MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS CASTA LIBERTAS: A REFLECTION ON FREEDOM Today is our annual ceremony to celebrate this day—August 27 1944 —when the American Third Army liberated the town and abbey of Jouarre, and the day that our Foundress, Mother Benedict Duss, then a nun at Jouarre, felt a need to respond to the sacrifice of the American soldiers by founding a contemplative monastery in America; and here we are today. I’ve been reflecting on this ceremony in light of another ceremony we had just 10 days ago, the ceremony of Consecration to a life of Virginity, in which two of our community—Mother Alma and Mother Esther—were consecrated by the Church into a spousal union with Christ. There is a very beautiful and long Consecration Prayer in which there is a phrase—just two words—that I kept reflecting on. The whole sentence reads “Let there be in her, O Lord, through the gift of your Spirit, prudent modesty, wise tenderness, grave sweetness and chaste liberty”, but it’s that chaste liberty—in Latin casta libertas that has stayed with me. I love the phrase—it sounds a bit like a rallying cry for a revolution (“what do we want?” “Casta Libertas!”). It is such a bold thing to say: “chaste freedom”, or “the freedom of chastity”, and so counter cultural to our way of thinking—doesn’t chastity mean rather a denial or deprivation? It seems like a strange paradox. Read all of Mother John Mary's Reflection on Casta Libertas. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION Without demanding to fully understand the mystery, may we give ourselves in faith to the acceptance that the Lord, out of sheer love for Mary whom He chose from before the beginning of the world to bear His Son, could not but do otherwise than to take her to Himself, body and soul to reign at Christ’s side as Queen of Heaven. In gratitude for this incomparable gift of the Lord’s merciful love and to Mary for reaching out and grasping His extended hand. Let us pray to the Lord. May we find the ways to help people today regain hope by drawing on the power of Mary’s advocacy for all Humanity through her bodily presence in heaven, so that in the words of Father Gerald Vann: More and more people will be able to achieve their own lives–¬full, rich, deep, unified, free–not by escaping from the flesh and material things, but by the healing and sanctifying of the flesh and material things. May we have to grace to partake of this healing that is Mary’s special privilege. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Assumption. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT May we incline our ears and our hearts to the words put before us this day and tune ourselves to receive God’s persistent message from the Old Testament to the New Testament and culminating in the teaching of the Beatitudes. In gratitude to St. Benedict for listening so long to the word of Scripture and searching out the treasure contained therein until, as in a single ray of light, he was able to see and map out the sure path we all can follow to discover the Kingdom of God that lies within each one of us. Let us pray to the Lord. As St. Benedict was named the Father of Europe for fostering unity, peace, and culture at a time of great darkness and an unknown future for mankind, may we, his daughters and sons across the world, uphold his legacy in whatever small ways we are uniquely called to do, employing the tools of the cross, the book and the plow, believing that our joint efforts to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, may offer the world a stable alternative to the prevailing social chaos. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Benedict. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL In gratitude for the call of God that stirred within the heart of Mariah at an early age leading her step by step in the strong faith, dedication to prayer that she learned from her family, to the faith in Christ, the faith in Christ that she glimpsed when she saw the Story of St. Bernadette or heard a CD of Christian Sacred Music, loving the Latin words: Sanctus and Dignus, Agnus Dei, Ave Maria; long before she knew what they meant. May the light of that guiding Eastern Star of Faith never grow dim for her, and may she, in turn, keep shining for others. Let us pray to the Lord. Let us pray in appreciation of Mariah’s nearly boundless exuberance in praising God and may her joyous gratitude become a contagious force, drawing others into a celebration of life in even our smallest encounters with each other. May throughout her monastic life, her natural love of preparing and sharing food with others grow into a true medium of communion between people and cultures, sustaining her in her call even as she seeks to sustain others. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. 1st TIME EVER—PLAIN CREAM TOP YOGURT AVAILABLE AT THE ART SHOP This creamy yogurt is made with pasteurized whole milk and live active yogurt cultures: L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus which give it a delicious cultured milky flavor. Since the milk is not homogenized, there is a rich natural layer of cream on top. Other products from our our heritage breed Dutch Belted cows that are for sale: 1st PRIZE RICOTTA Our ricotta won a First Premium Blue Ribbon at the renowned Bethlehem Fair held on September 8, 2023. The Ricotta is made from the pasteurized milk of our herd. RAW MILK Starting in February 2023 our state licensed dairy began taking orders for raw milk from our heritage breed Dutch Belted cows. The cows of this breed are known to be excellent grazers and well suited for grass based dairying. Their milk contains first-rate milk components, high protein, butterfat and milk solids. Read more about the Abbey Dairy and our herd. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI Behold the Lamb of God. May we pray for an increase in humility to accept our total dependence on this Lamb of God, knowing that like the Israelites in the time of Moses, no matter how many times we boldly pledge to do everything the Lord has asked of us, we will fall again and again, yet, the everlasting covenantal love of God for His creation and His creatures will never fail, having been sealed eternally in the sacrifice of His Son, the Lamb of God, who gave His Body and Blood for us. In awe and humble gratitude that almighty God would enter into a Covenant with us and keep it no matter how we fall short in our humanity. Let us pray to the Lord. At a loss for words before the magnitude of the gift of the Eucharist which makes it possible for us to be in communion with God and our fellow man, may we be penetrated by the words of the mysterious hymn of the Lauda Sion, and even though we will not be able to process this year in the customary way, may we bring the Eucharistic presence of the Lord out into the world in our actions and the love we hold for one another in His Mystical Body. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Corpus Christi. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR TRINITY SUNDAY In gratitude for the resounding conviction of today’s three readings that proclaim the wonder and strength of our Triune God. First, from the Book of Deuteronomy: Ask from one end of the sky to the other. Did anything so great ever happen before? Did a People ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire as you did and live? May we continue to ask this question of one another, cutting through the prevailing culture of indifference to the presence of God the Father and fixing in our hearts the truth that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on the earth below and that there is no other. For the grace to know with surety and proclaim with joy the greatness of what we have been given through the love of the Trinity poured out upon us, Let us pray to the Lord. And in the second reading we hear from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans: You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption through whom we cry: Abba Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. May we help each other not fall back into fear which is so destructive of freedom in God, but rather, when we see someone growing fainthearted on the way, reach out to them with whatever love we have to give, knowing the Spirit will then take even our smallest offering and multiply it until all the children of God who have suffered with Christ, will also be glorified with Him. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Trinity Sunday. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF PENTECOST Who is not moved as we heard the names of the different nations of the known world at the time of Christ? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, and so on, all understanding each other in their own language. How can this be? Perhaps because when we speak of the mighty works of God as they were doing, we are using a universal language recognized by all men that transcends the limits of our narrow partisan perspectives, or more importantly, because the Spirit brings the capacity to forgive. May we take this truth to heart in speaking to one another, finding our common ground in the wonders God has given to all of us, and celebrate them, sharing them, rather than fighting to possess them. And may we not give up on the hope that one day Palestinians and Israelis, Russians and Ukrainians, me and my neighbor, whoever that might be, may be able to hear each other and understand in our own language. Let us pray to the Lord. May we pray to become true people of the Spirit, imploring Him to enter into the humble circumstances of our ordinary daily lives and infuse them with his seven-fold consoling gifts: Fear of the Lord, Counsel, Knowledge, Understanding, Fortitude, Piety, Wisdom. May we grow in our belief that it is only through the fire of the Spirit’s love that our flawed humanity will be released to love one another as we were meant to from the beginning of creation, and that through that love we may renew the face of the Earth. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Pentecost. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE PENTECOST Ascendit Deus in Jubilatione! Alleluia!. May we be mindful, tempting as it is on a day like this to stay looking up to heaven, may we remember that in these days of Ascension there is a dual movement of endings and beginnings, remembering that as Christ ascends up and in to take His place with the Father, He also commands the Apostles to move out into the world to extend the Gospel He has given them to every creature, and to do so with joy, dispelling any reason for sadness at His departure, by reminding them He will be more present to them now, He will be in them, part of them, as He is part of us now Eucharistically, though He remains eternally one with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. In awe before this great mystery, Let us pray to the Lord. In awe at Christ’s opening the gates of heaven to Mankind so that the human person, body and soul, could be for the first time in the presence of God, reversing the effects of the Fall of Adam and Eve from Paradise and releasing from captivity all the hosts of holy people who have been waiting for Him to free them since the beginning of the world. In gratitude, Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Ascension. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR EASTER Easter Vigil Alleluia! In joy and wonder, that as Christ rises from the dead on this most sacred night, all of us and all of creation itself rise with Him, reborn through Him, like the new fire, blazing until it is completely consumed, just to light that single bright fragile flame of the Paschal candle. And like the water, in turn, blessed by that candle to become Baptismal water, may we pray that the life-giving Spirit of this fire and water accompany us throughout the days and nights to come, no matter what challenges are sure to be waiting for us as we bring the light of Christ out into the world. Let us pray to the Lord. Easter Morning Easter Morning, the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. He is Risen! In our own perhaps sleepy and shocked understanding of the events of last night, may we not fail to take note of the new dawning, the Son. This is the day the Lord has made, let it not slip by us. Let us rejoice and be glad therein, Buona Pasqua! Alleluia! However it comes to us to say it, may we let the new hope that has been given, shine within us and radiate out to all in need. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Easter Vigil and Easter Morning Masses. Read a wonderful article in the April 2024 Edition of the Catholic Transcript by Karen Avitabile about the significance and making of the Paschal Candle by Mother Lioba Postel. "This candle becomes the Lumen Christi, the light of Christ from which we take our own light and with which we renew our baptismal promises, declaring ourselves one with Christ,” Mother Lioba says. “This is a great opportunity, especially in these dark times, to refresh our minds so that we can all enter more fully into the Easter Vigil this year.'' The Abbey’s Cecilia Chrism Fragrance, made by Mother John Mary Adshead, is also highlighted in the article. The Archdiocese of Hartford uses our chrism oil during its Chrism Mass and in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. "In the Bible, along with wheat and wine, oil is one of the essential gifts God gives to his people, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair says. 'Oil consecrated as Chrism is reserved for the most sacred sacramental use. It is scented, and we are blessed in the archdiocese to use the aromatic fragrance produced locally by the nuns at Regina Laudis." Karen has graciously made a pdf file of her article, The Paschal Candle: the Sacramentals of Christ Himself, available for you to read and/or download. TRANSITUS OF MOTHER DEBBORA JOSEPH BUCK Mother Debbora Joseph (née Josephine) Buck, 86, a nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, CT, died on March 15, 2024. She triumphed over many health challenges for several years, but this time, she knew she had finished her work on earth and said, “I’m going to the Lord.” When asked how she felt about that, she replied, “I feel ready.” Her decades of service to the Regina Laudis community as Head Portress were defining, as she welcomed each guest as Christ, according to the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict. She was a Portress for 36 years, until the end of her life, offering guests the first welcoming taste of our monastic life and meeting with countless guests and friends, visitors and pilgrims for spiritual advice and counsel. She was deeply involved in supporting those persons who had suffered as a result of the tragic attacks of 9/11. As a born New Yorker who had worked at Two World Trade Center herself, their suffering touched her particularly. A Requiem Mass for Mother Debbora Joseph will be celebrated at the Abbey’s Church Jesu Fili Mariae, 15 Robert Leather Road in Bethlehem on Wednesday, March 20 at 10 am. Burial in the Abbey cemetery will follow. Calling hours will be Tuesday evening, March 19 from 5:30 pm—8 pm and Wednesday, March 20 from 8 am—10 am. In lieu of flowers, donations to New Horizons would be gratefully accepted. Read more about Mother Debbora Joseph's professional and monastic life. LENT AND PASSIONTIDE We begin the liturgical season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. In many languages the name given to this sacred season expresses the number forty, such as Quadragesima in Latin. The English word Lent meaning "the Spring-fast" is derived from the ancient Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning "Spring," and lenctentid, which means not only "Springtide" but more specifically the month of March. The number 40 has tremendous significance in Judaism. The two Old Testament prophets who were permitted to approach God, Moses and Elijah, had to first prepare for forty days. During the Exodus from Egypt, the Hebrew people wandered for forty years in the desert before arriving in the Promised Land. On the First Sunday of Lent the Gospel of St. Mark recounts Jesus' forty day fast in the desert. Read more about the liturgy of the Lenten Season. We are pleased to offer you original translations by Joseph T. Moller of the hymns that we sing throughout Lent, Passiontide, and the Easter Proclamation the Exsultet. The translator's notes offer more insight into the origin and significance of the images evoked by the composer. The hymn Audi Benigne Conditor was composed by Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604) and is sung at the Office of Vespers. Acknowledging our human frailty, it is a plea for God's forgiveness: "Scrutinize and nourish our hearts, the weakness of men you know, to those returning to you show" forgiveness and grace." The hymn from Lauds, Iam Christe Sol Iustitiae, probably composed in the 10th Century, is full of hope and a promise of resurrection, that in the day of Christ, all things will "re-flower". The hymn is sung as the sun is rising, so we are asking Christ, the Sun of Justice:"From our minds scatter all shadows, that virtue’s light return, as to the earth You restore the day." The hymn's Gregorian Chant melody and rhythm beautifully express Lenten joy and hope. Read original translations of the Lenten Hymns. ABBEY THEATER NEWS Since the 1970s, enthusiastic audiences have enjoyed the musicals and plays performed at the Abbey's The Gary-The Olivia Theater. In 2018, the directors of the resident theater company relocated to the West Coast. Through the inspiration, generosity, and hard work of Sister Grace Edna Rowland, C.S.J., director of the Clare Rose Playhouse at St. Josephs' College in Patchogue, NY, we were able to host a production of the acclaimed musical GODSPELL in September, 2019. Shortly after those sold-out performances, however, the Abbey was forced to close its doors to the public due to the threat of Covid. This, of course, included The Gary-The Olivia Theater, which has been dark since GODSPELL's last curtain call. The Abbey began receiving visitors again in 2022. In the summer of 2023, a small group of oblates and members of the community initiated discussions and work directed at the reopening of the theater. We thank our many friends and benefactors for your loyalty, and beg your continued patience while we clean and prepare our theater facility, and rededicate and reorganize our theater community. We will update this page when we are ready to announce our next production. Read more about The Gary-The Olivia Theater, THE FEAST OF ST. SCHOLASTICA
"Plus potuit quia plus amavit./ She was able to do more because she loved more" February 10th is the Feast of St. Scholastica, the sister of St. Benedict. What we know about the life of St. Benedict, we owe to Pope St. Gregory the Great who wrote his biography roughly fifty years after St. Benedict's death. In the Second Book of the Dialogues Containing the Life and Miracles of St. Benedict of Nursia the Pope recounts to the disciple Peter the miracles wrought by St. Benedict. There was, however, one time when the saint did not get his way. As St. Scholastica made her yearly visit to her brother, she prevailed upon him to stay instead of returning to his Abbey with his monks, so they could talk and pray through the night. Wishing to abide by the justice of his Rule, St. Benedict refused her. St. Scholastica put her head in her hands and wept tears of supplication to God, and a sudden violent storm prevented St. Benedict from leaving. St Gregory continues: And so by that means they watched all night, and with spiritual and heavenly talk did mutually comfort one another. The Divine Office for the Feast of St. Scholastica is beloved to Benedictines, particularly women's communities, as we sing the texts from the Dialogues recounting the wondrous exchange between brother and sister. Read more about the Feast of St. Scholastica: the antiphons we sing and the significance this feast holds for our community. MONASTIC ART SHOP 2024 Winter Hours: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 10 am—12 pm; 1:30—4 pm Note: We can only accept cash or checks. We cannot accept credit cards or e-payment. We look forward to welcoming you to our Monastic Art Shop in our renovated building. We offer crafts and food made by the community and local artisans. We have new designs of candles made from the beeswax of our hives. For the first time we have beautiful wooden cheese boards made by our friend Tim Csanadi which complement the wooden bowls made from wood from our land. We have a wide assortment of books from biographies to Benedictine spirituality. Our line of Abbey soaps and perfumes is as fragrant as ever. We also sell greeting cards with exquisite artwork by our artists and "kitchen art" featuring the 100% cotton tea towels designed by Sydney Palmer C' de Baca. Learn more about our Monastic Art Shop. Please note that we are unable to ship cheese. We apologize for the inconvenience.
MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR EPIPHANYNations shall walk by your light and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about. Pope Francis has recently reminded us of the words of St. John Chrysostom that the Magi didn’t start out on their journey because they saw the star, They saw the star because they had already started out on a journey, looking for a new horizon, and the star answered them, the start came to met them. May our restless, ever seeking hearts not be afraid to set out on our search for Christ while still in the dark, believing that the light of the star will lead us, and lead us forward. Let us pray to the Lord. Or as another Eastern Father of the Church, St. Basil, says: Stars cross the sky, Wise Men journey from pagan lands, earth receives its Savior in a cave. Let there be no one without a gift to offer, no one without gratitude as we celebrate the salvation of the world. For the gift of gratitude. Let us pray to the Lord. No matter what is going on around us: from daily assaults of sickness, or invasive animals, or storms and natural disasters, or human conflicts of every kind, may we keep raising our eyes to search for the star for the sing the Father will send us to direct us to His Son, the sign that is our true hope for peace, because it belongs to all the nations of the earth. Let us pray to the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Epiphany. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS DAY MASS In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In gratitude that the Church’s liturgy places before us this morning the beginning of St. John’s Gospel, reminding us year after year that when it comes to the Incarnation, we are immersed in a mystery we will never grasp or possess. May we, like St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in their profoundly different ways, be given the grace to witness to the light we will never fully comprehend, because it is always ahead of us, beyond us, bigger than we can contain, always calling us to love more than we think we can. Let us pray to the Lord. May we have the humility and the strength to grow in our desire to keep desiring, rather than to seek to master or possess the gift of Christmas peace, content to draw a little nearer to the presence of the divine life God bestows on our world through the love of His Son, knowing for us, it will come, some small incarnation by incarnation. Let us pray to the Lord. MIDNIGHT MASS The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Acknowledging that all who live on this earth will at some point know the experience of walking in darkness, may we stop for a minute this night to pray especially for those who may be struggling in the dark even at this very moment. May we offer unending gratitude for the gift that is the light of the newborn Christ and pray for the grace to recognize the light when He appears, turning away from the all too familiar darkness and not being afraid to claim the newness of the life that the light will reveal. Let us pray to the Lord. May we never forget that this light that we have been given in Christ has the power to forgive, to heal, and to restore, and that if we will let Him be born in us Christ will turn all our doubts and sadness to joy, for He alone is capable of ending war and trampling underfoot all the death and destruction that war leaves in its path, He alone is capable of liberating all who are oppressed; for without the Prince of Peace there will be no lasing peace, May the world remember this simple truth and turn to welcome Him into every dark corner that awaits His saving presence. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Christmas. THE GREAT 'O' ANTIPHONS Beginning on December 17th until the Vigil of Christmas, the Great ‘O’ Antiphons are chanted each evening at Vespers. Notable for their distinct theological and musical excellence, they are prayed at Vespers because of the belief that it was at the evening hour of the world that the Savior was born. So as to also honor the Mother of God, they precede the Magnificat, Mary's prayer. Vespers is sung with great solemnity: candle-bearers stand on each side of the Hebdomadarian who, standing in the center of the monastic choir, intones the 'O' Antiphon and sings the special Collect for the day. The Magnificat is sung on the Solemn tone and all the bells are rung from the intonation of the 'O' Antiphon to the end of the final prayer. All are invited to our Church of Jesu Fili Mariae to join us at 5:00 pm (4:30 on Sunday) for this liturgy. Read beautiful poetic English translations of the 'O' Antiphons by classicist and Abbey friend, Joseph T. Moller, who offers some background to these ancient antiphons. Listen to O Radix Jesse and the Solemn Magnificat sung by the monastic choir.
