Last week brought us the largest Nun Run we have ever welcomed to the monastery. About 40 high school gals came all the way from St. Mary of the Woods parish in Whitesville, KY - about 3 minutes from our monastery. They arrived in a large charter bus!  I should have gotten a picture of that.

It was a joy to share with them the riches and treasure of Passionist life, of being a bride of Christ and living as love in the Heart of the Church.

Here we are with the chaperones. Fr. Ken Geraci, CPM, spearheaded this group. Way to go Fr. Geraci!  I have to take this opportunity to put in a good word for our dear Fathers of Mercy. Fr. Geraci was just ordained a priest with this community last summer. He is currently assigned as Associate Pastor at St. Mary of the Woods. After leaving our monastery the group headed off to visit the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, TN - about 2 hour drive from here.

+++

Another newsworthy item of last week was of course the resignation of our beloved Papa Pope Benedict XVI. As the Nun Run was departing it was 8 p.m. Rome time and official moment of resignation. We joined with the Universal Church in praying for our beloved Pontiff Emeritus and are praying for the Cardinals as they gather for the conclave.

Pope Benedict giving his blessing to our newly elected Superior General Fr. Joachim Rego, CP, October 5, 2012

We came across the following article last week on EWTN News.  We are looking forward to receiving this letter!

Cardinal Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, has written to the world’s nuns and monks to ask for their prayers for the conclave to elect Pope Benedict's successor

“The Holy Father is certain that you, in your monasteries and convents throughout the world, will provide the precious resource of that prayerful faith which down the centuries has accompanied and sustained the Church along her pilgrim path,” Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone’s Feb. 21 letter says.

“The coming conclave,” Cardinal Bertone emphasizes, “will thus depend in a special way on the transparent purity of your prayer and worship.”

...

He noted that Pope Benedict “has asked all the faithful to accompany him with their prayers … and to await with trust the arrival of the new Pope.”

“In a particularly urgent way,” he added, “this appeal is addressed to those chosen members of the Church who are contemplatives.” And Cardinal Bertone advised contemplatives to look to the Pope’s example of devoting “himself above all to prayer, contemplation and reflection.”

The Secretary of State finished his letter by saying that Pope Benedict, “with whom I shared the contents of this letter, was deeply appreciative, and asked me to thank you and to assure you of his immense love and esteem.”