The Visitation is the sudden manifestation of the Spirit’s hidden work in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth, and the vibrant joy of this moment echoes down even to our own day.
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The final day of the Year of St. Joseph brought a larger-than-usual band of chalk-wielding hooligans descending upon our patio for their annual sidewalk inscriptions. Inspired by a series of talks from Dr. Brant Pitre on St. Joseph, the monastic rogues were determined to depict St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary and Terror of Demons!
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As most of you probably already know, Western Kentucky was ravaged by severe tornadoes last Friday night/Saturday morning. Thanks be to God, our monastery was spared and all the nuns are safe — however, for many others in this part of the country, the damage was catastrophic and even deadly.
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We here at St. Joseph Monastery have spent the past year and a half in “Jubilee mode,” celebrating several important anniversaries for our Passionist Congregation and our own community. The last of these, the 75th anniversary of our monastery’s foundation in Western Kentucky, was a particularly joyful occasion.
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As we celebrate Our Lady today on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we also — and fittingly — remember her beloved spouse, St. Joseph, as his Jubilee Year closes. Our community has even more reason for rejoicing today, as our Sr. Maria Faustina makes her renewal of temporary vows.
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Passionists often refer to our unique religious habit as the “garment of mourning and penance,” so what are we to make of Our Lord’s command to “take off the garb of mourning?” Isn’t it He Who called us to wear this garb in the first place? The answer lies in the deeper mystery of what it means to be a Passionist.
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On Thanksgiving weekend, three wonderful young women joined us for our final vocation retreat of the year. Clare, Ashlyn, and Mary spent a packed 48 hours learning about discernment, contemplative life, and the Passionist charism — along with sharing prayer and recreation with the Sisters.
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“Let us make ourselves as children with Jesus … let us be humble and simple as children by an exact obedience, by purity of heart, by love of holy poverty …”
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Yes, you read that title right — the Lord has blessed us with a second aspirant during this Year of St. Joseph! Holly, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, was accepted to enter the aspirancy program on the first Saturday of November.
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As Thanksgiving day nears, we here at St. Joseph Monastery have many reasons to be grateful. Thanks to the intercession of St. Joseph and the generosity of our many benefactors, we have a BEAUTIFUL NEW ROOF on the entire monastery, Retreat House, and chapel!!
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Blessed Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! This year, this glorious feast falls on the same day as the Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple — a very special feast to the heart of St. Paul of the Cross.
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Today marks the 234th anniversary of the death of Venerable Mother Mary Crucified of Jesus, the first Passionist Nun. It was her courage, humility, perseverance, and — most of all — burning love for Jesus Christ that laid a foundation which has stood firm for 250 years. This latest Formation and Catechesis bulletin contains reflections on our holy co-foundress’ life written by Sr. Luzia Maura, CP.
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As promised, here are some photos from our Sr. Miriam Esther’s wedding day with Jesus Crucified — enjoy!
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Each day it would appear that the widow only had “a handful of flour” and “a bit of oil” left, and she would have to renew her trust that the Lord would, indeed, continue the miracle. How often He acts the same way with us! God always gives us the grace we need for today – but not for tomorrow!
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Saturday, October 30th dawned cool and rainy — but no amount of dreary weather could dampen the spirits of our Sr. Miriam Esther on her wedding day! Our Bishop William Medley presided at Sister’s Profession Mass that afternoon, joining with a joyful group of family and friends to witness our novice make the five Passionist vows!
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The youngest of our Passionist Saints was, like St. Gemma, actually not a vowed member of the Congregation. St. Maria Goretti is widely known and loved for her willingness to suffer martyrdom rather than surrender her virginity, but fewer people know that this 11-year-old girl was catechized and spiritually nurtured by the Passionist Fathers.
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Obedience to God is not a matter of force, but of peaceful surrender; He wishes to form us, not to destroy us! “See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear Him, upon those who hope for His kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine,” as the Responsorial Psalm asserts.
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For many people, their first introduction to the Passionists came through the charismatic figure of St. Gemma Galgani. Though she was unable to enter religious life due to poor health, this mystic and stigmatist predicted that she would be considered part of her beloved Passionist Congregation after death — and how true that prophecy proved
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75 Years ago today, our five Foundresses took possession of their new monastery-to-be in Western Kentucky. Please join with us in thanking God for their fidelity and generous sacrifices that have been bearing fruit for three quarters of a century!
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In recent weeks, we have noticed some strange behavior on the part of our novice, Sr. Miriam Esther. She seems to have suddenly developed a passion for hemming large rectangles of black material …
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