MONASTIC INVESTITURE OF SISTER GENEVIEVEOn September 16, 2023, the Abbey celebrated the Monastic Investiture of postulant Jacquelyn Nicole Lee who was clothed in the monastic habit and received the name Sister Genevieve. Monsignor Robert Tucker, the Abbey priest-in-residence, was the celebrant and homilist at the Mass. Jacquelyn chose to highlight her Texas heritage by wearing a white cotton dress and cowboy boots throughout the day. Jacquelyn’s parents Jon and Ginny, her brother Christopher, and a group of close friends came for the occasion. The celebration took place on the Memoria of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, while still within the aura of Jacquelyn’s favorite feastday, the Feast of the Holy Cross. And Jacquelyn’s birthday! The East Coast also remained under the threat of Hurricane Lee, the only Category 5 hurricane of 2023. Read about Sister Genevieve's life. See a Gallery of her Investiture Ceremony and Celebration. OUR 18th CENTURY NEAPOLITAN CRECHE Visit our beloved 18th-century Neapolitan Crèche during the 2023 Advent Season! Open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m.—3 p.m. Closed on Monday and Tuesdays. Winter Closure: January 7th —Easter Sunday. The Crèche, a remarkable ensemble, contains 68 figures between 14—16 inches high. The figures, whose heads, hands and legs are made of carved wood and terra cotta, are situated in a small village made primarily of the bark of cork trees that evokes the local surroundings of the Neapolitan artists of the time. Dressed in their original 18th-century costumes, the figures vividly portray the Holy Family, as well as children, old and young women bearing gifts, merchants and peddlers, a princess and her whippet, angels, the Three Kings, and peasants and their farm animals. Read more about our 18th-century Neapolitan Crèche. ORIGINAL TRANSLATIONS OF ADVENT HYMNS The Christmas Season begins with the First Sunday of Advent and continues through Epiphany to the Baptism of the Lord. It is one of our most intense, yet enriching times. Both the liturgy and the chants proper to this season express this intensity, moving from a sense of anticipation during Advent to the wonder of the Incarnation—God made man—and the joy of the Nativity. Classicist and Abbey friend, Joseph T. Moller has offered original English translations of the hymns we sing for Advent: Conditor Alme Siderum and Alma Redemptoris Mater. At 1st Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent we begin singing the hymn Conditor Alme Siderum (Creator of the Stars). In the darkness and conflicts of our world, the hymn's message of hope seems more relevant than ever. Grieving that by the curse
of death the universe should perish, you have saved the languishing world, giving to the guilty remedy. Read the full translation of Conditor Alme Siderum. At the Office of Compline each night we sing a hymn to Our Lady which changes according to the liturgical season. On the First Sunday of Advent we begin singing the beautiful hymn Alma Redemptoris Mater. Joseph T. Moller offers what he calls an "interpretative translation" of the hymn, versicle, and collect which follow the hymn. Read the original translation of Alma Redemptoris Mater. PRIZE WINNING RICOTTA FOR SALE AT THE MONASTIC ART SHOP Our ricotta just won a First Premium Blue Ribbon at the renowned Bethlehem Fair held on September 8, 2023. The Ricotta is made from the pasteurized milk of our heritage breed Dutch Belted cows and is now available in 12 oz. containers in our Art Shop most weekends. Please call ahead to check for availability at: (203) 266-7637 Or email the Abbey Dairy for more information. Read about our Abbey Dairy and Dutch-belted Herd. Read more about the Monastic Art Shop.
A great sign appeared in the heavens, a woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars. As we try to draw a little nearer to the mystery of Our Lady’s Assumption this year, may we remember that the dazzling woman depicted in Revelation, Mary, the Queen of the Heavens, is the very same earthly Mary of the Magnificat, a young pregnant mother who traveled on foot through her native hill country in haste to help her older pregnant cousin. And let us not forget that this is how we too must follow her son to victory in the ongoing battle with the dragon, fighting with the weapons of love for one another, humility in service, and our voices constantly lifted in praise for all the gifts the Creator has bestowed upon us. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude to Rev. Mother Benedict Duss, our Lady Abbess, for her courage in deciding to leave France in 1946 in the aftermath of the destruction of World War II, in order to found in this country a new expression of contemplative Benedictine life for women. On this feast day of Mary’s Assumption, we give thanks for the embodiment of Lady Abbess’ vision in this monastery of Regina Laudis and for her taking as her guiding principles the sacredness of the human body and Woman’s particular role in the plan of redemption. May we ponder ever more deeply the fact that the doctrine of Mary’s Assumption, establishing that she was taken, body and soul into heaven was proclaimed by the Church in 1950. Almost simultaneously with the birth of this Foundation. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Assumption. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST BENEDICT In gratitude for the life and surprising call of Sister Christopher McLarin who had the courage to turn her life in a radically different direction, leaving a successful career, a wide circle of relationships and an active Church ministry, to incline the ear of her heart to the quiet wisdom of St. Benedict. May this deep contemplative longing within her grow ever stronger as she now loves into her vows, and may we ask the intercession of St. Benedict for blessings on all who have loved and assisted her throughout this eventual journey: her family, friends, colleagues, physicians, spiritual mentors, especially Bishop Barres and Monsignor Baker, and all the people of Allentown. Let us pray to the Lord. May Sister Christopher’s gift for hospitality be a beacon of light and hope to all who come to Regina Laudis, inspiring the Community to follow with joy St. Benedict’s seemingly impossible mandate to welcome each person as we would welcome Christ, and may we ask special blessings on all the benefactors, oblates, and workers who have collaborated with Sister Christopher to insure the continuity of St. Martin’s Guest House; or have contributed to her culinary magic in the daily Five Star monastic kitchen where she feeds the multitudes with joy we can actually taste. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Benedict. FIRST PROFESSION OF SISTER CHRISTOPHER MCLARIN On the Feast of St. Benedict, July 11, 2023, Sister Christopher McLarin made her First Profession of Vows to God through the Community of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Monsignor Robert Tucker celebrated the Mass and was the homilist. Sister Christopher's spirit was captured beautifully in Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful at Mass: May Sister Christopher’s gift for hospitality be a beacon of light and hope to all who come to Regina Laudis, inspiring the Community to follow with joy St. Benedict’s seemingly impossible mandate to welcome each person as we would welcome Christ, and may we ask special blessings on all the benefactors, oblates, and workers who have collaborated with Sister Christopher to insure the continuity of St. Martin’s Guest House; or have contributed to her culinary magic in the daily Five Star monastic kitchen where she feeds the multitudes with joy we can actually taste. Let us pray to the Lord. Read more about Sister Christopher and read Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful. FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL 2023 MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF STS PETER AND PAUL For the grace to stay in the tension when we find ourselves on opposing sides of a question with those we love and with whom we share responsibility for the life entrusted to us, that the angel who released Peter from chains and rescued Paul from the lion’s mouth will resolve what is dividing us and bring us out into the wide open spaces where we can see clearly and for certain the one truth to which we are both called. Let us pray to the Lord. Through the intercession of Sts. Peter and Paul, may we come to know in any given situation who is holding the position of the immovable rock that others need for stability and support and like Paul, who is being poured out like a libation, expending all their strength to go out to the as yet unknown or untouched places waiting for the light of Christ to find them. May these two differing charisms that informed the pillars of the early Church manifest themselves in our small daily efforts to sort out the chaos that surrounds us, so that we may truly learn how much we need each other and let each other shine in his or her own call for the building up of the Body of Christ in our troubled times. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. THE HIDDEN HALF:
MEDITATIONS ON THE DIVINE OFFICE BY ABBEY POSTULANT JACQUELYN LEE
Our postulant Jacqelyn Lee offers a series of personal meditations on the Divine Office as it is prayed at Regina Laudis. The holy sacrifice of the Mass and the Divine Office are the two public prayers of the Church. They exist in complement to each other. The Divine Office is the hidden half of the Church’s public prayer. It is Mary mulling over the words of her lost child in light of the ancient praises of her fathers. Our series began with the Office of Compline, the night prayer of the Church: More than any other office, compline brings to the fore the spiritual combat aspect of monasticism. As St. Paul says, we are at war with principalities and powers. It’s hard to talk about spiritual warfare in a way that’s credible to modern ears. Compline doesn’t try to convince you of anything though, so I won’t either. That demons exist and seek to turn us away from the life of grace is compline’s starting place. September 2023, Final Installment: The Office of Vespers The shadows are gathering and so are we. As we head toward Christmas, the light wanes and we sing at twilight and then by lamplight. Vespers is the still point in the day when all the troubles I’ve been trying to keep off at last wash over me. It is an hour of recollection. Read Jacqelyn's entire meditation on the Offices of Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Vespers. NEW FILM: THE PHOENIX FORGE OF THE ABBEY OF REGINA LAUDIS In the summer of 2022 Mother Anastasia Morgan, who is the head of our Blacksmith Shop, contacted the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina, on behalf of one of her students. He was graduating from high school and was interested in a college where he could continue to study blacksmithing. She spoke with Dr. Wade Razzi and in advocating for her students she explained why we have a blacksmith shop at the Abbey, her own process of becoming a blacksmith, and her work of teaching blacksmithing to children and young adults. As a result she was invited to give a guest lecture at the college in the spring of 2023. Because she could not physically go to South Carolina we helped her to prepare a video lecture to present. Enjoy this 47 minute film: The Phoenix Forge of the Abbey of Regina Laudis, O.S.B. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR RECENT SOLEMNITIES Sacred Heart May we take the time to feast on the richness of the Word of God this morning. In the words of Deuteronomy: “You are a people sacred to the Lord, God set His heart on you and chose you.” From St. John: “For in this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, for God is Love.” And in Christ’s own words: “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” For the grace to remember these words. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Corpus Christi How can this man give us His flesh to eat? As this question still arises in the hearts of men and women today and indeed, in our own hearts, may we not lose sight of the truth that Christ is not just a man, but true God and true Man. As God he can and does give us His flesh to eat in the form He has chosen to be most perfect for that gift, the form of bread and wine through which we united with Him in a wholly physical and wholly spiritual way. In awe and gratitude for this mystery which Thomas Aquinas calls the "Greatest of all Christ’s miracles". Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Corpus Christi. Trinity Sunday The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. May these words of St. Paul be the constant greeting in our hearts and found on our lips as we approach one another in times of hardship and times of rejoicing, acknowledging that all unity and peace on earth is derived from our Triune God, the model and source of the unity and love among diverse persons for which we long. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Trinity Sunday. Pentecost Sunday In the words of the Sequence of today’s Mass, the great prayer we sing preceding the Gospel: Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light, Come, Father of the poor, come, Giver of Gifts, come Light of the Heart, Praised Comforter, Sweet Guest of the Soul, Sweet Consolation, Bend that which is inflexible, Fire that which is chilled, Correct that which goes astray, Give to Your Faithful, those who trust in You, the seven-fold gifts. May these words ever be in our hearts and come to our aid in the days ahead. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Pentecost Sunday. Ascension Thursday Ascendit Deus in jubilatione. In gratitude for the gift of Christ’s Ascension which reminds us, amidst all our complex emotions of sadness and joy, that Christ is never really gone from our lives, but only moves ahead to prepare a place for us with the Father, cutting through the limitations of life in the body and releasing all the shackles of sin and death that afflict humanity in one magnificent act of liberation, leaving "captivity captive" as we pray in the liturgy of the day and restoring man’s place in the kingdom of the Father. For the grace to believe in this ever present movement of ascension and the renewal of hope in our conflicted world. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Ascension Thursday. THE 911 NUN: 26-YEAR-OLD DOING GOD’S WORK AS EMT An article by Steve Bigham featuring our postulant Jacquelyn Lee was published in Waterbury's Republican-American on April 29, 2023. Nun-in training Jacquelyn Lee, center, is the first ever to join the Bethlehem Ambulance Association. She is joined here by fellow EMT's, from left, George Romano, Sue March, Laura Suchcicki, Tyler Smith, and Dave Deakin. (Used with permission of Steve Bigham Republican-American.) If you have a subscription you may read the full article on the Republican American site. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR EASTER Easter Vigil May we follow our Lord’s example and not stay in the tomb any longer than we have to, but leaving behind all the shadows of doubt that will hold us back, rise up and look around us at the transformed world we live in. In gratitude for all the expressions of new life we have seen and heard tonight, offered in love and praise of the Risen Lord, especially for the heartfelt singing of the ancient prayer of the Exsultet and the inspiring Scripture readings expressed in each unique voice, unfolding for us the mystery of our salvation history. In gratitude for the astounding gift of the regenerating power of Baptismal water and for the spark of the new fire lighting not only the Paschal candle but every candle in this church, no matter how reluctant they might be, and in gratitude for all these incarnational blessings, too many to name. May we respond with a resounding Alleluia as we take the light of Christ out into the world tonight. Let us pray to the Lord. Easter Morning Mary, tell us what you saw on the way. May we welcome the Gospel variations in the recounting of the first Easter morning, enjoying the fact that what seemed clear in the middle of the night already seems different at dawn, and as we ponder John’s account of what happened to three of the people closest to Jesus that first earth-shattering morning, may we accept that it doesn’t really matter who was the first to see the empty tomb, but rather focus with child-like wonder on how generously and quickly each one, whether in the position of Mary Magdalen, or John, or Peter, shares the gift of the Good News with the others and eventually with us, leaving room for another to have his or her own unique experience in their own time. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Easter. FIRST PROFESSION OF SISTER JEANNE PAUL ERICKSON On the Laetare Sunday, March 19, 2023, Sister Jeanne Paul Erickson made her First Profession of Vows to God through the Community of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Monsignor Robert Tucker celebrated the Mass and was the homilist. From Mother Abbess' Prayer of the Faithful: We remember today the unlikely call and anointing of David the King, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, brought in from taking care of the sheep to receive Samuel’s blessing. May we likewise pray in wonder and gratitude for the life and surprising call of Sister Jeanne Paul Erickson, who persevered on her long winding path from Ottawa, Canada, pushing her way through whatever rocky soil she encountered like the rock she is, often not knowing where she was going as she moved out from her established Baptist Faith and a potential career in engineering, through many moves and steps of conversion to arrive at this Laetare Sunday, when we joyfully celebrate together her Profession of Vows to God as a contemplative nun of Regina Laudis. May the Spirit, indeed, continue to rush upon her and upon all here present. Let us pray to the Lord. Read more about Sister Jeanne Paul and read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful. See a Gallery of the Profession Ceremony. SPRINGTIME AT THE ABBEY DAIRY 2023 A heifer was born to our dairy cow Mira on April 15th. Meet Aviva whose name means Spring in Hebrew. Watch and listen to a Video of our Dairy Cows enjoying the new green grass in our dairy pasture. It's obvious why our grass-fed cows produce such delicious high quality milk! Have you ever seen cleaner cows?? THE HIDDEN HALF:
MEDITATIONS ON THE DIVINE OFFICE BY ABBEY POSTULANT JACQUELYN LEE
Our postulant Jacqelyn Lee offers a series of personal meditations on the Divine Office as it is prayed at Regina Laudis. The holy sacrifice of the Mass and the Divine Office are the two public prayers of the Church. They exist in complement to each other. The Divine Office is the hidden half of the Church’s public prayer. It is Mary mulling over the words of her lost child in light of the ancient praises of her fathers. Our series begins with the Office of Compline, the night prayer of the Church: More than any other office, compline brings to the fore the spiritual combat aspect of monasticism. As St. Paul says, we are at war with principalities and powers. It’s hard to talk about spiritual warfare in a way that’s credible to modern ears. Compline doesn’t try to convince you of anything though, so I won’t either. That demons exist and seek to turn us away from the life of grace is compline’s starting place. March 23, 2023, New Installment: The Office of Matins Sometimes I pray for very small things. Like for the bull to stop limping. And then he does. Sometimes I pray for my friends, that God will grant them the grace to grow in faith and trust in his will for them. And then we both end up growing a little in faith, and God leads us to places we did not expect. Sometimes I pray for strangers. And then I do not know what happens. But always I pray for vocations, equally for the people who ought to stay in monasteries as for the people who must leave them. Because you never know how the Lord will take you when he takes you seriously. Read Jacqelyn's entire meditation on the Office of Matins. PERPETUAL PROFESSION & MONASTIC CONSECRATION OF MOTHER JUDITH On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2022, Mother Judith Elsen made Perpetual Profession and received the Blessing of Monastic Consecration at the hands of His Excellency The Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, S.T.D., Archbishop of Hartford. Monsignor Robert Tucker was concelebrant of the Mass. Mother Judith (Mary Grayce) Elsen, a native of Michigan, entered Regina Laudis on the Feast of St. Scholastica in 2007, after a successful career as an accountant. She held the position of Financial Reporting Manager for the Oil and Gas Exploration and Production sector of BP's North America business based in Houston. On the Feast of St. Benedict in 2008 Mary was clothed with the monastic habit and received the name "Judith", after the courageous heroine of the Old Testament about whom Pope Francis reflected: With the strength of a prophet, Judith rebukes the men of her people to restore their faith in God; with the gaze of a prophet, she sees beyond the narrow horizon proposed by the leaders, and which fear limits. She is courageous in faith and in deeds. Judith had her own plan, carried it out successfully, and led the people to victory, but always with the attitude of faith of those who accept everything from the hand of God, certain of his goodness.
