We were delighted to hear recently that Pope Francis has declared December 8th, 2020 through December 8th, 2021 the Year of St. Joseph! This “Guardian of the Redeemer,” besides being the patron of our monastery, is a dearly-loved father to each of the Sisters here, and we frequently call on his intercession for matters great and small.

How appropriate, then, that this Year of St. Joseph began for us with two very special ceremonies! First, on December 8th, Sister Maria Faustina renewed her temporary vows for one year. Please keep Sister in your prayers as she and our other junior professed nun, Sister Frances Marie, continue their formation in the hopes of making perpetual vows in three years!

December 12th brought another joyous occasion here at St. Joseph’s Monastery: the Final Commitment of our Oblate Affiliate, Christie! After 11.5 years of discernment and preparation, she pledged in a beautiful ceremony to live and serve in this community for life. We are all so grateful for her “yes” to God’s unique and precious plan for her, and we truly consider her our sister in the Lord. We will share more pictures of the special day soon!