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Harvard's Valedictorian to Become Dominican Nun (Mary Anne Marks)
TheSacredPage.com ^ | 08-27-10 | Posted by TheSacredPage.com

Posted on 08/27/2010 8:50:01 PM PDT by Salvation

Harvard's Valedictorian to Become Dominican Nun

Here's a great story. . .

Don’t tell Mary Anne Marks the Catholic Church is an oppressive, misogynistic disaster. She knows better. And she’s got a Harvard degree, too.

Miss Marks, a native of Queens, N.Y., graduated from Harvard University this past semester with an undergraduate degree in classics and English, delivering her commencement address in Latin. This fall, she begins a new life, discerning her future consecrated to Christ as a Catholic religious sister with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in Ann Arbor, Mich.
. . .

KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ: You are a Harvard graduate. Aren’t you surrendering all the possibilities that entails by entering a convent?

MARY ANNE MARKS: Yes, if one doesn’t see becoming a well-educated, intellectually alive nun as one of the possibilities. . . .

LOPEZ: I don’t know about you, but I read the New York Times. A number of the op-ed columnists there, and a number of the news stories, tell me that the Catholic Church is anti-woman. And from other stories, about the various scandals, the Catholic Church also sounds like a dying, loser organization of sinners. Why would you choose to represent it in such a public, hard-to-miss way — in a religious habit?

MARKS: I feel privileged to represent the Catholic Church in a visible way, because it is an organization of sinners and sinners-turned-saints, emphatically alive, expanding, and responsive to the needs of the time, an organization that has been enormously effective in promoting the spiritual and material well-being of women and men throughout the 2,000 years of its existence.

From its earliest years, the Church’s doctrine of the equality of all humans as beloved children of God and its reverence for Mary as the spouse and mother of God elevated women to a status previously unheard of. In our own times, the Church’s unequivocal opposition to practices such as abortion and contraception, which harm women physically and psychologically, and threaten to render them victims of their own and others’ unchecked desires, makes the Church a lone voice above the chaos, promoting women’s dignity and happiness.

The cry that the Church is a “dying, loser organization of sinners” echoes down the centuries; it rang out in Christ’s day, it rang out in Luther’s day, and it rings out in ours. The second part always has and always will be too true. Kyrie eleison. The erroneousness of the first part is suggested by the Church’s record of accomplishments and its longevity to this point, and by the new growth that people of my generation rejoice to see.

. . .

LOPEZ: I don’t know Harvard to be a great incubator or beacon of religious vocations. Am I wrong?

MARKS: Yes, Deo gratias! A couple of years ago, a young man who finished Harvard in three years entered the seminary in St. Louis. A little further back, a young woman who attended Harvard and lived in the same women's residence that I did joined the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal. One of my friends, whom I met while she was pursuing a degree at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, joined the Religious Sisters of Mercy two years ago. This July 25, two young men from Harvard joined the Eastern Province of the Dominicans.

Read the whole interview here. Here's a video of her delivering her now famous commencement speech in Latin:
 
 


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; consecratedlife; religious
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Video also available at the site.
1 posted on 08/27/2010 8:50:05 PM PDT by Salvation
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To: All

What a great story this is.


2 posted on 08/27/2010 8:52:56 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
"Miss Marks, a native of Queens, N.Y., graduated from Harvard University this past semester with an undergraduate degree in classics and English, delivering her commencement address in Latin."

I always wanted to deliver my valediction in Latin, but unfortunately, I didn't make the cut. Kudos to Sr. Marks on her academic excellence and for her discernment of vocation!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!
3 posted on 08/27/2010 8:55:23 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines, RVN '69 - St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!)
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To: Salvation

With a degree like that it was either this or flipping burgers.


4 posted on 08/27/2010 8:58:05 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
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To: ConorMacNessa

http://www.youtube.com/v/LYewkFKPPhs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1";></param><param


5 posted on 08/27/2010 8:58:49 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

The words in the video are largely unintelligible to me, but her beautifully expressive face tells much of the story.

One of my best friends growing up graduated Harvard in 3 years, and then became a priest. He worked at the Vatican for several years and is now a bishop back here in the states. Smartest kid in school, nicest guy in school, best artist in school, and I was in love with his mom. :)

God Bless this beautiful young woman! The Church could use a million more like her!


6 posted on 08/27/2010 9:04:59 PM PDT by RingerSIX
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To: RingerSIX

Yes, The Catholic church could use a million more like her. Who knows, maybe she’ll be the next Mother Angelica?


7 posted on 08/27/2010 9:10:13 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
What a tour de force!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!
8 posted on 08/27/2010 9:10:26 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines, RVN '69 - St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!)
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To: Salvation
But, she could be a community organizer...

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

9 posted on 08/27/2010 9:13:06 PM PDT by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
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To: Salvation

I’ve been trying to find a translation of her speech, which apparently was printed in the program that was handed out at the event, but have not managed to locate one.

If anyone finds one please ping me.


10 posted on 08/27/2010 9:17:11 PM PDT by RingerSIX
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To: The Comedian

Always trying to be funny, aren’t you?


11 posted on 08/27/2010 9:40:55 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: RingerSIX; AnAmericanMother

Calling in one translator for you.


12 posted on 08/27/2010 9:42:29 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Always trying to be funny, aren’t you?

Nope, happens with no effort whatsoever.


Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

13 posted on 08/27/2010 9:47:37 PM PDT by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
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To: RingerSIX
Latin and English here.
14 posted on 08/27/2010 9:48:38 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Maximas tibi gratias ago!


15 posted on 08/27/2010 10:00:41 PM PDT by RingerSIX
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To: Salvation

The timing couldn’t be better. Just sent this to family and friends...started a conversation with my daughters which in turn prompted finding a copy of Fabiola for our youngest to read.

Earlier this month I was at Harvard with my oldest daughter who is being recruited by the ivies.


16 posted on 08/27/2010 10:19:19 PM PDT by Domestic Church (AMDG)
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To: Domestic Church

Hope your daughter enjoys the address.


17 posted on 08/27/2010 10:29:51 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Harvard's Valedictorian to Become Dominican Nun

Miss Marks, a native of Queens, N.Y., graduated from Harvard University this past semester with an undergraduate degree in classics and English, delivering her commencement address in Latin because she wanted to target to all those in the audience who are from LATIN AMERICA.

18 posted on 08/28/2010 12:09:07 AM PDT by bunkerhill7
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To: Salvation

A stunning affirmation of all that is good—


19 posted on 08/28/2010 6:51:11 AM PDT by mtntop3
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To: Salvation

Good for her! What a blessing to have her in the Church as a wonderful example of consecrated life.

This order of nuns is very orthodox. I’m on their mailing list. It’s an order that is growing because they are true to the teachings of Christ.

It’s the liberal, feminist orders that are struggling for members. The winnowing out continues!


20 posted on 08/28/2010 8:48:20 AM PDT by Melian ("There is only one tragedy in the end, not to have been a saint." ~L. Bloy)
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