Read more about Mother Judith and see photographs of the Perpetual Profession and Monastic Consecration ceremony. See a Gallery of Books restored and bound by Mother Judith. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. SCHOLASTICA In thanksgiving for the life of St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, whose feast we keep today, who was not afraid to follow the voice of Christ tenderly calling her into the desert, into the solitude of consecrated spousal life with Him; and from whom she gained the courage to act fearlessly in love, trusting that Christ in turn will hear her voice when she poured out her prayers to Him with all her heart. Let us pray to the Lord. Plus potuit quia plus amavit. She could do more because she loved more. May St. Scholastica intercede for all her sons and daughters striving to answer the voice of God, especially when He calls them into a way of life for which there is not yet a clear form, only the certainty of a call. May she inspire us to emulate her example in praying with the intensity of absolute conviction, so that our prayers too may reach the ears of the Lord her spouse and effect a change even when circumstances seem impossible and all human pathways appear to be blocked. Let us pray to the Lord. Read about the Background to this feast and all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Scholastica. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD—JUBILEE of MOTHER JADWIGA and MOTHER LIOBA, February 2, 2023 On this feast of the Presentation, feast of the Meeting, Candlemas Day, feast of the Purification of Christ and of Mary, may this day that the Church has dedicated to those called to the Consecrated Life, on this day may we pray in special gratitude for the witness of Mother Jadwiga Makarewicz and Mother Lioba Postel who today celebrate 25 years of Vowed life at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. We ask that the fullness of the Lord’s blessing be poured out upon them, that they might persevere in the strength and beauty of the call unique to each of them and following the example of Simeon, the Christ-bearer, and Anna, the prophetess, faithfully bring all that they are, all that they do, and all they love, to be presented daily in the temple of the Lord to be consecrated. Let us pray to the Lord. And the sword shall pierce your own soul too, that the thoughts of many hearts may be made known. In gratitude for all the ways Mother Jadwiga has allowed her heart to be pierced for the life of this community, for her family, and for the many too numerous to name who have known the healing touch of her many gifts, may she know our love and support ever more deeply as the Lord call her into both the tension and the joy of the cross patterns he has woven into the very fabric of our life, freeing her to serve with the versatility borne of love: now as weaver, now as shepherd, now infirmarian, or seamstress, wherever the need of the body arises in any given moment. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude to Mother Lioba for the sacramental gift of the candles we share today, reminding us of the candles that illuminated our Christmas liturgies just a short time ago and point us to the ever-beckoning light of the Paschal candle. For all the ways that she has allowed her heart to be pierced as she has embraced the suffering of Christ in countless persons, whether in the community, her family, our interns, guests and correspondence across the world, may she always be sustained by our love and support for her in her mission as a contemplative social worker, able to light the candle of another’s pain. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord . RAW MILK FROM OUR HERD AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN FEBRUARY 2023 Starting in February 2023 our state licensed dairy will be taking orders for raw milk from our heritage breed Dutch Belted cows. The cows of this breed are known to be excellent grazers and well suited for grass based dairying. Their milk contains first-rate milk components, high protein, butterfat and milk solids. The Abbey Dairy has been designated as a Dairy of Distinction since 1976. We are among the few dairies in Connecticut to hold licenses for raw milk production and retail sales. Our milk is tested and our dairy is inspected regularly. We have found that production on a small scale, as in our monastic dairy, allows us to keep close track of our herd's health and to maintain a spotless barn, both of which contribute to the quality and safety of our milk for which we are known. Please email Abbey Dairy for more information. Read more about the Abbey Dairy and our Dutch Belted herd. ABBEY FIREWOOD FOR SALE—SEASONED MIXED HARDWOODS! $220 per cord; split, aged, mixed dry hardwoods Customer must be able to pick up. 273 Flanders Rd. Bethlehem, CT 06751 203-266-7727 Call for appointment. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEASTS OF THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD and CHRISTMAS THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD O admirabile commercium! O wondrous exchange! As we sing this antiphon throughout the day may we pray in gratitude for this feast as Mary Mother of God, that impels us to paused for a moment between the Nativity and Epiphany to let the mystery of what has been given sink into our resistant hearts and tiredness, that Jesus, being fully God and fully Man was born of Mary, the first of God’s creatures to bless Him with her freely given “yes” in the total self-gift of her humanity. Let us pray to the Lord. May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! May these ancient words of blessing help give us the courage that can only come from faith as we stand on the threshold of the unknown of a new year, May our awareness of the blessings already given overcome the fears of where we are going and the anxieties of all that we carry with us, all that we know that is still waiting on our daily “yes”, the daily “yes” of each of us to be brought to completion. Let us pray to the Lord. CHRISTMAS Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord comforts His people. May we let the words of the prophet Isaiah reverberate in our hearts this morning that we might find comfort whether in the midst of delight and rejoicing, or tiredness and confusion, or in the gift of relationships, old and new. May we in turn bear the good news to others, telling of what happened one night in Bethlehem and is happening still if we are open to losing control long enough to rest in a love that is bigger than ourselves. Let us pray to the Lord. The light has come to the world and the darkness could not overcome it. As we come out of our brief experience of having no heat and lights, knowing how hard that has been and how many remain in that stress still or are laboring to remedy it, may we pray with renewed awareness and compassion for those throughout the world suffering such deprivations with no end in sight, and may we grow in our capacity to show the mercy of God to one another, to those close at hand and those who are far away but can be touched through our prayers. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Christmas and Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. WE ARE OPENING OUR DOORS TO THE PUBLIC THE 1st SUNDAY of ADVENT We joyfully announce that on November 27, 2022, the First Sunday of Advent, we will be opening our doors to the public. We at last feel that the pandemic is at a level where we can safely invite you to once again visit those places at the Abbey you have come to know and love: the church of Jesu Fili Mariae and the new Our Lady Queen of Praise chapel, as well as the Art Shop, and the Creche. In some ways these sites will be familiar and, in some ways, very new. Continue to read all of Mother Abbess Lucia's Welcome Back Message. CHAPEL Starting on the 1st Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2022, you are invited to visit our new Chapel. Read more about the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Praise. CHAPEL HOURS: 9:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KINGWhat kind of king is this we celebrate today? The King. He is the one who lovingly shepherds His people, who listens to them, forgives them. He is the one through whom all things hold together, whom the people recognize as bone of their bone, flesh of their flesh, the King who makes peace through the blood of His cross, not asking us to die for Him, but giving His very body for us. May all of us, especially those who hold any office or place of authority, great or small in today’s world, pattern themselves on The King, the one from whom all true authority flows. Let us pray to the Lord. "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." May this plea be on our lips always, praying it over and over again, that it might become a deep continuous intention in our hearts, making us always mindful of Christ, so that, undeserving criminals as we are, we might be remembered, recognized and claimed by Him as participants in His kingdom, in His universe, where we pray we may be blessed to see His face. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Christ the King. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS I had a vision of a great multitude which no one could count. And a voice asked: Who are these people? Where do they come from? In a world where crowds have greatly proved dangerous and destructive, and humanity seems so apt to turn on itself in violence, may the images of the Apocalypse remind us that the opposite can also be true. May we see without fear an ocean of humanity larger than one can grasp, wondrously diverse and joyful, ordered, and all centered by the love of God, singing with one voice, all just all just ordinary people. May this image help us to remember amidst all the challenges we face daily that we too are the raw material of which saints can be made and persevere in the hope that we may be welcomed into the limitless number one day. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude for the counterpoint to the image of the crowd that is also offered by St. John, calling us to remember we are Children of God and that if we can attain purity of heart, no matter our circumstances or how hard we have fallen, we will see God as He is. May we never forget that this personal, relational dimension of intimate union with Christ is the true measure of sainthood and the bleeding heart of that great multitude. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of All Saints. FINAL PROFESSION OF MOTHER JOHN MARY, October 1, 2022 On Saturday, October 1, 2022, the feast of Saint Therese of Lisieux, Mother John Mary Adshead made her Final Profession of Vows to God through the Community of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Monsignor Robert Tucker was the celebrant and homilist at the Profession Mass. Mother John Mary was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and after attending boarding school in England, read Classics and Modern Languages at Christ Church Oxford. With a Masters in European Studies from the London School of Economics and an MBA from Wharton Business School she had a rich career in politics and marketing. In her monastic life she has put her talents at the service of the Community as a Latin teacher and translator and as the Manager of our Monastic Art Shop. Mother Abbess's Prayers of the Faithful beautifully express the wonder at the path of Mother John Mary's life that led her to Regina Lauds and this joyous day. Read Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful and see a gallery of the Profession Mass and Ceremony. THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE ABBEY OF JOUARRE, August 27, 2022 REFLECTION ON GENERAL GEORGE S.PATTON JR. AND PRAYER OFFERED BY MOTHER ABBESS LUCIA KUPPENS We are here today to commemorate that day in 1944 when Mother Benedict Duss saw from the window of the monastery Tower at Jouarre that an army of unknown origin was steadily advancing and that Liberation from the forces that held France in a grip of terror was at last at hand. Only later did she learn that those men belonged to the Third Army under the command of General George S Patton, Jr. and only a long time after that did she learn that the granddaughter of General Patton had mysteriously found her way to Regina Laudis. Furthermore, one day the circle would be complete and Margaret Patton would ask to give her life in service to fight for the Kingdom of Christ under the Rule of St. Benedict and the leadership of Lady Abbess. Far too many coincidences to be coincidence. Many people perhaps know the story of the weather prayer, how on the eve of the battle of Bastogne, when the army was stalled by continuous rain General Patton ordered his chaplain, Msgr. James H. O’Neill to write a prayer for fair weather and distribute 250,000 copies so that every man in the Third Army would have one and would pray that prayer. General Patton was not at all surprised by the outcome, the skies cleared by Christmas, the planes could fly again, and the army could move on to victory. Read all of Mother Abbess' reflection on General Patton and Prayer and see photographs of the flag raising ceremony. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION May we come a little closer to the mystery of Mary’s assumption this year, stronger in our capacity to accept and rejoice in it, seeing it as the most natural and indeed only possible outcome of Mary’s life on earth which was simply one assumption after the next into a fuller participation in the life of the Trinity. Let us pray to the Lord. As we ponder this ancient celebration and tradition of Mary’s assumption, may we ask ourselves: "How could God NOT take her to Himself, body and soul at the end of her life, she who was created without sin and chosen among women to conceived His only begotten Son by the Holy Spirit, Mary, the Mother of God, whose body was made imperishable by the body of the divine child she bore?" May we rejoice in knowing we too are her children and have the hope that we too will one day be reunited body and soul with her and her divine Son. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Assumption. MOTHER ABBESS GIVES ANNUAL RETREAT AT MOUNT SAINT MARY'S ABBEY, OCSO In July 2022, Mother Abbess Lucia gave the Community of Mount Saint Mary's Abbey in Wrenthem, Massachusetts their annual week-long retreat. Our Cistercian friends invited Mother Abbess to share her lived experience of the Rule of St. Benedict with the plea that she include her expertise in the plays of William Shakespeare. Mother Abbess holds a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from Yale University. Her dissertation is entitled: Patterns of Complementarity: Masculine and Feminine Relationships in Othello, King Lear and Macbeth For the retreat Mother Abbess used the Seven Ages of Man from As You Like it as the basis of her reflections on growth in monastic personhood. She did not disappoint, as we see in the community's enthusiastic response: In the course of our journey through the seven ages, Mother Lucia proved herself an able and wise guide, drawing upon human sensitivity, monastic depth and a profoundly moving insight into the beauty and necessary suffering on the path to becoming the mature, free and loving persons we are called by God to be.
Read more about Mother Abbess' retreat given at Mount Saint Mary's Abbey and see a photo of her with a very happy community on the final day. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT May we follow St. Bernard’s advice that we heard at Matins last night and “…lean upon the miracles of St. Benedict,” celebrated in the antiphons of today’s feast: the shattering of the chalice of poison with the sign of the cross, drawing forth water from the rock, driving away the heavy demon who was weighing down the boulder that needed to be moved, bringing the little boy back from the dead, and sending Maurus to walk on the water to save Placid from drowning, all miracles that took place amidst every day common tasks, all designed to give or restore life when it was in danger or lost—may these miracles give us hope that no human difficulty is too small or insignificant for the miraculous power of the Lord to find it and enter in, and may we follow St. Benedict ever more deeply into beholding the presence of God in ordinary things. Let us pray to the Lord. May we grow into the way of the Beatitudes, not picking and choosing, but taking them as a whole package until they are second nature to us, an attitude of being that arises in the innermost depths of our hearts and pervades everything we do. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Saint Benedict. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF SACRED HEARTMOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF SACRED HEART With the aid of the superabundant graces flowing from Christ’s wounded side, may we find a place in the line of the great Benedictine women of the Middle Ages who were among the first to discover access to Christ’s humanity through a devotion to the Sacred Heart, may we strive to comprehend ever more deeply the mysteries of the human heart, how many contradictory passions it contains, how easily it is broken and how miraculously it is revived by love in order to help prepare ourselves and others to be more open to receive the compassionate love of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord. For all those who might be feeling like the lost sheep, exhausted, confused, not sure anyone even notices they are gone, may they not despair of being found or stop asking the Lord to search them out in every byway where they may have strayed, and may the joy and wonder of being lifted up by Christ Himself and placed upon His shoulders, never leave that sheep, so as St. Ambrose says: "He gives no further thought to wandering," but finds his place content and at peace within the flock. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Sacred Heart. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF JOHN THE BAPTIST May St. John the Baptist who labored his whole life, even before he was born, to prepare the world to receive Christ’s message, and in a special way this year, opens us to the Feast of the Sacred Heart, may he teach us the way of humility that looks to those who will come after us with wonder and admiration, keeping faith in the continuity of God’s promise from generation to generation, always asking: "Who will this child be, how can we better prepare for those who are to come?" Let us pray to the Lord. May St. John the Baptist who was so clearly called, named, and blessed from his mother’s womb intercede for all children in our country today, especially the unborn, that in these troubles times, so antithetical to fostering the fullness of human life, their parents may find the way to love and protect them from their earliest moments of conception, and may those in all ranges of government remember who they are and that they too have been called to fulfill a mission beyond the immediate interest that press on them from every side. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of John the Baptist. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR CORPUS CHRISTI May our stark experience of the traditional festival of Corpus Christi this year with no singing of the beautiful antiphons, no singing of the Lauda Sion, no procession, no wine with the Eucharistic celebration—help us to make the praise in our hearts all the more joyful, allowing us to focus more intently on how the experience of having Covid-19 within the community has brought us more deeply into the reality of being One Body, becoming more alive to the knowledge that all our actions have the potential to affect every other person in the body of the Eucharist. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude for the outpouring of love animated in so many complementary works during these days: taking care of the sick, holding the Horarium, bringing in the hay, tending the vegetable garden, planning the gardens at Our Lady of Peace, and all the while miraculously feeding the hungry laborers. May all those involved in these disparate activities which are really too many to name, experience a true synergy, acknowledging in gratitude that the energy of the whole body working together will be greater than the sum of the parts and that the source of this incomparable gift lies always in the Eucharistic presence, the one eternal source of all life. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Corpus Christi. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE TRINITY SUNDAY May the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit whom we revere as three distinct Persons and adore all together as one indivisible and eternal God be present with us this day as we proceed into Ordinary Time, living in the daily tension of having been made for relationship in likeness to our Creator, but needing His constant grace and the assistance of His love to sustain even the humblest efforts to be united through our differences in an ever expanding circle of His love. Let us pray to the Lord. May the mystery of the three Persons in one God which we will never grasp intellectually, pervade and inform our life together in the body, as a fundamental value and principle, so that we might say with .St. Hilary whose words we heard at Matins last night: By my generation that is my baptism I have received the faith but I am still ignorant and yet I have a firm hold on something which I do not understand. I’m born again, capable of rebirth, but without conscious perception of it. I beg you therefore, Father, to preserve in me that pure and reverent faith to grant that to my last breath I may testify to my conviction. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Trinity Sunday. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR PENTECOST Just call my name and I’ll be there, wherever you are. In awe that through the gift of the Holy Spirit it is possible for one person to understand another; not just the words said but the depth of the heart behind those words. In our daily encounters when we implore the Holy Spirit to be present in our communications and exchanges, especially in those situations where we feel we are at an impasse or cannot see our way forward, that where we would erect a Tower of Babel, the Holy Spirit might, in the words of St. Leo, renew the face of the earth with the energy to lighten the ability to create understanding and the power to burn away sin. Let us pray to the Lord. In awe at the gentleness of Christ’s encounter with the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, how He slips silently through locked doors, offers them His peace, shows His wounds to them, again offers them His peace, then He breathes on them with the words: Receive the Holy Spirit, transmitting to them the power to forgive sins. As we go forward now, witnessing to the events of this momentous Paschaltide, missioned to bring the Holy Spirit out into a noisy, often violent and unbelieving world, may we remember this gentleness with which Christ approaches those troubled and afraid and may we be ready to receive and transmit in our own imperfect human way the gifts of the Spirit which He is constantly pouring out upon the world. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Pentecost. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION As we hear the keynote of Jubilate or In Jubilatione over and over again in the Ascension liturgy may we remember that Christ’s return to the Father is not sad but jubilant and rejoice with Him that He has completed His redemptive mission making it possible for the human body, the living flesh and blood of Mankind to enter into the heavenly tabernacle for the first time and thereby opening the gates of heaven for us to follow behind Him restoring what had been closed to us since the fall of Adam and Eve. Let us pray to the Lord. May we have the grace to see by analogy that all the tumultuous events we have experienced in the past forty days since Easter, whether in the horror of the war and violence on the world’s stage or personal illness, the death of a loved one, the need to pack up and move, the need to change an appointment, or a brush with Covid and the cancellation of cherished plans, whatever the specific challenges given to us this year, may we see them as a call to ascend, to go higher and deeper than our darkest impulses, to find a new perspective and a new freedom making room in ourselves for the promised Holy Spirit to descend into our hearts. May He find it open and ready to receive. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Ascension. BULL CALF BORN TO OUR DAIRY COW MIRA, April 30, 2022
In gratitude for the reappearance of so many loved faces which like the return of the pealing of the bells and the flowing of the Holy Water and the joyous sound of Alleluia, all signal to us the Resurrection of the Lord and remind us never to take the miracle of creation and the beauty of this world for granted. Let us pray to the Lord. In the newness of this Easter morning as we slowly adjust to a world in which the possibility of Resurrection is just beginning to dawn, may we give ourselves time to take in the emptiness of the tomb, not rushing to think we understand it, or frustrated because we can’t, but just letting the truth sink into us. Nothing is as we thought it was. Christ is so much bigger than we imagined. This is just the beginning, the first day of a new creation, the dawn of a new way of seeing the world. May we have the courage and the freedom of spirit to stay on this path where the Risen Christ in His mercy will find us once again and make Himself personally known to us. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Easter. The Abbey’s candlemaker, Mother Lioba, inscribed our Paschal candle this year with blue and yellow, the national colors of Ukraine. As we behold its beauty, may our prayer echo that of the celebrant at the Easter Vigil as he embedded the incense into the paschal candle: By His holy and glorious wounds, may Christ the Lord guard us and protect us. And may He guard and protect the people of Ukraine in their Passion. See a gallery of the sanctuary of our Church Jesu Fili Mariae with the Easter candle, holy water font and beautiful flower arrangements. A LENTEN MESSAGE FROM MOTHER ABBESS LUCIA KUPPENS—March 1, 2022 We invite you to visit our New Horizons page to read Mother Abbess Lucia's Letter of Thanks given on Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2022. Even as she shares the wonderful news that the renovation of the Main Monastery Complex has come to completion, she places this milestone within the context of Lent and the devastating suffering caused by the "brutal, senseless war in Ukraine". As with the pandemic, the war in Ukraine has very quickly become a global reality in which we are all implicated and by which we will all be affected for a very long time to come. Perhaps this unity among all people in the face of blatant wrong-doing is one good that God can bring out of manifest evil. Maybe God is giving us another chance to come together as one people in peace, for peace. Some might ask how our small efforts of trying to re-build and maintain this monastery could help change the course of events unfolding across the world, but there is no doubt in the hearts of this community that the two are connected. Regina Laudis was built after World War II by nuns who lived through the horrors of that war. They handed down to us as part of their spiritual legacy the belief that prayer is the most powerful weapon that exists against evil. Through your generosity this house of prayer will continue and our prayers will go out to the suffering people of Ukraine. Read all of Mother Abbess Lucia's Lenten Message and see photographs of our beautiful building made possible through your generosity. This pdf file of Mother Abbess Lucia's Lenten Message is available to download. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST SCHOLASTICA May we not soon forget the beautiful words of Hosea we heard this morning: I will espouse you to me forever. May the Lord’s spousal call to each one of us sustain us through whatever desert roads we must travel until we are ready to participate in the wedding feast He has prepared for us, and may we pray in gratitude for all those sisters and brothers in our families and communities and work places who have been Scholastica to our Benedict, or Martha to our Mary, purifying us in self-knowledge, enlarging our hearts through the struggles of daily life, and preparing us to be ready to be fully alive, fully and uniquely ourselves, when our time comes to meet the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord. May more people come to know the goodness and power of St. Scholastica. May she who was not to be deterred from asking for the union she desired with her brother, with the Lord, teach us the art of spiritual conversation: how to listen, how to know what we want, and not be afraid to ask for it with a pure heart; and how to put our bodies into our prayer with a conviction that will pierce the clouds and reach the ears of God. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Scholastica. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY Raise your eyes and look about! They all gather and come to you. Then you shall be radiant at what you see. May we take to heart the words of the prophet Isaiah who has been our companion in Lectio this Advent and Christmas Season, and who never tires of proclaiming that the light will come, even in the thickest darkness, and when it does the radiance of the light will draw all peoples to itself. In these dark days of mid-winter and pandemic gloom, may we remember in gratitude this assurance given to us in faith, that the light is always there even if the clouds of our fear and pain obscure it for a time. Let is raise our eyes to see the people who come to us from afar and be ready to receive the gifts they bring; however new and unfamiliar they may seem. And may we be ready to give our best in return, even the subtle movements of our hearts and the sorrows that are the inevitable part of every human life. Let us pray to the Lord. May the Announcement of the Movable Feasts traditionally sung on this day to make known to Christians spread across the world, the date of Easter. May hearing it remind us that the light of faith we share revolves around the central reality of Christ life, from Incarnation to Resurrection, as surely as the earth revolves around the sun, and without that centering point, we have no orientation for all that the year ahead will ask of us. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Epiphany. