visit to the amusement park and I’m happy to say I survived!

We had the whole park to ourselves because of the rain. No waiting on long lines, no unbearable heat. I watched Jennifer and Karen being turned upside down on the “DOMINATOR” all the while praying out loud for the future of our community. I took photos and screamed at the same time – a unique talent in community, I think.

Urszula and Pat cleaned up in the arcade – over 400 tickets in an hour! Skeeball, air hockey and a few rounds of “Deal or No Deal” made the rainy day quite profitable.

I took one ride on a real coaster – the “Grizzly”. It was an old-fashioned, wooden coaster that made horrible clacking noises and shook me lose from most of my bones. (Again, more spontaneous prayer aloud as my two companions giggled.) All in all is was great fun. We’ve decided to make this an annual event for women in discernment and in initial formation. Next year, NO “Grizzly”!

Blessings and love to you all…

- Sister Vicki

PS – BIG news on Monday…stay tuned!

All we have is NOW...

I am just returned from a visit to my aunt in Amherst, MA. Rosemary is my only aunt by blood and, in some ways, my spiritual mother. She is a poet and a crone – a gracious woman who uses words to evoke, stir-up and redeem the world. Rosemary has loved me from my youth “as is” and has nurtured in me the spark of GOD that has become a decent flame. To say that I love her, is an understatement.

The three days we shared together were made all the more sacred by the fact that Rosemary is living her fourth, and most likely last, cancer. We talked, laughed and cried together. We took a few little walks into town to the Farmer’s Market and to a documentary film at a small, artsy theater. She runs out of steam because of the chemo and the fine, silver hair on her head is nearly gone. She continues to write because it’s akin to breathing. She lives gently in the world and continues to be grateful for the ordinary moments of her life with my uncle. In short, she is. She continues to be. And being, is much more important now than doing.

While I was away, sad news came from our high school in Richmond. Our beloved librarian of 23 years died Monday after a brave battle with cancer. Sue Gregori leaves her husband, Harry, her three boys and a sweet little granddaughter behind. The sorrow is unimaginable for her family. And for the faculty, staff and students at our high school, a light has gone out. We will celebrate the Mass of the Resurrection with her family on Friday. School will be closed so that everyone can pray Sue home.

I have had much on my mind and in my heart this past week. Work has piled up in my absence and the days ahead will be full. But these two courageous women of faith are my teachers today. All is gift. All is in God’s hands. All we have is now.

Blessings and love to you...

- Sister Vicki

Transitions...

In spite of what most academic calendars say, it’s still summer. Vacations may be over, but the pace of summer still appeals to us. The sunflowers are stretching tall toward the rays of mid-August. Tomatoes are still homegrown – fat and warm from the sun. We’re enjoying the last of the sweet corn and savoring the fuzz and nectar of peaches in their prime. It is still summer.

Last weekend we had our annual “Holy Leisure” Vocation Retreat. Three wonderful women joined us for the weekend to explore Saint Benedict’s wisdom and be refreshed by prayer, rest and play. (I think the pool party is the highlight for me!) It is still summer… but, as the earth contemplates another season, we begin to shift gears.

It’s “back to school” at LHS and SGHS. Faculty return to pray, plan and focus on the year ahead. (Yesterday, the faculty and staff at SGHS did a “low-impact” ropes course together! It was wonderful…and Sister Andrea and I held our own.)

Labor Day Weekend is approaching and, for us, it is a major moment of transition and new beginnings. Our postulants will enter novitiate. Two are slated to become postulants. The weekend itself becomes one great celebration of GOD’s love for us ending with the “Blessing of Ministries” on Labor Day itself.

Yes, it’s still summer…but we are poised to receive the beauty of the next gift. As we treasure the last days of warmth and leisure, may we move forward into the unknown season with gratitude and confidence in GOD’s care for us.

Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki

PS – I’m on the road for about a week. If there is internet access, I’ll be checking in. If not, you’ll find me here again after the 27th.