Sisters in the New Evangelization (Meet the Sisters of Mary)

Sisters of Mary ^ | June 2005 | Ellen Rice

[NYer]

In 1996 Pope John Paul II’s summons for the ‘new evangelization’ inspired four Dominican women religious to undertake a new initiative.  On February 9, 1997, John Cardinal O’Connor recognized their wish to develop a new institute of consecrated life and established them as a Public Association of Christ’s Faithful in the Archdiocese of New York.  To signal the new community’s devotional emphasis, the four sisters’ Community is named , “The Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.”

The founding members of this new community in the Church include Mother Assumpta Long, Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, Sister Mary Samuel Handwerker, and Sister John Dominic Rasmussen.  Since the Association’s establishment, its membership has grown to forty-three.  Mother Assumpta Long has wondered for some time whether small bands of devoted sisters sent out for apostolic service to regions where a particular religious charism was not represented might not serve to renew religious life in the United States. 

Now Mother Assumpta explains the ideal that the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist want to embody: “We are consecrated women first, and so our foremost model is Mary, the Mother of God.  Inspired by the charism of St. Dominic, our prayer life comes first so that our apostolate overflows from a contemplation nourished before the Eucharist.” 

Shortly after their canonical establishment, the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist accepted an invitation from Bishop Carl F. Mengeling to teach in the Diocese of Lansing.style="mso-spacerun: yes">  Mr. Tom Monaghan, a well-known Catholic entrepreneur, generously welcomed the Sisters, and asked them to administer and staff Spiritus Sanctus Academy, a new adventure in Catholic education sponsored by the Domino Foundation.   Once fully developed, this system of smaller, multi-age grouping schools will provide a challenging elementary-school curriculum infused with a strong Catholic identity. 

Spiritus Sanctus Academies are committed to achieving the highest excellence in human and intellectual formation as well as to supplying an unequivocal witness to Catholic truth and practice.  

So plans call for a chapel to stand at the center of each school house unit.   Daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and emphasis on the Family Rosary make these schools ideal places for the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist to fulfill their vision of the new evangelization. Besides Spiritus Sanctus Academies, the Sisters of Mary are interested in assisting the home schooling endeavors in some manner.   They also support the Catholic Evidence Guild, an outreach effort to students enrolled at the University of Michigan.   In keeping with one of the main themes of the new evangelization, the Sisters give individual and corporate witness to the Gospel of Life.   In summary, Mother Assumpta says, “we will work in whatever forms of evangelization that the Church needs our presence.”

On August 22^nd, 1997 Feast of the Queenship of Mary, the first new candidates were received into the community.  Currently the community has 40 young women in formation. These young women come from all over the United States. The postulants and novices study theology, philosophy, scripture, sacred music, Dominican spirituality, and Church history. The young professed sisters attend nearby universities and colleges to obtain their teaching certification. Of course during their studies, the sisters participate in the full prayer life established at the convent.  Their joy and enthusiasm supports the sacrifices that consecrated life lived in community requires.  But their life is not all seriousness.  Community recreation is as indispensable to their life as community prayer.  One should not be surprised to see the postulants, novices, and the other members of the community playing a vigorous game of softball or volleyball or, at other times, joining the children at Spiritus Sanctus Academy in some recess fun.

When asked what should be done to renew religious life in the Church today, Mother Assumpta Long reflected the commitment cherished by the entire Community: “The renewal of religious life will only take place if each religious renews his or her consecration to Christ as the heart and soul of one’s very life.  Renewal can only begin with personal conversion.”

[NYer]

A day in the life of the Sisters of

Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

One of the most frequent questions the Vocations Director of the Community receives concerns the schedule the Sisters keep. So, here is a brief outline of what the Sisters do all day!

 

	5:00 Rise 5:30 Eucharist Holy Hour Office of Readings Meditation Lauds Marian Consecration 6:30 Mass – Source and summit of our day 7:05 Breakfast Professed 7:30 - Apostolate 4:00 Novitiate 8:00 Duties 9:00 Classes 11:30 Meditation (novices) 12:00 Divine Office – Midday prayer		12:15 Lunch 1:00 Rosary 1:15 Athletic Recreation 2:15 Classes 3:15 Personal time for pray, study, work 4:30 Spiritual Reading 5:00 Divine Office –Vespers and Rosary 5:30 Dinner 6:30 Community Recreation 7:30 Spiritual Reading 7:45 Divine Office – Compline with Salve Procession 8:00 Silence – time for personal prayer and study 10:00 Profound Silence

[NYer]

One of the sisters appeared Monday evening on The Journey Home , where she told the story of her parents conversion to the Catholic faith.

Mother Assumpta and the sisters will be guests of Fr. Mitch Pacwa tonight, at 8pm, on EWTN!(check your cable provider for appropriate channel)

[Dominick]

Thanks! I'll have to show my daughters...

[Aquinasfan]

Once fully developed, this system of smaller, multi-age grouping schools will provide a challenging elementary-school curriculum infused with a strong Catholic identity.

Spiritus Sanctus Academies are committed to achieving the highest excellence in human and intellectual formation as well as to supplying an unequivocal witness to Catholic truth and practice.

So plans call for a chapel to stand at the center of each school house unit. Daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and emphasis on the Family Rosary make these schools ideal places for the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist to fulfill their vision of the new evangelization.

Now that's a school I can support!

(Their daily schedule is impressive.)

[It's me]

My niece is joining in August. She is so excited and we are all thrilled!

[jobim]

Thank you for posting.

I added them to my charitable giving at the beginning of the year, along with the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, from Nashville. These teaching orders, in my estimation, are the single greatest need this country has: a rejuvenation of the Catholic school system.

[te lucis]

Wow.

[te lucis]

ping

[NYer]

My niece is joining in August. She is so excited and we are all thrilled!

That's awesome! You must keep us advised as she makes her way through the novitiate. Many prayers for her and the family.

[Aquinasfan]

These teaching orders, in my estimation, are the single greatest need this country has: a rejuvenation of the Catholic school system.

No doubt about it.

[conservonator]

These teaching orders, in my estimation, are the single greatest need this country has: a rejuvenation of the Catholic school system.

From your keyboard to the Holy Fathers monitor:)

[Lilllabettt]

Thanks for the ping. Aren't they fabulous!!!

[BizzeeMom]

Wow! How wonderful!!! :)

[FormerNavyBrat]

Very inspiring! Thanks for posting.

[Frank Sheed]

I have been supporting the Order for over two years. The thing that has struck me is the sheer joy in the faces of these women in every photo I have seen. Mother Assumpta said tonight that once they have 100, they are going to branch out to another part of the country. May God's will be done!

Frank

[nanetteclaret]

I watched the show and thought they were great! Do you remember the address of their website?

[biblewonk]

How very Marian.

[Pio]

Whoa...where are the polyester pant suits and butch hair cuts.

[NYer]

I watched the show and thought they were great! Do you remember the address of their website?

They are such happy and exhuberant women. Click on the thread link to go to their web site.