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD In gratitude that the Church places before us at the beginning of the year Our Lady, Mother of God, the one who gave of her body and blood in order that God might assume human flesh, and that by that wondrous exchange of Divinity and Humanity we might all be saved. With our eyes fixed firmly on Mary may we be free from the illusion that by our own efforts and New Year’s resolutions we will become the better people we wish to be, but instead try to follow the model Mary gave us and enter this New Year with a “yes” on our lips and let the Holy Spirit lead us to the Child who is waiting for us. Let us pray to the Lord. Mary pondered all these things in her heart. In wonder at the largeness in Mary’s heart, to hold the vastness of the mystery she was asked to contain and the suffering that it cost her, may our small hearts stretch just a little more this year to embrace the contradictions facing us, and with the faith of Abraham, passed down from generation to generation to Joseph and Mary, may we bring forth the life of Christ in our day, no matter how chaotic and dark the world around us may appear to be, knowing that the darkness cannot overcome the light of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS EVE MASS The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. That this prophecy of Isiah may not be in vain. Let us, who may have been walking in great darkness throughout the hardships of this past year not refuse the light when it comes, but recognize it. and rejoice in it, and lead others to it, that humankind’s perpetual responses of jealousy and conflict in the face of new life may be transformed by the Divine Child, the Prince of Peace, into the genuine humility Pope Francis is exhorting us to embrace this unique Christmas—this Christmas given to us with all its contradictions and paradoxes in the hope of making it the best one yet. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude for the faithful witness of the shepherds who were in their fields keeping watch when the angels appeared. May Christ always find such as these, ready to receive the news of His miraculous birth, and may we in turn join our voices with theirs and the singing of the angels, never tiring of proclaiming again another year: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. Let us pray to the Lord. CHRISTMAS MORNING MASS In the beginning was the Word. In awe and gratitude for the chance to be momentarily brought back by St. John’s Gospel—to the beginning, to the origins in God of all that is, and has been, and will be. May we not feel the need to understand, so much as to simply be in the presence of the mystery, and may we experience the extravagance of the Christmas liturgies as simply proportionate to the unfathomable depths and height and breadth of the gift that has been given and our limited human capacity to comprehend it. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude for the joy of sacramental expressions that adorn churches, chapels, and homes today throughout the world—lights and green trees, and crèches, all placed with love to herald the news of the days of Advent longing and desire have been fulfilled. May the symbols of the ‘O’ Antiphons that have prepared us to receive the fullness of Christ’s birth not be forgotten and relegated to something we take out and dust off for one week of the year, but may they retain for us their mysterious power to point the way forward whenever we are seeking Christ’s incarnate presence, whether in His creation, His people, or in our own complicated hearts, never hesitating to pray at any time at any time of year: Come, O come Emmanuel, God with us. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Christmas. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION As we try to contemplate the sublime mystery of the Immaculate Conception, may we not fall into the temptation to focus on the exact opposite which we sometimes are prone to do—seeing only what is wrong with us or our fellow creatures, how much we fall short, how many things are not right or less then they should be—rather, let us remember Gabriel’s words that “Nothing is impossible with God,” and pray for an increase in receptivity to whatever life is given to us to carry, believing the commensurate gift of His grace will also be given so that we may be surprised by love. Let us pray to the Lord. As we consider the contrast of the dialogues presented to us in our readings today, the one from Genesis that marks the beginnings of Humanity’s life on earth and the second from the Gospel of Luke that announces a new creation, transforming the guilt and blame of our origins into the blessing, may we choose to stay in the spirit of Mary’s “yes” to a life beyond her understanding, opening our hearts to all life as given by God, no matter what its challenges and sorrows, and may we rejoice in the freedom that only that “yes” has the power to give. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING In an age of short-lived allegiances where those in leadership change often and what one labors to do is quickly undone by his successor, because few are looking for long-term values and lasting change, may we rejoice as we come together today to worship our one, true King whose reign is universal, timeless, everlasting—Christ the King, the Alpha and the Omega, from whom all power and authority on this earth is derived, and who alone can lift us up out of the shifting chaos of the human condition in which we are all immersed. Let us pray to the Lord. May we be inspired and encouraged by the creativity of Father Pro to be able to proclaim with full conviction: Hail Christ the King! Let us pray to the Lord. For displaced people all over the world, congregating on the borders to which they have been driven in search of refuge, especially along the United States border with Mexico, and the borders of Poland and Belarus; through an outpouring of Grace may they be met with the best of the human heart instead of the fearful rejection and cruel indifference that too often rule in the absence of Christ’s saving love. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Christ the King. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS In the words of St. Augustine that we heard last night at Matins, “We want to see God, we strive to see Him, we long to see Him, who does not? But notice what scripture says: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ Provide yourself with that by which you may see Him.” May we implore the intercession of the saints, that they might help us abide in the deceptive simplicity of the Beatitudes, which give us not absolute rules or clear definitions, black and white judgments—only the attitudes of the heart that we need to cultivate as a way of life, as a state of being, until they live within us or we live within them, pure in heart, knowing that no matter how much we struggle or fall short on a given day, we can find our way back to the source of all blessedness, both in this earthly life and if we persevere, in the life to come, when at least we will see God face to face and can rest in the object of all our desire. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude for the presence with us in the sanctuary today of the relics of eighteen early martyrs of Rome, given to us for safe-keeping by Francoise Wiseman, and lovingly rescued from obscurity by her father after the Spanish Civil War. May these saints intercede for all those today who are suffering persecution for their Faith on whatever level, physically, mentally, socially, that they might survive the time of their great distress by becoming so closely united with Christ, that they are blessed to be in His presence now and for all eternity. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of All Saints. FIRST PROFESSION OF SISTER GREGORY HEALY, OCTOBER 2, 2021 On Saturday, October 2, 2021, the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, Sister Gregory Healy made her First Profession of Vows to God through the Community of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Monsignor Robert Tucker, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Litchfield celebrated the Mass and was homilist. Sister Gregory's parents, Deacon Tim and Chris Healy and her Aunt Pat participated in the First Profession Mass. During her monastic life Sister Gregory has shared her musical gifts in directing our Novices' Maria Goretti Schola and teaching Gregorian Chant to our postulants. She is learning to play the harp and assists our liturgists in preparing for major solemnities. She co-teaches our Monastic Theology course to interns, practicum students, and visiting college groups. Sister Gregory has become the liaison between the Abbey and the Center for Social Concerns at her Alma Mater, the University of Notre Dame. Regina Laudis is now a placement site for their Summer Service Learning Program where students have the opportunity to experience the Catholic social tradition of care for the environment within a monastic context. During the past few years when called on to help the infirmarians, it became clear that Sister Gregory had a natural gift in her care and solicitude for the the elderly and sick members of the community. In 2019 she became a Certified Nurse Aide and during the past two years, having completed the necessary prerequisites, has just applied to nursing school. The Abbey’s new infirmary, completed as part of our New Horizons renovation project, was named for the Guardian Angels which is why this feast was chosen for Sister Gregory's First Profession of Vows. See photos and read more about Sister Gregory and her First Profession of Vows. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun with the moon under here feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud as she labored to give birth. May we join ourselves ever more fully to Mary in the labor of bringing forth the life of Christ on this earth, no matter what the costs, or how long it takes, or how much opposition confronts us, believing in faith that the devouring dragon that rules over the kingdom of death will not and cannot ultimately prevail wherever the life of Christ is genuinely manifest, no matter how small or humble our efforts might seem. And may Regina Laudis, on this, her patronal feast, ask and hope for the grace to become an ever stronger and fearless witness to the truth that Mary’s Assumption holds the key to overcoming so many of the troubles, large and small, that assail our world. Let us pray to the Lord. As we sang at Lauds this morning: Blessed are you, O daughter of the Lord, for through you we have come into communion with the fruit of life. In this harvest season amidst the abundance of the earth’s fertility, may we ask for the grace to see in the fruitfulness of the land, especially the places we will process through this day, another expression of Mary–Queen of Praise, Queen of Heaven, Ark of the New Covenant–appearing not in the sky, but on the earth. May we see her this day still clothed with the sun as it works in unison with the soil and water and loving earthly hands to bring forth the fresh new green of the ferns that now cover the once neglected silt and in the neighboring orchards display the splendor of every shade of crimson, purple, blushing peach, and yellow gold fruit, stirring our collective memory of the original paradise to which we long to return. In gratitude for this sign of Mary’s ongoing presence with us. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Assumption. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. BENEDICT May all of us, sons and daughters of St. Benedict, as we are, before we do anything else turn toward God and then ask our questions: What must I do? What must I believe? In order that we be ready to hear with an open heart whatever God’s answers to those questions might be. Again we hear the emphatic message in the Book of Proverbs this morning exhorting us to incline our ears to wisdom and our heart toward understanding. May we recall and not forget the first words of St. Benedict’s Rule, appreciating his genius for building on the ancient tradition of the Wisdom Literature while making something altogether new of it, giving us the timeless image of inclining not just the heart or the ear, but the ear of the heart, may the promised gifts of the Holy Spirit that flow from this crucial attitude of humility in the face of our Master and Father, draw us ever more deeply into his love and into an ongoing celebration of a rooted and living liberty. Let us pray to the Lord. Blessed are the peacemakers. May we ask the intercession of St. Benedict, Patron of Europe, to help us to bear with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, so that no matter what darkness threatens our world, whether from Man’s own ignorance and violence or from natural catastrophes of every kind, we will not turn on each other, but witness to the enduring possibility of life in community, nos pariter, dedicated all together in a culture built on love. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Benedict. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF STS. PETER AND PAUL In gratitude for the very different lives of Saints Peter and Paul, chosen to be founders of the Church, not as ready-made models of perfection, but rather as witnesses to the process of being perfected in love, both personally and intimately close to the heart of Jesus, both rebuked and challenged by Him more severely than any other Apostles, both called to suffer much and make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of His name—may we follow them in this way of perfection in our own small daily circumstances, not shrinking to pour ourselves out for others, even when we do not understand them, in whatever humble way open to us for the building up of the Body of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord. Amidst the complexity, cacophony of so many voices in our present culture and in the Church itself, may we implore the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul to keep us steadfast in the gift of Faith that has been entrusted to each of us, not sacrificing either truth or unity, but believing in the transcendent power of Christ’s cross to reconcile what is humanly beyond us, so that we may be ready to answer unhesitatingly when He asks: But who do you say that am? Let us pray to the Lord. For the People of China and those called to serve the Church there, that the combined gifts of Saints Peter and Paul may help them find the creative and lasting ways to open the rich heritage of that ancient and diverse civilization to the love of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI—NEW TRANSLATION OF THE LAUDA SION The Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the feast was first introduced in in 1246 by Bishop Robert Torote of Liège, who was inspired by the revelations of St. Juliana of Liège. In 1264 Pope Urban the IV, former Archbishop of Liège, instituted the Solemnity of Corpus Christi to be observed by the universal Church on the Thursday after Pentecost to honor the real presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. Initially the feast was celebrated on Thursday in commemoration of the Last Supper and the Institution of the Eucharist. During the Pontificate of Pope St. Paul the VI, the celebration in parishes was transfered to Sundays to allow more members of the Faithful to participate in the Corpus Christi liturgy and procession. For the inauguration of the feast in 1264, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote music for both the Divine Office and Mass at the request of Pope Urban IV. The hymns, Pange lingua, Sacris solemniis, Adoro te devote, and Verbum supernum prodiens are sung at the Divine Office. At Mass we sing the Sequence Lauda Sion. We are privileged to offer here a new original translation of the Lauda Sion by classicist, Joseph T. Moller. Read more about the feast and see the full new translation of the Lauda Sion. TRANSITUS OF MOTHER DORCAS ROSENLUND Reverend Mother Dorcas (née Mary Loretta) Rosenlund, 93, died at the Abbey on May 20, 2021, from complications due to old age. Mother Dorcas entered Regina Laudis in 1982 after distinguishing herself in two careers, in Public Relations and in Medicine as a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. She was the Abbey's baker for over thirty years and founded the Contemplative Medical Center of Regina Laudis. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Requiem Mass and burial in the Abbey cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations to the New Horizons Renovation Project would be gratefully accepted on-line or c/o The Abbey of Regina Laudis, 273 Flanders Road, Bethlehem, CT 06751. See photographs and read about Mother Dorcas—her family history, education, professional career, and monastic life. PENTECOST SUNDAY 2021 ORIGINAL TRANSLATION OF THE SEQUENCE VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS! The beautiful sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus is sung at Mass on Pentecost Sunday. We offer you an original English translation of the sequence by classicist and Abbey friend, Joseph T. Moller. Joseph includes the historical background to the piece, considered one of the masterpieces of Gregorian Chant. This year as our world continues to suffer the devastation of the Coivd-19 pandemic and the loss of life through political unrest and violence, may hearing and praying the Sequence be a balm for your soul.
In toil, rest
See the Gregorian Chant Score and translation of Veni Sancte Spiritus and listen to the Monastic Choir sing this beautiful sequence.
SPRING IS IN THE AIR!in heat, cooling In weeping, solace. Our new greenhouse is exploding with color this springtime! Although we are still living within the constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic, new life is all around us. The orchids in our greenhouse are especially beautiful this year. The orchids are lovingly cared for by Mother Lioba. May the unique intricate structures of each flower and their breath-taking colors lift your spirits this Paschal Season. See a slideshow of the orchids in our new greenhouse. Meet our heifer Octavia! Our dairy cow Mira gave birth to a heifer on the octave of Easter. Watch a short video of Octavia running and jumping in our dairy pasture. Her joy is contagious. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION Pour forth we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Let us pray to the Lord. May the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation this year, marking as it does our entrance into Holy Week, help us to see the mysteries of Christ’s incarnation and redemption as one eternal, ever present reality, and Mary’s Fiat as the indispensable beginning of humanity’s longed-for reconciliation with the Father. Let us pray to the Lord. May we be blessed with the grace to say “yes” to the small ways we are asked to participate in this ongoing movement of reconciliation between God and Man, with our fellow men, and with creation, recognizing the signs that have already been given to us and allowing them to change our choices and our lives. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Annunciation. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH In gratitude to Pope Francis for calling the world’s attention to the ongoing presence of the man St. Joseph in our lives, giving us a chance to get to know him better, both as a powerful intercessor and model of integrity in this critical time of emergence from the pandemic. Like St. Joseph, may we rise from sleep and encounter the unknown with creative courage, seeking to protect whatever new life has been entrusted to us, alert to dangers, but unafraid as we open our hearts and then our doors to a world in need. Let us pray to the Lord. May St. Joseph who was not afraid to take Mary into his home and with her whatever judgment might come to them both, help restore a culture that has become so quick to judge, condemn, and shame in retaliation rather than true justice based in love. Let us pray to the Lord. May St. Joseph come to the aid of families everywhere who are suffering separation, dislocation, and loss on so many levels at this time, and may we trust that he who faced all these trials with constancy and faith will help us to attune our hearts to hear the Holy Spirit even in our dreams, directing us how to make the next step on what may seem a bewildering path. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Joseph. MOTHER ABBESS PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. SCHOLASTICA I will espouse you to me in faithfulness and you shall come to know the Lord. Though it may take different expressions and we may come to it by different routes at different times in our lives, may each of us come at last to the liberating truth that the one necessary thing is for us to draw closer to Christ. And though it may cost us a lot to hold onto it once we find it, may we risk everything to stay in conversation with Christ, even for a brief moment, as both Mary and Martha did in their different ways, and as St. Scholastica and St. Benedict did on that fateful night she insisted he stay and speak with her of the mysteries of the life to come. Let us pray to the Lord. May we have the grace to help each other in the search, not standing in the way of a sister or brother in their moment of coming to know the Lord, but making space and time for them as our own way of drawing closer to the inexhaustible and inclusive love He holds for each of us, for though we do not know what Christ is saying to Mary, we know the tenderness He held for her sister as He spoke to her heart, “Martha, Martha.” Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Scholastica. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY In the prophetic words of Isaiah in today’s first reading we heard: “Your heart shall throb and overflow.” In wonder that the journey Isaiah invited us to undertake at the beginning of Advent has come to this climatic moment when the star that has been drawing the Magi, the shepherds, and the animals and the angels finally comes to rest over the place where the Christ Child lies in the manger, that stillpoint around which all the energies in heaven and on earth have been gathering to receive the manifestation of the truth of Christ’s divinity—let us follow the Magi in the only fitting response to the gift given to us, opening our overflowing hearts as they opened their treasures, so the Love Incarnate may be received by our love and He may teach us how to open our gifts to one another. Let us pray to the Lord. May the graces of this feast help us to accept that the glorious moment of revelation and universal joy is necessarily brief, for it must be seen in the context of the whole Paschal Mystery, as the light rises it draws the darkness of Herod’s jealousy, fear, and ambition, causing the Magi to have to leave quickly, the Holy Family to go into exile, the innocent children of Bethlehem to be slaughtered. May we not be surprised then that the forces of light and darkness continue to battle in our own day as they have always done, but like Joseph and the Magi, may we stay close to the guiding light that will help us find another way to circumvent the dangers that will threaten innocent life. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Epiphany. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! May Mary, Blessed among women, help us to grow in our life of prayer, reawakening in us a sense of the need to bless and be blessed, so that as we hear over and over again during these days of the pandemic the words: “Stay well,” or “Be Safe,” we might acknowledge in these humble phrases a deep prayer in the heart of mankind and a plea to the only one who can really keep us safe, God our common Father and source of all blessing. Let us pray to the Lord. O Admirabile Commercium! As we heard in the lessons of Matins last night the early Church Fathers pondering the unfathomable reality of a Savior who is both completely Man and completely God, and therefore, Mary, though human, must be deserving of the ultimate title: Mother of God. May we not give up or withdraw in the face of our limited understanding of this mystery of the perfect co-mingling of the human and divine, but like Mary, ponder all these things in our hearts along with all the unsolvable small problems and seeming contradictions of our daily lives, trusting that God will hold all things in perfect balance, will give us what we need to know in His chosen time. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS EVE MASS On this Christmas Night, may we take Joseph and Mary as our models and no matter what confusion or fear or even heart break we face as we are called to bring forth new life, may we courageously embrace whatever God’s sends us, not demanding to understand but trusting in his love and infinite mercy Let us pray to the Lord. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. As people the world over have had their lives disrupted in countless ways by the corona virus, may we turn our gaze now to the even more powerful light of Christ, the very source of all life and healing, the source of love itself. May he be reborn in people’s hearts, dispelling the darkness of what seems impossible, and making way for what Pope Francis calls an “overflow” moment, “when the ocean of God’s love bursts the dam of our self sufficiency and so allows for a new imagination of what is possible.” Let us pray to the Lord. CHRISTMAS MORNING MASS In the beginning was the. Word. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. In joy and wonder that our faith stretches us in the space of just 24 hours from the birth of a very particular child in a stable in Bethlehem of Palestine to the sublime reality of Christ’s union with the Father as he existed before all time , the only begotten Son of the Father, from forever to forever. In these days of Christmas let us be free to experience this Mystery, not as a contradiction but a contraposition of two eternal truths, patient with the confusion and fatigue of one another as we struggle with the tension between longing for Incarnation and acceptance of the limits of the human realty. Let us pray to the Lord. “Shepherds whom have you seen? Tell us.” May we all take the time in the days ahead to ask each other what each one has seen, how Christ was uniquely manifested this year. And let us treasure the exchanges given to us in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, knowing they are not accidental, but part of a bigger purpose and plan of God. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Christmas. Christmas 2020–Due to Covid-19... We will NOT be having a Christmas Sale. We look forward to the day when we can safely welcome you to our new Monastic Art Shop where you will be able to admire and enjoy the crafts, food products, and books we offer. We are praying for you, your families, your health, and intentions this Advent and Christmas Season. Our Christmas Tree Blessing will also be PRIVATE this year. As our Community blesses our tree, please know that the blessing extends to all the other Christmas trees in your homes and churches that witness to the Birth of Christ. We will be praying especially for the children who have participated in and love the Blessing of our Tree. All of our Christmas liturgies, including Midnight and Christmas Day Masses will be PRIVATE. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION As this feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary challenges us to confront the unquenchable longing in the human soul for perfection, for wholeness, for pure innocence, a longing that did not perish when creation fell to the serpent’s deceit, but grew all the stronger in the face of what had been lost, may we not be distracted by the myriad substitutes and facsimiles the world still offers as paths to happiness, but strive to unite ourselves to Mary’s eternal “yes” to God which will open for us again a path to a new heaven and a new earth. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude for the new stained glass windows in our chapel which so playfully, prayerfully evoke the wonders of God’s creation as expressed in the psalms, may they be in some small way a reminder for us of Mary through whose immaculate transparency God revealed the fullness of His presence in the incarnate being of His Son. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING On this last Sunday of the year when the chants of the Mass recapitulate the music of all the great Feasts of the whole year and the Church focuses our attention on the Last Judgment, may we make the most of this opportunity to prepare for the last things, finding hope in the promise of Christ’s final victory over death in the Resurrection. Let us pray to the Lord. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered When it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep. I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God. In an age when all authority is contested and power often abused, may we continue to learn from our sheep, whom we have the privilege to care for, how to lead through physical presence and self-gift, through humble attentiveness to all who need healing or are in danger of being lost. And in special supplication for this spirit of the Good Shepherd to inform all who have responsibility for governing our country at this time. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Christ the King. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS May we find in the beatitudes the courageous and passionate response we need to whatever distress the world has to offer us: from the pandemic, to politics, to pain of every kind–that we might come to treasure this central teaching of Christ, not as an unattainable ideal, but as a gradual course in how to be a saint, a practical way to examine our lives from the perspective of the Church Triumphant, of those in heaven who have been perfected in love. Let us pray to the Lord. If we hunger and thirst, is it for righteousness or some end of our own making? If we seek peace, what kind of peace is it? And how committed are we to creating it? Are we so absorbed in our own pain that we cannot comfort another? Do we need to ask ourselves if we might be unknowingly accusing sister or brother falsely? For the courage to ask ourselves if we are doing our best to live in communion with each other now in hope that through the gift of Christ’s redemptive love, we might one day live in communion with Him and His saints eternally. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of All Saints. A GIFT OF NEW CABINETS AND COUNTERS FOR OUR DAIRY ROOM The cabinets for the production room in the Abbey dairy were built in 1977 and have served us well for over forty years. Now in 2020, the generosity of an anonymous donor has made it possible for us to purchase and install new stainless steel cabinets and counters. The stainless stemless countertops are durable, rust and stain-resistant, heat-tolerant and meet food safety standards. And their clean shiny surfaces give our small dairy room, where cheese, yogurt, kefir and ice cream are produced, a sleek bright new look. The donation also made it possible for us to replace our old stove top unit with a new Volrath Induction Burner and a Waring Professional Burner. We are extremely grateful for these furnishings and equipment which will help us bring the work of our dairy into the future. See a Gallery of Installation of Stainless Steel Cabinets and Counters. ABBEY FIREWOOD FOR SALE—SEASONED MIXED HARDWOODS! $190/cord split; $150/cord unsplit. Customer must be able to pick up. 273 Flanders Rd. Bethlehem, CT 06751 203-266-7727 Call for appointment. Click to enlarge a photo.
