As Passionist Nuns, our spiritual home is the “cloister” of Calvary, where we dwell in the shadow of His wings – the outstretched arms of Jesus Christ upon the Cross.
There, in union with Our Sorrowful Mother, we keep Him company in His Passion, we offer our lives with His in a loving sacrifice to the Eternal Father, and we strive to become channels of His grace, life, and love into our world.
“I rejoice in the Lord that you often find yourself plunged and immersed in the Sacred Passion of Jesus and in the great furnace of His Eucharistic Presence....”
Beginning tomorrow (April 23rd), our first group of Sisters will begin their annual 8-day retreat. As we’ve shared before, we like to refer to the nuns on retreat as “Marys,” while those who take on extra duties to allow for this are called “Marthas.” The roles will swap for the second retreat, which falls in mid-May this year.
This year, we decided to do something a little different for our spring vocation retreat. The Advent-themed retreat in November has been a hit with discerners, so this March we debuted our Lenten vocation retreat! The talks, prayer materials, and sharing were focused on Lenten themes, which tie in beautifully with our Passionist charism.
Alleluia! He is risen! The New Creation has begun in the Person of our Resurrected Lord, and every created thing shows forth His glory in a unique way. One of our novices caught a glimpse of this while visiting some of our spring flowers, and she was inspired to write the following hymn of praise — think Daniel chapter 3, Kentucky-style!
A palpable air of expectancy and excitement hovers around the crowd. These Passover pilgrims, gathered near the gates of Jerusalem, are awaiting more this year than just the annual festivities. As they converse among themselves, their eyes frequently turn to the road leading up to the city. What do you think? Will He come to the feast?
Looking for some spiritual reading for Holy Week? Check out our latest newsletter, which includes reflections on the sufferings of Christ and how YOU can learn to pray with the Passion.
Two Gentiles, two Galilean fishermen, and one Galilean carpenter-turned-Rabbi are standing on a hilltop just outside the city, slightly away from the surging crowds. The two Jews gesture towards the Greeks, who stand with awkward yet expectant eyes fixed on the Rabbi.
At this late hour, restless Jerusalem is finally beginning to quiet herself. One by one, the lamps shining in windows are extinguished as the inhabitants of the Holy City turn in for the night. Yet in one large, villa-like house, the glow from the upstairs window remains undimmed. Within, a most extraordinary conversation is taking place.
The gentle Teacher has been transformed into a fiery Prophet. He strides quickly around the Temple court, shouting and using his makeshift whip to send the veritable herds of sheep, goats, and oxen running. With a particularly disgusted look, He approaches the money-changers and summarily knocks their boxes of coins to the floor.
Some of our younger Sisters were out on a walk recently and were delighted to discover these little signs of an early spring. Perhaps nowhere in the world are crocuses so thoroughly appreciated as here at St. Joseph’s Monastery … the first yellow and purple blooms are always heralded with great excitement.
At last, they reach the summit. The three fishermen, though strong and robust as their trade demands, are happy for a chance to throw themselves down upon the sparse grass and catch their breath. It has been a hard climb, especially at the pace set by their Leader. For His part, the fourth Man remains standing, gazing out at the horizon with an indefinable expression on His face.
“Make yourself a good retreat in the interior of your soul, and in that desert treat with the Highest Good one-on-one, adoring him in spirit and truth.”
“The Passionist Nuns... are to strive for perfection in God’s love by living in His Divine Presence and by preserving indelibly written in their hearts the most holy Life, Passion, and Death of the loving Jesus who was sacrificed on Calvary for the world’s redemption.”
Our Retreat House and Chapel, located on a peaceful 170-acre site of beautiful woodlands, gives women and men of Catholic and other Christian denominations the opportunity to enter into a deeper relationship with God by sharing in our Passionist liturgical celebrations, while renewing and strengthening themselves spiritually and physically in a place of deep silence, solitude and prayer.
“From the Foot of the Cross”
Fill out your name and address to be added to our mailing list. You must have a USA address (in one of the 50 states) to receive our newsletter.