INSTALLATION OF A NEW PRIORESS AT OUR LADY OF THE ROCK MONASTERY The Abbess and Community of the Abbey of Regina Laudis are pleased to announce the appointment and installation on September 18, 2020, of Rev. Mother Noella Marcellino, OSB, as the second Prioress of Our Lady of the Rock Monastery on Shaw Island, Washington. Mother Noella succeeds Rev. Mother Therese Critchley, OSB, Foundress, and Prioress since 1985. In 1977 Mother Therese left Regina Laudis with two other intrepid members of the community to pioneer the establishment of this remote island foundation. Through her inspired and faithful leadership, the community built a highly-respected farm and houses of hospitality, at the heart of which stands the monastic chapel, an architectural jewel and spiritual center for the people of the Pacific Northwest. Mother Prioress Noella Marcellino, OSB, a nun of Regina Laudis since 1973, has been with the community of Our Lady of the Rock for the past two years. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Connecticut and through her internationally-regarded work on the cheese ripening process became known as “The Cheese Nun.” She also teaches Gregorian Chant, manages the websites for both communities, and has many years of monastic experience as a guest-mistress and sought-after speaker.
Please join us in giving thanks to God for the lives of these two dedicated women as we ask for continued blessings on the future of the Priory of Our Lady of the Rock. "GOOD TROUBLE/SAY THEIR NAMES", REFLECTION OFFERED BY MOTHER ELIZABETH ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE ABBEY OF JOUARRE, August 27, 2020 For our celebration of the Liberation of Jouarre this year Mother Elizabeth Evans offered a stunning reflection on the relationship between the present darkness of our times and the oppression of World War II experienced by Lady Abbess from which Regina Laudis was born.
The story of the Founding of Regina Laudis is the story of a community created out of war—yet, we know that in Christ, creation is on-going. We are constantly founding and re-founding our community, constantly contending with the principalities and powers of our time. Through the past year we’ve seen that in a certain way, the world, and particularly our own nation, is at war—at war with a virus and the various responses of care and of indifference to the virus—Again and again in the past months here in this nation we have witnessed casual murder—committed right before the eyes of the entire world. Here in this country our streets are in flames, and our nation is polarized to a degree almost reminiscent of civil war. In this time of lockdown we take our place in the line of Lady Abbess’ vision from her own place of lockdown in 1944, and we participate in the on-going creation story of this community, to redeem—we could say “flip”—the narrative of casual indifference, violence and murder of our time, that has been our burden and privilege to witness. Read Mother Elizabeth's entire reflection. Although our celebration this year had to be private due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are grateful to share her powerful expression of Liberation and pray that it be a source of hope and strength for you. FEAST OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS, SEPTEMBER 15TH— ORIGINAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND RECORDING OF THE SEQUENCE STABAT MATER We are privileged to share with you an original English translation of the sequence Stabat Mater offered to us by Abbey friend and classicist, Joseph T. Moller. Included are the translator's notes and insights on the dynamic of the poem—how the meter, repetition of key words, and verb forms of the Latin invite our participation in Mary's lament for her Son. Alas, mother, font of love. Make me feel the force of your grief That with you I may mourn; Make my heart burn In loving Christ our God, That to Him I may be pleasing. Read the entire sequence in Latin and English. We invite you to pray the sequence with us, in particular for those suffering loss and grieving during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hear a Recording of the Stabat Mater sung by our monastic choir with the tolling of the bell. GET A GLIMPSE OF BUSY SUMMER DAYS AT THE ABBEY! Although we have not been able to welcome guests this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, summer days at the Abbey are busy as ever with gardening, preserving food, haying, and the birth of animals. And while all of this activity is going on, the work of New Horizons continues! Please enjoy glimpses of the community and interns at work, the beauty of our land, and irresistible young animals.
MESSAGE OFFERED BY MOTHER SUBPRIORESS MARGARET GEORGINA PATTON As our friends and neighbors, and many who follow our website know, it is our custom to commemorate annually the Liberation of the Abbey of Jouarre in France by the Third Army and its allies on August 27, 1944, by a flag ceremony held on our land on that date. Our Foundress, Lady Abbess Benedict Duss, who was a nun of the Abbey of Jouarre at the time, was liberated by those forces. In the moment of liberation, she was inspired to give gratitude to God and to each who had participated in the liberation by founding a contemplative Benedictine monastery in her country of origin, the United States. We are the beneficiaries of that inspiration. This year, we will not be able to invite the public to our flag-raising ceremony because of the pandemic, but we will offer our prayers on that day in a very particular way for those who gave their lives so that we might live in freedom and truth, as well as those members of our armed services currently serving worldwide. Certainly, the turbulence in our country at this time on many fronts calls for a renewed intensity of prayer and the creation of new pathways that will bring relief to those who are suffering, whether from the effects of the pandemic, the economic crisis, racial conflicts or eruptions of violence among our citizens. May the spirit of Liberation characterize our prayer as we go forward to meet the challenges of our day. ABBEY'S BETHLEHEM CHEESE FOR SALE AT NEW MORNING MARKET The Abbey's Bethlehem Cheese is being sold now in limited quantities at the New Morning Market and Vitality Center in Woodbury CT. We are grateful to John Pittari, long-time Abbey friend and founder of New Morning, for making our cheese available to his customers during this time when our Art Shop is closed due to the New Horizons renovation project. We hope to include other Abbey cheeses foe sale at New Morning in the future. Bethlehem cheese, made at Regina Laudis since 1977, is a St. Nectaire-type cheese, made from fresh raw milk from the Abbey’s hand-milked heritage breed cows. The cheese is a pressed, uncooked, semi-hard, fungal-ripened cheese, known for its nutty earthy flavor. The cheese is all natural: commercial cultures of starter bacteria or fungi are never added during production or the 60-day ripening period. Read more about the Abbey Dairy. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION This I do for you. This I do for you. May people everywhere, so fearful of the apocalyptic signs of our times, rediscover the presence and power of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, through whom Christ continues to be brought into the world as together they restore the covenant between God and Man, between Man and Woman, between Man and the Earth, even in the desert where we find ourselves today, perhaps especially in the desert of this pandemic, may we pray for Mary and her Son to come to us, to help heal all the broken promises that each of us knows in our own lives, so that the song of the Magnificat may echo down through the ages, transforming fear to hope and sorrow to praise. May we pray to participate in our own limited way in the total freedom of Mary’s “yes” to God which she gave from the moment of her Immaculate Conception to the final moments of her life on earth, always with a completer “yes”, body and soul, undivided—may we ask her help to shed all the resistances we have to be assumed, taken into the unknown of God’s love which is always so much bigger and more wonderful than we feel we can handle. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Assumption. WELCOME TO THE ABBEY'S WOODTURNING DEPARTMENT Woodturning at the Abbey takes place in the St. Francis carpentry shop, which was first opened under Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B. in the 1970s and is now overseen by Mother Alma Egger, O.S.B.. Lathe work began with Mother Michael Mary Coonrod, O.S.B. in 1984, with a focus on furniture restoration that expanded to include the creation of candleholders and vases. Currently Sister Gregory Healy operates the lathe creating bowls, spoons, vases, and pens. She studies under Don Metz of the Nutmeg Woodturners League, having first begun under the tutelage of the late Buster Shaw, former president of the League. Most works are derived from trees felled for the maintenance of pasture fence lines or harvested in accordance with the Abbey's forest management plan, so that the turned pieces emerge from within a cycle of stewardship practiced by the nuns to nurture the regenerative processes within the local ecosystem. Through woodturning, trees that are dying or inhibitive to the health of their surrounding environment become transformed into works of art or practical objects useful for everyday life. Read more about the Abbey's Woodturning Department. See a gallery of the stunning bowls, vases, spoons and pens created in our woodturning department. The pens and other turned items will be available for sale when the Art Shop reopens at the completion of the New Horizons Renovation Project. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. BENEDICT Blessed are peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. St. Pope Paul VI writes that St. Benedict was given the title of Father of Europe because at the darkest time of their history, he inspired the diverse peoples of that continent with “the love of order upon which their social life depended.” He did this with the Cross, the Book and the Plow. May we implore St. Benedict’s intercession at this dark time, that he might inspire the people of this country to reorder our lives and priorities, and rediscover the centrality of ora et labora in the work of building unity in diversity, the only true foundation for lasting peace. As his very name means “blessed”, happy in the Lord, may St. Benedict call us daily to live in the spirit of the Beatitudes, thus opening the smallest tasks and exchanges of everyday life to the loving touch of God’s presence here on earth. And may the grace of his abundant blessings permeate all we do with meaning, allowing the most humble expressions of love to be transformed, elevated and multiplied through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Benedict. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL On this feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, always close in relationship both in life and in death, let us take a moment to see what the successor of Peter is saying to us today. In a recent interview Pope Francis was asked: What kind of Church do we need coming out of the pandemic? He answered: We have to learn to live in a Church that exists in the tension between harmony and disorder provoked by the Holy Spirit. [The Holy Spirit provokes disorder through the charisms, but then out of that disorder creates harmony.] If you ask me which book of theology can best help you understand this, it would be the Acts of the Apostles. There you will see how the Holy Spirit deinstitutionalizes what is no longer of use, and institutionalizes the future of the Church. That is the Church that needs to come out of the crisis. May we continue to reflect deeply in Lectio on the Acts of the Apostles and in particular the story of Sts. Peter and Paul, as we strive to grow in our ability to live in a constant tension between disorder and harmony, trusting in the creative tension provoked by the Holy Spirit as he stirs up the precise complementary charisms needed to bring the Church forward on every level, both universal and local. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST When the townspeople in today’s Gospel protest, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name,” Zachariah stands with his wife Elizabeth and confirms the announcement: “John is his name.” As we celebrate today the singular call of St. John the Baptist who inaugurated the Gospel by dancing before Christ in his mother’s womb, the greatest of all the prophets and the closest to Christ by blood and by mission, may we ask that through his intercession many new prophetic voices be raised up from this desert time we have been given to face, that the suffering, injustices, and losses of all kinds may not be an end, but a preparation for something new and life-giving, drawing us closer to Christ as individuals and as a people. Let us pray to the Lord. In gratitude for Mother Dolores and all assisting her in the Education Deanery, on their feast day, that we may continue to provide each woman in the community with the way to face the wilderness within her own being, coming through all the phases of personal becoming: instinctual freedom, the discipline of fraternal justice, and the capacity to dedicate oneself in love, all on the way to forming a strong union of monastic persons for the life of the Church. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. John the Baptist. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE SACRED HEART On this feast of the Sacred Heart may we plumb the depths of the revelation of Christ’s desire for us in his Sacred Heart, may we read the Book of Nature, the Book of Scripture, and the teachings of the Church, appreciating the beautiful order of creation designed for us in every detail from the smallest pine cone to the harmonics of the simple note, to the astounding wonder that man and woman were created to be complimentary participants in the Covenant of Love, even designed to sing together. Let us pray to the Lord. Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest. For all those who are feeling the yoke they have been asked to carry is beyond their strength, that through the abundance of mercy flowing from the loving heart of Jesus, they, we, all of us may be lifted up and given the grace to face all the impossible tasks that confront humanity at every turn today, beginning right here in our School of the Lord’s Service where we have the opportunity to face again and again the simplest most challenging commandment: Love one another. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Mass was not celebrated during the Sacred Triduum. We rejoice to be able to offer you Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful again for the great feasts of Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi. CORPUS CHRISTI—GOLDEN JUBILEE OF MOTHER SCHOLASTICA AND MOTHER DILECTA Lauda, Zion Salvatorem! Zion praise your Savior and let our praise be full of delight and beauty, for this is the festival day to commemorate the first institution of this table. May we become ever more assimilated to the Eucharistic bread and wine that we share with all who come to his table throughout the world, believing that we, though many, imperfect and disparate as we are, become one loaf, one body in him, and therefore witnesses to his limitless goodness and love, the only power strong enough to give lasting solutions, in little ways, to the great social injustices and abuses of our time. May our joy and conviction in the nuptial gift we have been given draw more and more people to his table to receive the sacrament of unity in the bond of peace. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Corpus Christi. TRINITY SUNDAY Where understanding fails, praise begins. In gratitude to God the Father, slow to anger and rich in kindness, who in His limitless love made man and woman in His image from the beginning and entrusted the world He had created to our care. In gratitude to God the Son, who came to redeem us by assuming flesh and blood like ours with all attendant joys and sufferings that that brings, to belonging to a particular place and genealogy, a unique human body with its own eye color and voice and skin color. In gratitude to God the Holy Spirit, who in His limitless love sustains the ongoing work of creation and redemption each day by the outpouring of His gifts into our hearts making it possible for us to be relational people with each other and with God. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Trinity Sunday. PENTECOST Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? Recognizing that each person in a sense speaks his own native language and that’s it’s always a miracle of the Spirit’s presence when one person truly understands another at depth, we pray in profound gratitude for the sending of the Holy Spirit as the climatic fulfillment of Christ’s redemptive mission. May we never forget His words to us, that he did not leave us orphans, but rather, He abides with us today and always in the midst of whatever chaos and tribulation we face in this world. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Pentecost. ASCENSION And behold I am with you always even unto the end of the Age. May the presence of these exquisite flowers, the elevation of the beautiful paschal candle which we have had so little time to enjoy this mysterious Paschaltide, and the joyous return of Monsignor Tucker remind us of the inestimable gift of Christ’s ongoing presence in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass in which we are privileged to share, in profound gratitude. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Ascension. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE MIDST OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY MOTHER ABBESS As we anticipate the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost this year Mother Abbess Lucia offers us her personal prayer and reflection on where we find ourselves as disciples during the Covid-19 pandemic. May her heartfelt invocation, focusing on each of the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit as it relates to a critical need during this time, be a source of comfort and hope for you. Read Mother Abbess' Prayer to the Holy Spirit. UPDATE ON NEW HORIZONS PHASE III—BY MOTHER ABBESS, May 2020 It will surely come as no surprise to hear that due to delays caused by Covid-19, we will not be able to fulfill our projected completion date of July 2020 for Phase III of New Horizons. At this point it is impossible to say what would be a realistic completion date, so we are not going to try. But we want to assure all of you who have so faithfully supported us and contributed to this endeavor, that we are going forward and ever so slowly continuing to make progress in every way we can. Read Mother Abbess' detailed update on the New Horizons Project and her expression of gratitude for what you have made possible. THE EXSULTET At the beginning of the Easter Vigil we have the Liturgy of Light. Normally an Easter fire is lit outside of our church or parishes and the flame is used to light the newly-made Paschal candle. Lumen Christi (The Light of Christ) is proclaimed three times. The flame from the Paschal candle is shared from taper to taper held by each person and by the light of these tapers the ancient Easter Proclamation the Exsultet is proclaimed. This year with the cancellation of public masses and services due to the corona virus pandemic, many will celebrate the Vigil within their homes. We offer you a beautiful English translation of the Exsultet by classicist and Abbey friend, Joseph T. Moller. Going back to critical Latin sources, Joseph offers a fresh poetic expression of the text, rather then a conventional translation. His unique use of rhythm and word ordering, reminiscent of the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, grabs our attention: ...the earth instruck with the rays flashing of such a light! We are grateful to Joseph for opening our ears and hearts more profoundly to the wonder of this Blessed Night. May it bring the light of Easter into your homes and hearts during this difficult time in our world.
Read/Download the English translation of the Exsultet by Joseph T. Moller. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE ANNUNCIATION "How can this be?" In gratitude for the three-fold blessing of the Annunciation coming at this time, cutting across our Lenten sacrifices, our concerns about the virus and about the building, and all the sufferings the community is holding at this time; reminding us that God has a bigger plan than we can see at any given moment, that just as He had the person of Mary in His mind from the first moment of creation, He always has our redemption and deliverance in view. So like Mary may we ponder the message given to us in the events of our day, seeing God’s hand in everything and not doubting his love for us or turning on our fellow creatures in fear. Let us pray to the Lord. May we not miss the signs of new life being born all around us at this time, as creation awakens with the everlasting and perennial presence of the Holy Spirit and may these signs of new life help us to witness to hope for all those looking to us for reassurance, that Christ may be born in us this day. Let us pray to the Lord. That Our Lady may hear the cries of her children across the world asking for an end to this virus. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH That St. Joseph who protected Mary and the Child Jesus from the moment of His conception in the midst of every kind of earthly trial, come to the aid of families everywhere suffering from the virus, or enduring quarantine, separated from loved ones, or in danger of losing their livelihood and means of support—that in this crisis, with St. Joseph as a model, humanity may awaken to a new awareness of our complete dependence on God and on the charity of one another with whom we are inextricably connected and for whom we are responsible. Let us pray to the Lord. May we implore the intercession of St. Joseph, Son of David, courageous man of faith, to show us the ways to keep vigilant and resilient as we experience in some small way our time of exile in Egypt, a time of prolonged fasting and uncertainty—may we, like Joseph, stay alert to our angels, asking St. Michael to defend us in the battle, St. Raphael to heal and console the suffering, St. Gabriel to keep us listening for the word of God whenever a discernment must be made, and asking for the united force of our guardian angels to life up our drooping spirits and show us the way to take the next step. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful. MOTHER TELCHILDE RECEIVES A HERITAGE BREED MICROGRANT Mother Telchilde Hinckley, Ph.D. in Animal Science, is the Department Head of the Abbey Dairy. She has been a champion of heritage breeds for many years and introduced Dutch Belted cattle into our dairy herd in 1991. The Livestock Conservancy is dedicated to the protection of endangered livestock and poultry breeds from extinction. The non-profit organization offers competitive small grants to heritage breed enterprises to be used for improvements benefiting farm animals and infrastructure and in such areas as milk, meat and egg production, agri-tourism, and marketing. Mother Telchilde's grant proposal: Sustaining Dutch Belted Dairy breed in New England Since 1991 we at the Abbey of Regina Laudis have been devoted to the preservation and conservation of heritage breeds of cattle, particularly the Dutch Belted and now the Milking Shorthorn. We began raising Dutch Belts when we received our first pair of oxen. As we moved toward a more sustainable grass based system, we realized that the Dutch Belts' qualities were just right for our small-scale, hand milking operation. Over the years Dutch Belted cattle from the Abbey herd (or their descendants) have gone to a number of farms in CT, NH, MA, VT, and TN. The goal of this project is to provide continuity and genetic diversity to the Dutch Belt breed in New England and at our farm through the purchase of Bestyet semen. There are classic sires as well as new young sires now available from Bestyet Farms and purchase of semen would offer the possibility of maximizing genetic material available. The Abbey is extremely grateful to the Livestock Conservancy for this recognition and their support that enables us to carry forth our mission to sustainable agriculture. Read more about the Abbey Dairy. Learn more about the Livestock Conservancy and other recipients of the Heritage Breed Microgrants for 2020. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. SCHOLASTICA “I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart.” I will allure into the desert and speak tenderly to her. In gratitude for the paradigm of genuine fraternal love set before us today in the lives of St. Scholastica and St. Benedict and in the story of Martha and Mary, dramatizing for us the daily struggle we all have to know what is the one necessary thing and showing us that for each of us it will take a different form or emphasis, the sequence and balance of our Ora et Labora will always be uniquely our own. But for each it is necessary to hear the Word of God and put it into action as totally as we can, without counting the cost, without comparison or judgment of the other, without murmuring; but rather with gratitude for all those accompanying us on the way, persevering with us until our desire to be with the Lord is transformed into love in His presence, no matter what we are doing and which is its own reward. Let us pray to the Lord. "Blessed are those who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb." For Father Columba, Father Seraphim, Brother Faith, and Brother Efren who will profess their simple vows at Christ in the Desert Monastery today. May they be infused by the strength of St. Benedict and the tenderness of St. Scholastica to live their Benedictine vows freely and fully, becoming a model of true brotherhood among men who come from the four corners of the world: India, Mexico, Ghana, and Canada, and as each hears the voice of the Lord in his own language, may he be given the grace to speak that Word of the Gospel as only he can do, while working together to build up the corporate witness of monastic life in the desert where it first began and from whence it must be renewed. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Scholastica. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR EPIPHANY "And your heart shall throb and overflow." Following these words of Isiah we have heard this morning, may we keep our gaze on the guiding light of the stars sent to us, so that we ourselves reflect the radiance of what we see and let ourselves be taken into the joyful mystery set before us this day, when the Magi, the most learned men of their day, rich and powerful though they were, sought unceasingly through risk and hardship, to find the King who had been foretold and may we continue to marvel that that very same King, the King of the Universe, came as a small child lying in the straw, and used that act of their homage to manifest Himself as the Savior of all peoples and all time. Let us pray to the Lord. May the shadow of Herod’s jealousy, fear, and greed that found its way to Bethlehem through the goodness of the Kings, and as the shadows are always with us, may we, like the Kings, place our trust in the Lord who showed them another way to return to their homes, escaping Herod’s reach and bringing the Good News to the people of the East. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Epiphany. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD Amidst all the anticipation and hopeful anxiety about the coming year, may we make some space in our crowded minds to remember that just one week ago we celebrated the most ineffable, unfathomable mystery of the birth of Christ, and take the time to go back to revisit the scene of the manger, this time with the spotlight on Mary, Mother of God, through whom life itself, newness itself, was born into this imperfect world; and may we ask Mary for help to discern in our own lives in this New Year of 2020 what is the incarnational life urging to be brought forth that truly participates in the life of her Son, and may we implore her intercession to bring it to birth. Let us pray to the Lord. We see in the Gospel the once mystified silent shepherds alive with the message first reported to them by the angels and now witnessed with their own eyes, so that they go out to tell everyone they meet what has happened, unable to contain the wonder and the joy–even as we hope to emulate them and share that joy, let us appreciate Mary’s response in complement as she simply holds all these things in her heart, pondering, praying, gestating another dimension of the truth she has already borne in her body, may we give one another the space to enclose the Word we have received in order to continually find a deeper dimension of the truth of our own experience of the newborn Christ. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR CHRISTMAS MASSES MIDNIGHT MASS The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. In gratitude to all those who have brought light to us this Christmas in whatever form, light for our eyes, for our clouded minds, for our heavy hearts; in those moments when we experience liberation from the dark, may we recognize Christ Himself making Himself know to us, and may we not be afraid to shine the light given to us out into the darkness to help someone else who might be making their way towards Bethlehem. Let us pray to the Lord. MORNING MASS In the beginning was the Word. In the quiet of this Christmas morning, the stillpoint upon which the world and indeed the whole universe depends, may we take a moment to reflect and ask ourselves out of all the multifarious words and happenings of these last weeks in preparation: what is the word of Christ we must hold on to, the word spoken to us that we need to guard and allow to grow so that the life of Christ may truly be born among men in this present time, even as we stand in awe of the mystery of His eternal union with the Father and the Spirit, that was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Christmas Masses. 'O' ANTIPHONS BEGIN AT VESPERS DECEMBER 17th Beginning on December 17th until the Vigil of Christmas, the Great ‘O’ Antiphons are chanted each evening at Vespers. These seven Antiphons are so called because each begins with the cry or petition ‘O’. The antiphons express the Church’s longing and expectation for the Messiah. Each addresses Christ under one of his archetypal, symbolic titles found in the Old Testament and concludes with a distinct petition for the coming of the Lord. Read original translations of these ancient antiphons and see images of 'O' Antiphons created in stained glass and mosaics by Mother Praxedes. CHRISTMAS POP-UP SALE AT THE JUBILEE BARN, December 21st and 22nd Our New Horizons project is scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2020. While we are already able to joyfully occupy parts of the new building, others are still under construction, which means that once again we will be welcoming you to our Christmas sale as a Pop-Up Shop at the Jubilee Barn. We have had a tremendous response to our Pop-Up Sales, the past few years and we will again have a wide range of crafts from our Abbey artists and artisans. The artisans have outdone themselves, offering expanded lines of candles, soaps, fragrances, knitted items, wooden bowls made from wood from the Abbey land. and wooden pens that hold particular significance. Food such as bread, cheese, herbs, jams and jellies will again be available. Beautiful cards with images painted by the community's artists will be for sale and there are also additions to our line of books. HOURS
Where: The Jubilee Barn 249 Flanders Rd. Bethlehem CT Parking for the Jubilee Barn is in the parking lot two driveways beyond the main entrance to the Abbey on the right, going towards Bethlehem. Read more and see images of the beautiful crafts, food and books that will be offered at our 2019 Pop-Up Christmas Sale. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING Remembering that Jesus Christ, King of the Jews and of every human heart, has already transferred us from darkness to light, making peace through the blood of His cross, may we not let His sacrifice be in vain, but follow the example of our Shepherd King, leading by serving, bringing others together through self-sacrifice rather than domination, working to restore peace among all people in the only way possible, through a deeper universal love of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray to the Lord. As we hear in St. Paul’s words today that "...the glory of the entire universe and everything in it was made through Jesus Christ and only in Him do all things continue to hold together," may we do our part to cooperate with Him in sustaining the incomparable gift of His Creation, believing that no matter how fragmented our world may seem, the center, Jesus Christ, will hold. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Christ the King. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS In gratitude for the tremendous multitude and variety of God’s saints who have all made the beatitudes their blueprint for life in some way, daring to believe that the road to sainthood is open to all no matter what our current distress or our personal gifts and failings. May we strive to be counted in their number, hoping one day to see God as He is, face to face, by opening ourselves here and now to see Him in the world around us with the eyes of wonder, rather than doubt. Let us pray to the Lord. In the words of Bishop Robert Barron in relation to the current crisis of the Church: "Something new must come forth, something specifically fitted to our time, and designed to respond to the particular corruption that currently besets us. Above all we need saints marked by holiness of course, but also by intelligence and understanding of the culture and the willingness to try something fresh. Somewhere in the Church right now is a new Benedict, a new Francis, a new Ignatius, a new Teresa of Calcutta, a new Dorothy Day–this is your time." For the grace to respond to the call, Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of All Saints. COMMEMORATION OF THE LIBERATION OF JOUARRE, AUGUST 27th On August 27th under the gaze and protection of St. Michael the Archangel, the community and guests gathered in St. Pius hay field for a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the Abbey of Notre Dame de Jouarre. Mother Subprioress Margaret Georgina Patton welcomed our veterans and guests and reminded those present that this anniversary marks the day Regina Laudis was conceived. It was on this date in 1944 that our foundress Mother Benedict Duss, with her monastic Community, the Abbey of Jouarre, was liberated by the American Third Army. Mother Subprioress introduced two special women, both nurses, who have been deeply touched by war and have chosen to give their lives in service. Helen Keiser-Pedersen lived through the unspeakable tragedy of losing her son, Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel, to the war in Afghanistan. She has deliberately taken that grief into service of her country, veterans, and in particular Gold Star families. Helen is currently president of Gold Star Mothers of CT. Captain Karen Trueblood served in the Iraq war, commanding the US Marines 4th Medical Battalion and since retirement has continued to serve her fellow soldiers and sailors, especially the homeless veterans and their families. Karen could not be present in person, but was grateful to have a Navy man present her message. Ron Gregory, himself a Navy Fireman who participated in the mission of the recovery of Apollo 7 in 1968, graciously accepted to give voice to Karen’s words. Read and/or download a pdf file of the full text of Captain Karen Trueblood's address. Read more details and see a gallery of the flag-raising ceremony. GIFT OF AN ALTAR FROM THE BENEDICTINE COMMUNITY OF JESUS CRUCIFIED Our community has been blessed with the gift of a beautiful granite altar for our new chapel. The altar was given by the Benedictine Community of Jesus Crucified whose Monastery of the Glorious Cross in Branford, CT has had to permanently close because they no longer had sufficient numbers to maintain their apostolate and presence to the people of the region. They will be greatly missed. The altar, which weighs 1,950 pounds, is made of local granite from the Stony Creek Quarry in Branford. We are profoundly moved by this gift which has made the relationship between our two communities even closer, and the Branford Benedictines are comforted to know that the altar that had been in their chapel for twenty years will now be central to the daily prayer life of Regina Laudis. The altar was safely transported to the Abbey by Mariano Brothers of Bethel, CT. See a gallery of the altar installation. GODSPELL COMES TO THE ABBEY THEATER! Thank you to Sister Grace Edna, C.S.J. and the students from the Clare Rose Playhouse for giving fabulous performances of Godspell and all who attended. For over 30 years audiences have enjoyed the musicals and plays performed at the Abbey's The Gary-The Olivia Theater. The directors of the Clay & Wattles Theater Company, Sally and Tom Camm, who brought you outstanding productions for the past ten years, have recently moved to the West Coast. Knowing how many of you were looking forward to a musical at our theater this summer, the Abbey was very pleased to host a production of the acclaimed musical GODSPELL. We are most grateful to the Clare Rose Playhouse at St. Joseph’s College, Patchogue, New York, for bringing this special production to the Abbey. Sister Grace Edna Rowland, C.S.J., the director of this Godspell production, is a Sister of St. Joseph who, for the last 35 years has been the Executive Director of the Clare Rose Playhouse, the on-campus theater at St. Joseph’s College, Patchogue, New York, where she also teaches theater courses and produces five shows a year. Read more about the director, Sister Grace Edna Rowland, C.S.J. and her reflections on the musical Godspell. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION On this great Feast of the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother body and soul into heaven, and the patronal feast of Regina Laudis, may we take a moment to ponder the marvelous titles of her litany: Arc of the Covenant, House of Gold, Tower of David, Gate of Heaven, Morning Star–we pray in gratitude for the many blessings that have come to us through her intercession this year, as we have seen the new monastery and chapel dedicated to her take shape before our eyes, so much beyond our human efforts to build it, May she continue to be with us as we bring this sacred space to completion and work to restore the land of its enclosure so that it may truly be a sign of the gate of paradise to all those who come seeking to find her Son. Let us pray to the Lord. "O death, where is your sting?" May the song of hope in the resurrection shared between Mary and Elizabeth inform our love together in our families, communities, in the work place, wherever we are, so that praise and gratitude for the life of God shining through the other may become our habitual response, helping to turn the tide of negativity that pervades our culture today. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST BENEDICT In gratitude for the life and remarkable teachings of St. Benedict who was called by God at a dark time in the history of Europe, to be in the words of Pope Paul VI, "...the messenger of peace, the maker of unity, the master of civilization." May we in turn strive to do our small part to continue his legacy in our own day, never taking peace or unity or even civilization for granted, but facing the demanding situations we are in each day, learning wisdom through community, in order to bear the good fruit that is expected of us as disciples of such a fruitful master. In gratitude for the Holy Rule which serves us as a compendium and a guide to the Beatitudes, showing us the steps we need to take in order to cultivate humanly what belongs to the Kingdom of God: purity of heart, mercy, meekness, poverty of spirit, the hunger and thirst for righteousness, the mourning for life’s unanswerable sorrows, the gift to withstand injustice, and the gift of making peace. May we realize that each of us may be called to perfect a different aspect of this blessedness but all are needed in the kingdom, and all are dependent on the others if we are to glimpse the happiness of heaven here on earth. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Benedict. FINAL PROFESSION OF MOTHER MARIA EVANGELISTA, TRINITY SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 On the Feast of the Holy Trinity, Sunday, June 16, 2019, Mother Maria Evangelista Fernandez made her Final Profession of Vows to God through the Community of Regina Laudis. Robert Tucker, Pastor of St. Louis de Montfort Parish, Litchfield, Connecticut, was the main celebrant and homilist at the Mass which was concelebrated by Father Douglas Mosey, C. S. B. Her parents and family, close friends, and mentors joined the monastic community in celebrating this joyful day. Read more about Mother Maria Evangelista and her reflections on the Benedictine Vows of Stability, Conversatio Morum, and Obedience. See a gallery of the Profession Ceremony. Read Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Profession Mass. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART In the goodness of the Good Shepherd, always more fully, more deeply, remembering that He is always there, it is we who have strayed by trying to hide our hearts from Him. He is always looking for us and is an expert in finding what He is looking for. For the grace to stop resisting being found and enter into the heart-to-heart conversation with our Lord that will never fail us. "Who among you won’t leave the ninety sheep and go in search of the one who has been lost?" Acknowledging how few of us and how seldom we are able to adopt this diving logic of love, leaving what is certain and safe, rewarding and plentiful, to give our lives for the one who is at risk, the one who needs us, may we unite ourselves to the river of living mercy that flows from the pierced side of Christ and through His grace be enabled to carry more than we thought we could, and for the time He is with us not feel the burden on our shoulders. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Sacred Heart. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR CORPUS CHRISTI In gratitude for the mercy of God who did not leave us helpless in the face of the immensity of the Trinity, but Himself became man, that we might have a way to become God, not leaving us in a deserted place, but giving us His very Body and Blood as food, the only food that can satisfy man’s restless voracious soul and charging us never to let His sacramental presence depart from our midst. "Do this in memory of me." Let us pray to the Lord. For an increase to devotion for the Sacrifice of the Mass, the sacrament of universal unity, that the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ may become the radiating center from which our whole lives derive their meaning, that we might truly be called a Eucharistic People imbued with the love that says over and over again: "This is my Body given for you." Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Corpus Christi. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR TRINITY SUNDAY Mother Maria Evangelista Fernandez made her Perpetual Profession of Vows on Trinity Sunday. In gratitude for the life and monastic vocation of Mother Maria Evangelista Fernandez, who endured many afflictions and challenges on the winding path that brought her to this joyous day of her Solemn Profession of Vows. She stands before us now, proven in character and full of the hope speranza, the hope that does not disappoint. As she perseveres in monastic life, may she never be confounded in her expectations, but drawn ever more deeply in her love and desire for Trinitarian relationship with God, with the earth, with her community, and all those people God sends to her, finding herself as she gives herself more and more in the likeness of the love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let us pray to the Lord. May Wisdom, who was present to God the Father at the creation of the world and played over the surface of the earth as his craftsman, be with Mother Maria Evangelista as she cultivates the Abbey vegetable gardens in relationship to Mother Subprioress. May Wisdom, who orders all things well from beginning to end, and who became incarnate in the Person of Jesus Christ, assist Mother Maria Evangelista in her growing obligation as the Regina Laudis cellarer. May Wisdom, that is the consummate gift of the Holy Spirit, guide Mother Maria Evangelista in her study of Theology, centered in the truth of Christ and grounded in the love of her monastic vocation. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Trinity Sunday. RENOVATED KITCHEN IS BLESSED AND EXCITING COLLABORATION WITH TOMIE dePAOLA ON OUR CHAPEL On Pentecost Sunday the community gathered in the newly-renovated kitchen and Mother Abbess blessed the kitchen. The renovations give our kitcheners more space and light. Beautiful new cabinets, counters, and sinks will make their work of cooking for nearly 60 people each day more easeful. There is a centralized wooden butcher block fabricated by our friend Tim Csanadi and his colleagues. See a gallery of the renovated kitchen and read the Latin text of the Kitchen Blessing with an original translation by Joseph T. Moller. We are also blessed with the gift of renowned children's book author and illustrator, Tomie dePaola, who has offered to paint a mural for the entrance to our new chapel and to design stained glass windows for the interior of the chapel. See a gallery of Tomie dePaola's collaboration with the New Horizons group. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF PENTECOST On this Feast of Pentecost celebrating the day the Church was born, may we pray for a reawakening in the hearts of men and women everywhere to the dramatic power of the Holy Spirit who in the words of St. Leo that we heard last night at Matins, “…is charged with the energy to enlighten, the ability to create understanding, and the power to burn away sin and destroy it.” May our awareness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, whether manifested in fire or water or the breath of life itself, flood our hearts today and remain with us always. Let us pray to the Lord. “Are not all these people Galileans? Yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty works of God.” When we find we cannot understand those around us or make ourselves understood even though we think we are speaking the same language, may we call upon the Holy Spirit to loosen our tongues and enlighten our minds, recentering our conversations in the mighty works of God which are given to all, and may be recognized by all, therefore, holding the key to a universal language that alone can create true unity in love. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Pentecost. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE ASCENSION "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven?" In this world of relentless horizontal quid pro quo thinking, may we not be afraid to spend some time looking up to heaven today, pondering and rejoicing in the mystery of Christ’s entry into heaven, the first human being to do so, returning to the Father who sent Him and bringing with Him all the just of the ages past, breaking the bonds of sin and the power of death, leading “captivity captive”, so that there would be henceforth a path for humankind to enter into the presence of God. May we help one another to keep our eyes on that one true path, Let us pray to the Lord. “Wait for the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak. Stay in Jerusalem.” May we be given the grace to wait, to wait together, to wait in the holy places where we have known Passion, Death and Resurrection, not giving in to the temptation to flee in the face of transcendence, but stay open to receive the Spirit, the promise of the Father, sent by the Son, the One who has the power to allow us limited human beings to participate in the joy of union with the Triune God, Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Ascension. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE EASTER VIGIL AND EASTER MORNING, APRIL 2019 From the Easter Vigil: O Truly Blessed Night, when things of heaven are wed to those of earth, may we hold fast to the joy of these words sung with such exultant freedom on this night of night, and may each one here be a true guardian of the newly kindled light of Christ as it goes out into the world, passing the flame from one person to another as we did just now, that no one may be left in the darkness of a world without faith or hope. Let us pray to the Lord. From Easter Morning: Speak Mary, what have you seen on the way? I saw the tomb of Christ who is alive and the glory of His Resurrection. May we like Mary see with new eyes as we slowly awake into this new Easter world, beholding the glory of Christ’s resurrection in all the ordinary events and circumstances of our lives, competing with one another only to find Him more quickly, believe more fully, spread the good news more joyfully, and to the ends of the earth in every tongue: Alleluia! Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Easter Vigil and Easter Morning. See gallery of images from Holy Thursday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Morning, 2019. BEAUTIFUL NEW DRY STONE WALLS GRACE THE ABBEY LAND! Our Abbey has a new look! The extravagant generosity of a dear Abbey friend and benefactor has allowed the building of stone walls along Flanders Road and the surrounding pastures. The project was carried out throughout the winter by the company The Flips. Vinny Oliviera and his workmen braved the cold and snow collecting rocks from our land, clearing trees from the fence lines, and painstakingly laying stone. Enjoy the slideshow of this work which has given our land along Flanders Road a more defined and unified look. Watch the slideshow of the stone wall project. BOOK LAUNCH—THE ARTIST REMEMBERS: MOTHER PLACID AND THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS On First Passion Sunday, April 7, 2019 we celebrated the publication of The Artist Remembers: Mother Placid and the Stations of the Cross, a unique collaboration between Mother Placid Dempsey, O.S.B., who carved these cherry-wood reliefs over a twenty-year period, and renowned journalist and friend, George Krimsky. Their many conversations about how these carvings came to be in the Regina Laudis chapel in Bethlehem, CT, and the accompanying full-page photographs, have resulted in a stunning art book that offers a profound meditation on the 14 Stations of the Cross as they illuminate the human experience. The Stations have accompanied our community in prayer for decades, holding a place of honor on the walls of our monastery chapel and becoming familiar and much loved by guests and visitors. Read more about Mother Placid and the book The Artist Remembers: Mother Placid and the Stations of the Cross . See a gallery of the book launch at the Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens, April 7, 2019. The book The Artist Remembers: Mother Placid and the Stations of the Cross is now available by mail order. Call The Hickory Stick Bookshop at 860 868-0525. TRANSITUS OF MOTHER PERPETUA GIAMPIETRO, FEBRUARY 7, 2019 Mother Perpetua (née Laura) Giampietro, 69, died on February 7, 2019, after a long illness. She had a great love for monastic liturgy and Gregorian Chant and for many years served as Mistress of Ceremonies to which she brought her natural grace and love of dance. She was an accomplished potter who apprenticed under masters such as Emanuele Rondinone in Southern Italy. She established St. Martin's pottery complex, teaching pottery to community members and interns. She was a gifted seamstress, worked in the Monastic Infirmary, and also started the Abbey's first Compost Department. Mother Perpetua heroically battled early onset Alzheimer's disease for the last ten years of her life. In lieu of flowers, donations to the New Horizons Renovation Project would be gratefully accepted on-line or c/o The Abbey of Regina Laudis, 273 Flanders Road, Bethlehem, CT 06751. Read Mother Perpetua's full obituary. BLESSING OF CONSECRATION TO A LIFE OF VIRGINITY CONFERRED BY HIS EXCELLENCY ARCHBISHOP LEONARD BLAIR On Saturday, October 20, 2018, the Blessing of Consecration to a Life of Virginity was conferred by His Excellency The Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, S.T.D., Archbishop of Hartford, upon Mother Ozanne Schumann, Mother Elizabeth Evans, and Mother Angèle Arbib. The Mass was concelebrated by Father Ryan Lerner, the Archbishop's Master of Ceremonies, Father Robert Tucker, Father Douglas Mosey, C.S.B., Father John Young, C.S.C., Father James Nolte, and Father Peter Kucer, M.S.A. Members of the Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist, and the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph with whom we have collaborated for many years, participated in the ceremony. Family members and friends from across the United States and Europe converged at the Abbey to celebrate the Church's blessing on the three Consecrandae (those to be consecrated) for their faithful service in vowed life and mission. In his homily Archbishop Blair called each Consecranda to be a "light of the world" through her Consecration in Religious Life. He urged each one present to ...rejoice in the Lord for his or her calling and the gifts that He gives us to build up the Body of Christ; so that we may be faithful witnesses in the Church, to do Him some service and to be a light for others, the light of the Gospel. Read about highlights of the ceremony and see photographs of the celebration. BREAD ETERNAL—ARTICLE IN FIRST THINGS BY FORMER MONASTIC INTERN Jane Sloan Peters' article Bread Eternal is now available online in the February 2019 issue of the journal First Things. Jane is a doctoral candidate in historical theology at Marquette University. She is an accomplished baker, having first learned bread-making under the direction of Mother Dorcas while participating in our Monastic Internship Program. Subsequently, while in graduate school, Jane worked at the Clear Flour Bakery in Brookline, Massachusetts, where she developed her skill in making European breads and pastries. In her article Jane presents the history of bread-making which she perceives as "...the closest thing civilization has to an eternal flame." There was no feeling quite so validating as when Mother Dorcas peeked into the
bowl, eyes bright, and exclaimed, 'What a good dough!' She declared it good, just
as God saw that it was very good to breathe life into dust. Bread has a special
kinship, too, with God’s reminder after Adam and Eve’s fall: 'You are dust, and to
dust you shall return.' In the same breath, he declares, 'By the sweat of your brow
you will eat bread.' Read the entire article: Bread Eternal by Jane Sloan Peters at the First Things site. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DECEMBER 8th In gratitude for the person of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, Christ-bearer, the one who held Paradise within, the only entirely innocent human creature ever conceived, may she help us who deal only with partial truths and traces of the original goodness, to find the innocence in ourselves and recognize it in one another and when we do, to protect and celebrate it as the source from which springs our “yes” to love and our path to restore wholeness in God. Let us pray to the Lord. As we behold the sad spectacle of Adam and Eve after the Fall, ashamed, full of blame, divided, defensive in their nakedness, may we contrast this all too familiar scene with the miraculous event of the Annunciation to Mary, who said “yes” without needing to fully understand , who immediately goes to help someone else, her cousin Elizabeth, who stays with Joseph and he with her, not letting the gossip and slander of the world come between them, may Mary continue to show us the way to crush the head of the ever-present serpent through union with her and the Christ Child she bears. Let us pray to the Lord. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. EXHIBIT: THE RICHES OF SIMPLICITY: MONASTIC ARTISTS AND ARTISANS The Dedee Shattuck Gallery in Westport Massachusetts is pleased to present The Riches of Simplicity: Monastic Artists and Artisans. This group exhibition showcases the art and craftwork created in and by monastic communities in the Northeastern United States. It features work in many mediums, ranging from textiles to icons to candlestick holders and beyond. The craftsmanship of our Abbey's artists will be featured with three other monastic communities of the Northeast: Mount Saviour Monastery in Elmira, NY; Weston Priory in Weston, VT; and St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, MA. The members of our community who will be exhibiting various artwork and crafts are: Mother Alma—paintings Mother Telchilde—stole woven from wool of our flock Mother Jadwiga—woven tapestry and stoles Mother Lioba—candles Mother Anastasia—ironwork Mother Praxedes—sculpture Sister Gregory—hand turned wooden bowls The exhibition is guest curated by Nick Maione. It will run from October 31st through November 2525th with an opening reception and artist and curator talk on Saturday, November 3rd, 5-7pm, open to the public. Dedee Shattuck Gallery 1 Partners Lane Westport, MA 02790 Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10-5pm and Sunday 12-5pm. Read more about the Dedee Shattuck Gallery. Read a review and see images of the exhibit: Dedee Shattuck Gallery exhibit explores ‘The Riches of Simplicity’ A Reflection on Monastic Art
Monastic communities, rooted in different lands, traditions, and environments have endured for centuries and still live today. In the Rule of Saint Benedict, set forth in the 6th century, we see that St. Benedict makes provision for the life of diverse communities of men, or women, living under a single Rule. The members of the community live, work, and worship together, receiving guests, caring for the sick, educating the young, and practicing all the works necessary to maintain a well-rounded life of stability and culture on the land. It is well known that throughout history the monastic orders were largely responsible for the preservation of the literature of the ancient world, and to them is also credited the agricultural restoration of Europe. All of the elements necessary for the sustenance of the community were necessarily found within the resources of the monastery. Accordingly, the monks were also known for developing specialized arts such as wine and beer making, cheese making, and for many technological advances in fields such as architecture and engineering.
Today we might ask ourselves why are we drawn to the craftsmanship of the contemporary Monastics? In order to explore that question, we must again look into monastic life and traditions. Under the Benedictine motto of “Ora et Labora” (prayer and work), both the spiritual and the physical sides of the life of the person are honored. “The sides of the ladder (of humility) are body and soul” (ch 7). It is from this dynamic relationship between body and soul that the true drive for monastic crafts and artisanship arises. Craftsmen were indispensable to the life of the community. Their importance is underscored by the fact that St. Benedict devoted a whole chapter of the Rule to them (ch 57) and admonished them to remain humble despite their giftedness. If anyone could not remain humble, he or she would be removed from the work. In order to sustain the physical life of the community, the monastics were impelled to utilize the raw materials of the environment that were opened to them through their work in agriculture, and land restoration and reclamation. Leather was needed for shoes, wool for garments, skins used for vellum, stones for building, beeswax for candles and clay and metal for vessels. The physical life of the community was the workshop in which the crafts were learned, practiced, and professionally perfected. But for the monks, there is also a deeper motivation. Every monastic person lives with the words “Ut in Omnibus Glorificetur Dei” (“That in all things God may be glorified”) burning in his or her heart. It is the monastic artists and craftsmen whose hands fashion a vital link between creation herself and our human religious longing to lift up or transform the elements of creation to assist us in our participation in the life of God on the earth. In ch 31 of the Rule, Saint Benedict also reminds the cellarer, and by extension, all the monks, that all the tools of the monastery are to be treated as sacred vessels of the altar, and when we consider this in terms of the work of the craftsmen, we can see how organic this relationship is. But it is the rich liturgical life of the monastery that evokes the greatest creative fertility on the part of the craftsmen. There is no lack of feastdays, ceremonies, and processions in any monastery. Leather needed now for not only shoes but for liturgical books, wool and flax for vestments and cowls, precious metals, ceramics and wax for the adornment of the altar and the celebration of the liturgy. Stone and wood used for housing and stables is raised and shaped for churches and chapels and chapter rooms. It is this possibility of participation in the elevation of creation that attracts lay artists and craftsmen to collaborate with monastic craftsmen. And in fulfilling our mission to restore and elevate creation, we ourselves are also elevated. Mother Telchilde Hinckley O.S.B., Monastic Arts Director
NEW TRANSLATION OF THE ASSUMPTION HYMN: O GLORIOSA DOMINAAugust 15th, the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, is the Feast Day of the Abbey of Regina Laudis, named for the "Queen of Praise". The dogma of Our Lady's Assumption, promulgated by Pope Pius XII in 1950, that Our Lady was assumed body and soul into heaven, holds great significance for our community. Because Our Lady was assumed bodily into heaven she became the Gateway to Heaven for all Humanity. We are privileged this year to offer a new translation of the hymn O Gloriosa Domina by Abbey friend and classicist, Joseph T. Moller. Joseph's stunning translation offers us a new insight into the mystery of Our Lady's Assumption and the consolation and hope she brings us: "That those who weep may enter unto the stars, for heaven a window you have made."
Translator’s Note Text is taken from the Monastic Diurnal. O Gloriosa Domina is the second half of the hymn Quem terra, pontus, aethera which was composed by Venantius Fortunatus (530-609), Bishop of Poitiers. (Translation of the hymn O Gloriosa Domina courtesy of Joseph T. Moller: Copyright © 2018 The Abbey of Regina Laudis. All rights reserved.) TRANSITUS OF MOTHER RUTH BARRY AT OUR LADY OF THE ROCK, AUGUST 4th, 2018 Mother Ruth (née Pearl) Barry, 91, died peacefully on August 4, 2018, at Our Lady of the Rock, our monastic foundation on Shaw Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington. Her health had been declining for several months, and the last couple of weeks saw a rapid drop in her already frail condition. A few days before she died, she told Mother Prioress Therese that she wanted to go the Lord. Pearl Barry was born of Dixie and Rosa Barry on a farm in Wrens, Georgia, the sixth of eight children. Her parents, tenant farmers, picked cotton alongside their neighbors who were sharecroppers. Pearl spent her childhood helping on the farm: picking cotton, gathering pecans, and drawing buckets of water up from a well a hundred feet deep. When she was only four, her mother made a little bag for her to use for picking cotton. Read Mother Ruth's full obituary. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL—FEAST OF ST. BENEDICT On this Feast of St. Benedict in gratitude for the strong and joyful presence of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist with us today, witnessing to the continuity of relationship and our mutual dedication, as we strive to live the call of the beatitudes ever more fully as One Body in complementary ways. Let us pray to the Lord. May St. Benedict watch over the raising of the cupula of our new chapel today, that all may go safely and smoothly, and may this chapel stand in simplicity and truth—poor in spirit, pure of heart, overflowing with the love that has gone into it—so that all who come there to pray may be enabled to truly hear with the Ear of the Heart and see God with new eyes. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of St. Benedict.
On August 1, 2018, Jane Sloan Peters published the article: Cultivating Benedictine Wonder in the Church Life Journal, published through the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame. The McGrath Institute for Church Life promotes the liturgical renewal of the Church through scholarship and pastoral education. Jane is a doctoral candidate in historical theology at Marquette University. Her experience in the Monastic Internship at the Abbey, in particular baking under the direction of Mother Dorcas, has stayed with her and has been a source of reflection for her over the years. I awake in the middle of the night, as I do most nights here, with muscles complaining about the hundreds of hay bales I loaded into a barn the day before. It is half past 2AM. The Guest House at the Abbey of Regina Laudis is black and silent, but some 800 meters away in the chapel, an assembly of nuns is awake and keeping watch with the sanctuary lamp. It is the hour of Matins. By the time I rise at 8:00, the flowers have been watered, the cows milked, the sheep sent to pasture, the cat found and fed, the grapevines inspected, and the bread dough set out to rise. I gulp a cup of Folgers and hike up the hill to the Church of Jesu Fili Mariae for Mass. A bell rings, and from behind the wrought iron grille, the nuns process into the sanctuary, bowing to the altar and to one another before taking their places in the choir stalls. Mother Abbess intones the prayer: Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. The … Read the entire article: Cultivating Benedictine Wonder by Jane Sloan Peters at the Church Life Journal site. GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR OF MOTHER MARIA NUGENT, DEAN OF LITURGY AND SACRISTAN 2018 marks the Golden Jubilee Year of Mother Maria Nugent who celebrates 50 years of Vowed life at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. On Saturday, May 26th, family, friends and colleagues joined the monastic community in celebration. Father Robert Tucker, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Litchfield was the homilist and main celebrant of the Mass. Twenty-four priests concelebrated the Mass, a testament to Mother Maria, our sacristan who has tirelessly arranged for a priest to offer Mass in our church daily. We were blessed with the presence of Mother Miriam Seiferman, Mother General of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist and Co-Foundress Mother Shaun Vergauwen. Mother Maria was overjoyed that members of the Medical Missionaries were able to attend. Our longtime friends Brother Jude, O.C.S.O. and Brother Amadeus, O.C.S.O. of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts participated in the Mass and celebration. Numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins and the extended Nugent clan converged at the Abbey to celebrate their beloved Mother Maria. Any many guests who attend Mass daily at the Abbey were present to honor Mother Maria in gratitude. Read about Mother Maria and see galleries of the Jubilee Mass and celebration. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR ASCENSION AND PENTECOST Ascension "Men of Galilee, why do you stare looking up to heaven?" Remembering the message of the angels at the empty tomb which was precisely to go to Galilee to tell the brethren of the Resurrection, may we hear in today’s readings the further directive to wait for the Spirit and then get busy and go out to the whole world, not just to Galilee, but to every creature, spreading the Good News to the ends of the earth. And may we assist one another as we enter ourselves into the very same movement of constant descent and ascent to the Father whom Christ tells us very firmly is His Father and ours, His God and ours, making us One Body in Him. Pentecost As we implore the Spirit to come and dwell within our hearts this day and always, may we remember the words of today’s Sequence sung just a few minutes ago and summarized so eloquently by Father in homily, acknowledging that there is …nothing in us apart from Him, nothing that is not counsel, but with Him, even the most humanly impossible conflicts can be reconciled, for He is the Spirit of truth, forgiveness, of unity, of comfort, of peace, loosening our tongues that we might all together praise the Magnalia Dei, the wonderful works of God which surround us. Read all of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Ascension and Pentecost. NEW ORIGINAL TRANSLATION OF THE GOOD FRIDAY HYMN CRUX FIDELIS We are privileged to offer original translations of the hymns for Passiontide and Good Friday as well as the Easter vigil proclamation, the Exultet. Latin texts were translated by Abbey friend and classicist, Joseph T. Moller. New this year is Joseph's translation of the hymn Crux Fidelis, which our monastic and Oblate choirs and choirs throughout the world sing during the Adoration of the Cross Ceremony on Good Friday. The hymn was composed by Venantius Fortunatus in the sixth century. Included here are the translator's notes, with the history of the hymns as well as the etymology of key words of the text, This translation offers a profound meditation on the birth, life and sacrifice of our Redeemer. May it enrich your prayer this Holy Week for our "shipwrecked world". Read the Latin text and new translation of the hymn Crux Fidelis. WE HAVE A NEW 145 HORSE POWER TRACTOR, GIFT OF TIM CSANADI Mother Augusta is eagerly looking forward to the spring and summer so that she can begin to use our beautiful new tractor, called Tiny Tim, extravagant gift of Tim Csanadi. She is responsible for our pastures and hay fields and needed a tractor that was powerful enough to use with the Abbey's hay cutter. Tim's Christmas present to the Abbey was a gorgeous 145 hp tractor that was blessed during October. Tim and Don Stull, who has been servicing Abbey tractors and other machinery for over forty years, joined the monastic community and interns for the blessing in our tractor shed. Mother Augusta is a great lover of Charles Dickens and proposed the name for the tractor after the beloved character from A Christmas Carol. Tiny Tim couldn't run like a 145 hp tractor, but he didn't need to because his Father was the horse that carried him home, and the love between him and his family provided warmth enough to heat their house and even melt the frozen heart of Ebenezer Scrooge. By jumping in with both feet into the complexities of a Benedictine Monastery and a monastic farm in particular, you Tim, have shared with us your love, by giving us this tractor which you have paid for through the years of your lifeʼs hard work. NEW TRANSLATIONS OF THE HYMNS FOR LENTEN VESPERS AND LAUDS We are pleased to offer you this Lent original translations by Joseph T. Moller of the hymns that we sing throughout the Lenten Season. The hymn Audi Benigne Conditor was composed by Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-604) and is sung at the Office of Vespers. Acknowledging our human frailty, it is a plea for God's forgiveness: Scrutinize and nourish our hearts,
the weakness of men you know, to those returning to you show
forgiveness and grace. The hymn from Lauds, Iam Christe Sol Iustitiae, probably composed in the 10th Century, is full of hope and a promise of resurrection, that in the day of Christ, all things will "re-flower". The hymn is sung as the sun is rising, so we are asking Christ, the Sun of Justice:
From our minds scatter all shadows, that virtue’s light return, as to the earth You restore the day. The hymn's Gregorian Chant melody and rhythm beautifully express Lenten joy and hope.
Read new translations of the Lenten Vespers and Lauds hymns. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR THE FEAST OF ST. SCHOLASTICA February 10th is the Feast of St. Scholastica, the sister of St. Benedict. Mother Abbess Lucia took as her abbatial motto: Plus potuit quia plus amavit, which is translated: She was able to do more because she loved more. The text is taken from the Office of St. Scholastica, and is based on a story in the SECOND BOOK OF THE DIALOGUES OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, CONTAINING THE LIFE AND MIRACLES OF ST. BENEDICT OF NURSIA. In chapter thirty-three, Of a Miracle Wrought by His Sister Scholastica, St. Gregory recounts that one night St. Scholastica prevailed upon her brother to disobey his Rule and instead of returning to his Abbey with his monks, to stay with her talking and praying through the night. Though she did not tell him why, she knew her death was near. With his strong sense of justice, St. Benedict refused her, but her tears of supplication to God caused a sudden storm that prevented him from leaving. When St. Gregory's disciple Peter, who knew the power of St. Benedict through his miracles, wondered why in this instance St. Benedict did not get his way, Pope St. Gregory explains that St. Scholastica was "...able to do more because she loved more." Read Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast. Read more from the Dialogues of Pope St. Gregory the Great. GET ME TO A NUNNERY, ESSAY BY J. COURTNEY SULLIVAN IN THE NYT On December 21, 2017 the New York Times published an essay Get Me to a Nunnery by author J. Courtney Sullivan. In her thought-provoking essay Courtney recounts meeting Mother Abbess Lucia for the first time and her subsequent stay as a guest at Regina Laudis, participating in our Benedictine rhythm of Ora et Labora. Her longing to come to the Abbey again, if only for the moment in her mind, resonated with so many who read her essay and found comfort in its message.
It’s Christmastime again, and I feel the longing most acutely now. At the abbey, even the
smallest act is considered an act of devotion, so that every dish washed or loaf of bread baked
takes on heightened importance. I couldn’t have understood this as a kid, arguing with the parish
priest. But I see it now. There is something powerful about being in the presence of faith when
you yourself are doubting. The New York Times has graciously allowed us to offer the essay Get Me to a Nunnery for you to read and/or download. MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who dwell in a land of gloom a light has shone. For to us a Child is born.” For the grace to experience yet again or perhaps for the first time, the wonder of Christmas, the astonishing truth that the all-powerful God responds to the pain of human darkness in every generation through the gift of new life. His life, human and divine, fragile and vulnerable as a child. May we care for the new life sent to us this year as humbly as the shepherds and joyfully as the angels. Let us pray to the Lord. As we unite our intentions with those of the Holy Father tonight and those of the Universal Church, we pray for all displaced persons and for those who have lost their homes, may we not be like the inn that missed its chance to welcome the Prince of Peace, but have the courage to open our hearts beyond their accustomed limits and to see those around us, even those closest to us who we think we know, in this world-changing light of Christ that makes all things new. Read the entire texts of Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for Christmas and the Solemnity of Mary. MOTHER NOELLA WAS FEATURED IN THE CATHOLIC TRANSCRIPT DECEMBER ISSUE Reporter Mary Chalupsky of the Catholic Transcript wrote an in-depth article entitled Meet the Cheese Nun: Mother Noëlla plies her talents from Bethlehem cheese cellar to monastery’s internet presence. Mary's cover story presents Mother Noella's background and the journey that lead her to religious life at Regina Laudis, where she become a cheesemaker and microbiologist. We are grateful to Mary for presenting Mother Noella's research on microbial biodiversity in cheese ripening within the context of her Benedictine spirituality and life in community. For us, we find God through a very specific area that
we call an elemental,' she notes. 'For me, it happens to
be cheese. For others it’s honey, candles, bees or music
where you really see God in creation. The article is accompanied by beautiful photographs taken by Robert Falcetti and Robert Fenton Houser. Read and/or download the article: Meet the Cheese Nun. NEWLY-RELEASED AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MOTHER FELICITAS, O.S.B. Mother Felicitas Curti, O.S.B. is a member of the Community of Our Lady of the Rock Monastery, the foundation of Regina Laudis located on the San Juan Islands of Washington State. The journey of her life is described on the book jacket in this way: The Chord of Longing: My Life as Atheist, Marxist, Mother, Nun...
explores a musical scholar’s search for meaning, love, and acceptance through decades as a single mother, a Marxist, a musician, and finally, a member of a monastic community. In frank and honest language, Mother Felicitas explains how that long search led her through extraordinary pain and difficulty, profound questioning, and finally toward everlasting and perfect love. The title is based on a chord of yearning—the famous chord that begins Wagner’s opera, Tristan and Isolde. Writes the author: 'This chord’s dissonance, this tension, demands to be resolved.' It is the perfect metaphor to describe her own quest for resolution, beautifully described in this personal tale of tribulation and transcendence. About the Author: Mother Felicitas Curti, O.S.B., Ph.D. in musicology and scholar of Gregorian chant, lives in a small monastic community on a remote island in Washington State tending an herb garden and spreading joy with her violin playing and musical teachings. The path that took her to this Benedictine community and spiritual fulfillment is both rocky and remarkable. She was a rebellious child, bohemian teenager, and, in her twenties, a political revolutionary, publishing articles in radical socialist papers and journals. In her thirties she explored the New Age culture while raising two sons and teaching music history and theory in college. Always, she was questioning everything, especially herself. Her passion for a more just society and for an abundant, pure love guided her even as her life began unraveling around her—a life she examines with an open heart and unflinching eye in her riveting memoir, The Chord of Longing. The book is available at Amazon as well as at Our Lady of the Rock. Email for more information on ordering a book from Our Lady of the Rock. OUR LADY OF THE ROCK MONASTERY PO Box 425 Shaw Island, WA 98286
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS—NEW TRANSLATION OF THE STABAT MATER On the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19th, we were blessed with the gift of a shiny new black dump truck. The truck is the generous gift of Tim Csanadi of Fall River Manufacturing. Tim grew up on a farm and took an interest in our agricultural program. He contacted Mother Augusta, offering to support us in our commitment to the sustainability of our land. When he and his wife Joy learned that the transmission of our old dump truck had blown, they had this beautiful new truck delivered to our Abbey. Mother Abbess named the truck "Joseph", not only because it arrived on the feast, but because as St. Joseph served the bodies of Our Lady and Jesus, this truck will serve the many needs of the body of our land and all who work on it. With deep gratitude we ask for Blessings on Tim and Joy, their family and work. Blessing and Naming of Our New Truck Joseph.
Be gracious,
O Lord God,
to our prayers
and bless this vehicle, Joseph, with Thy right hand.
Send Thy holy angels to accompany it
that they may keep from all evils
those who ride in it;
and as once Thou didst grant faith and grace
through Thy deacon Philip
to the Ethiopian riding in his chariot
and reading the word of God,
so now show the way of salvation
to Thy servants that,
always given to good works,
they attain to everlasting joys
after the vicissitudes of the journey
and of this life.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Click to enlarge a photo.
SAVOR THE MYSTERIES OF HOLY WEEK AND EASTERWe are privileged to offer a new original translation of the hymn for Passiontide, Vexilla Regis as well as the Easter vigil proclamation, the Exultet. Both Latin texts were translated by Abbey friend and classicist, Joseph T. Moller. Included here are the translator's notes with the history of the hymn Vexilla Regis as well as the etymology of key words of the text, Vexilla and Mysterium, derived from ancient Roman military terms. May a "new look" at ancient texts enrich your spiritual insights during Holy Week and help you to savor the miracle of Easter. See original translations of the hymn Vexilla Regis and the Exultet. We are also blessed to have artists and crafts women whose works draw us into the mysteries we celebrate. We offer here visuals and descriptions of the sacramentals that have been created, such as the Pascal candle and sculptures of life-sized sheep inspired by the days of Holy Week. See photographs and descriptions of the sheep sculptures. See a gallery of the process of making a paschal candle. CLOTHING OF SISTER CHRISTOPHER, FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 2016 On December 8, 2016, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Abbey celebrated the Monastic Investiture of postulant Jenny McClarin who was clothed in the monastic habit and received the name Sister Christopher. Monsignor Andrew R. Baker, Rector of Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD was the main celebrant and homilist at the Mass. Father Iain Highet, Pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church in Norfolk and St. Joseph’s Church in Canaan and Father John Cooney were concelebrants. As is our custom at the Abbey, at Mass and throughout the day Jenny wore an outfit of her choosing celebrating the beauty she brings to this step in her life. Jenny's close friends and colleagues from Muhlenberg College and the Diocese of Allentown Pennsylvania participated in the liturgy and celebration. Read more about Sister Christopher and see the gallery of the celebration of her Clothing day. ABBEY CHEESE FEATURED ON THE CBS SUNDAY MORNING SHOW NOVEMBER 20th Every year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving the CBS Sunday Morning Show broadcasts a show centered on food. This year our cheese was featured on a segment of their “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” program on Sunday, November 20th. The CBS segment begins with the Monastic Community singing Gregorian Chant in our church Jesu Fili Mariae and then correspondent Mo Rocca visits our dairy where he interviewed an Abbey herdswoman and cheesemakers. Watch Sister Jeanne Paul feed the cows and introduce her beloved Milking Shorthorn Red Wing Lily who is certainly not camera shy. Sister Teresa Benedicta and Monastic Intern Regina show Mo the final steps of the Bethlehem cheesemaking process as they salt and wrap the cheese in cheesecloth. Mother Noella introduced Mo to the ripening process in the cheese cellar and through a microscope. They spoke about Benedictine Spirituality and how the work of each nun with an element of creation, opens to the comprehensive vision of St. Benedict. And of course Mo had his first taste of our Bethlehem cheese! Mother Noella on the Science and Spirituality of Cheesemaking
In this web exclusive, Mother Noella, a Benedictine Nun of the Abbey of Regina Laudis, talks with correspondent Mo Rocca about enzymes—the catalyst in the traditional cheesemaking process—and how they relate to the spiritual. You can, she says, find the universe in a microbe. From the CBS Sunday Morning Website, November 20, 2016
Watch the video Mo Rocca Pays a Visit to the Abbey Dairy Farm.Watch the Interview with Mo Rocca on the Science and Spirituality of Cheesemaking from the CBS Sunday Morning broadcast. MOTHER AUGUSTA FEATURED IN ARTICLE: BELTED GALLOWAY CATTLE AT THE ABBEY OF REGINA LAUDIS Mother Augusta and the Abbey's beef herd, comprised of the Belted Galloway cattle breed, are featured in the newly-released 3rd edition of The Belted Galloway Journal 2016. In this 4-page article, beautifully written by Kara Keeton, Mother Augusta recounts the history of Regina Laudis and the vision of our Foundress, Lady Abbess Benedict Duss, that our monastic life be rooted in the land. She recalls the work of Mother Stephen and Mother Ruth and those who established our farm, herds and flocks and how she herself took on responsibility for the continuity of their work. Mother Augusta continues to put into place environmental conservation practices at the beef herd and pastures. She speaks in detail of her work with our Monastic Interns, introducing them to the care of cattle and fields and land management practices that contribute to sustainability and wise stewardship of the land. The article is accompanied by stunning photographs taken by Mother Augusta. 'Saint Benedict set a standard that has made Benedictines
environmentally conscious from the beginning of their history,' explained Sister Augusta. 'If we look back on the first monasteries, the monks were tied to the land for survival, so they tended the land as they tended their faith. Mother Benedict continued this tradition when she planted the first vegetable garden at the abbey...' The cloistered Benedictine nuns at the Abbey of Regina Laudis, while small in number, have created a thriving sustainable farming operation with their strong foundation in stewardship and faith in God. Like the unique and self-reliant Belted Galloway herd that grazes on the pastures of the abbey land, the sisters at the abbey have been pointed in the right direction and have proven they can survive and thrive on the land. From interview: Belted Galloway Cattle at the Abbey of Regina Laudis Read and/or download the entire article Belted Galloway Cattle at the Abbey of Regina Laudis from The Belted Galloway Journal 2016-3. The Belted Galloway Journal 2016 is a publication of the Belted Galloway Society, Inc. The article is made available through the generous permission of Jon Bednarski, Content Coordinator of The Belted Galloway Journal. Read more and see galleries of the Abbey's beef herd. 50th JUBILEE OF VOWS OF MOTHER DOLORES HART 2016 marks the Golden Jubilee Year of Mother Dolores Hart who celebrates 50 years of Vowed life at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. On Saturday, September 17th, family, friends and colleagues joined the monastic community in celebration. Father Robert Tucker, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Litchfield was the main celebrant at Mass and Father Iain Highet, Pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church in Norfolk and St. Joseph’s Church in Canaan, the homilist. You always know when a person knows. And that’s why each one of you is here today because I have known you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making the presence of God's people so clear to us in the Community. Because what we must do, all of us together, is to stand erect in this world that has forgotten what real love is about. And if we can stand together in that mystery, we can do more to help our people than anything in the world, because our union is what they want, what the world does want, and what they fear cannot happen. So thank you for being the absolute presence of the mystery and I hope you have a great day! Mother Dolores addressing all at her Jubilee Mass Read more about Mother Dolores Hart's Jubilee and see the Galleries of the Celebration. WATCH THE ABBEY SKY BY MOONLIGHT ON A FALL NIGHT! Abbey friend Paul Gaudiosi chose a Fall night when the moon was almost full to make this time lapse video of the Lower Monastery building. From 9:00 pm to 6:00 images were shot for 5 seconds at 20 second intervals for a total of 1588 pictures! Enjoy the video. NETFLIX PREMIERE OF COOKED DIRECTED BY ALEX GIBNEY IN COLLABORATION WITH MICHAEL POLLAN Explored through the lenses of the four natural elements—fire, water, air and earth—COOKED is an enlightening and compelling look at the evolution of what food means to us through the history of food preparation and its universal ability to connect us. Highlighting our primal human need to cook, the series urges a return to the kitchen to reclaim our lost traditions and to forge a deeper, more meaningful connection to the ingredients and cooking techniques that we use to nourish ourselves.
Synopsis of the documentary film Cooked from Michael Pollan's Website On February 19, 2016, Netflix began streaming an original 4-part documentary series based on journalist and author Michael Pollan's book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. Regina Laudis, in particular the Abbey Dairy, is featured in episode #4: Earth—Fermentation's Cold Fire. Watch the Official Trailer for Cooked and read more. VIDEO SERIES BY MOTHER DOLORES HART: REMEMBERING RICHARD DENEUT, MARCH 2016 On January 26, 2016, Richard DeNeut, beloved friend of Mother Dolores Hart and the Regina Laudis Community passed away in Los Angeles. For 27 years Dick was the West Coast bureau chief for Globe Photos which covered Hollywood for national and international publications. He compiled and edited Inside Hollywood: 60 Years of Globe Photos. A brilliant writer, Dick was co-author with Mother Dolores of actress Patricia Neal's autobiography As I Am and Mother Dolores' own acclaimed autobiography The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows which was released in 2013. Read more about Dick DeNeut. Watch PART I of this video series: Mother Dolores reading the PREFACE to her autobiography The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows. It is her personal account of the history of her relationship to Dick DeNeut. Watch the PART II of this video series: Mother Dolores reading the INTRODUCTION to her autobiography The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows. It is Dick's DeNeut's personal account of meeting Mother Dolores for the first time and the history of their relationship and life-long collaboration. GALLERIES OF MOTHER ABBESS LUCIA'S ABBATIAL BLESSEING ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO SEE, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 February 1, 2016 was the 1st anniversary of Mother Abbess Lucia's election as the 3rd Abbess of Regina Laudis. As we celebrated the Feast of St. Scholastica this year (moved to February 11th because of Ash Wednesday on the 10th) we were reminded that Mother Abbess chose the motto for her Coat of Arms from the Office of St. Scholastica. 'Plus potuit quia plus amavit' (She was able to do more because she loved more.) On this occasion we share Mother Abbess' Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast as well as the galleries of her Abbatial Blessing. Read Prayers of the Faithful and see Galleries. Laetare Sunday—see 2nd installment of photographs of the celebration at the Jubilee Barn. O HOLY NIGHT—WATCH SHOOTING STARS IN THE ABBEY SKY! Watch a time lapse video of the night sky with shooting stars over our Church Jesu Fili Mariae recorded by Abbey friend Paul Gaudiosi. May it remind you of the ancient text "Dum medium silentium..." sung for centuries within the Octave of Christmas and bring back the wonder of this Holy Night. Watch video. VISIT OF ABBESSE CHRISTOPHE OF THE ABBEY OF NOTRE DE JOUARRE OCTOBER 30th-NOVEMBER 1st For the first time in our history the Abbess of the Benedictine Abbey of Notre Dame de Jouarre visited Regina Laudis. The founding of Regina Laudis is intimately connected to this ancient Merovingian Abbey, founded in the 7th century by St. Telchilde. Our foundress and first abbess, Lady Abbess Benedict Duss, an American who had spent most of her life in France, entered Jouarre in 1936 and on the day the Abbey was liberated by the American 3rd Army during World War II had the inspiration to found a Benedictine monastery in the United States. Mère Christophe (Claire) Brondy was elected abbess at Jouarre on August 6, 2014 and received her Abbatial Blessing on October 4, 2014. This Fall Abbesse Christophe participated in a course at the Institut de Formation Humaine Intégrale (the Institut of Integrated Human Formation) in Montreal. As the two-month course was nearing completion, Abbess Christophe contacted Mother Abbess Lucia to inform her that she was in North America. The choreography of the Spirit made it possible for Abbess Christophe to fly to Connecticut and spend two intense joyful days with our community, the second of which was the Feast of All Saints. Read more and see a gallery of Abbesse Christophe's visit. READINGS IN THE VIDEO SERIES ON ST. BENEDICT BY MOTHER DOLORES HART—October 31st, 2015 On July 11th the Church celebrated the Feast of the Birth of St. Benedict, Founder of the Benedictine Order and Co-Patron of Europe with Saints Cyril and Methodius. St. Benedict was born around the year 480 A.D. Known as the "Father of Western Monasticism", he gave civilization his Holy Rule for Monks which has been followed by Benedictine, Trappist and Cistercian Communities and Laity for centuries. What we do know about the life of St. Benedict comes to us in the Second Book of the Dialogues of Pope St. Gregory the Great, written about 50 years after the death of St. Benedict. One of the readings for the Office of Matins for the Feast was taken from the Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI entitled St. Benedict of Nursia, Co-Patron of Europe. Each year as we sing the Antiphons for the Feast, taken from the Dialogues and recounting the life and miracles of St. Benedict, we are filled with gratitude to share in the inheritance of the Saint. We feel inspired to share that inheritance with you through a series of readings by Mother Dolores of texts about St. Benedict, beginning with the Letter of Pope Paul VI, followed by chapters from the Second Book of the Dialogues of Pope St. Gregory the Great. Go to the Index of Readings. NEW EXHIBIT: FLOWERS FROM THE HAUTE-SAVOIE, MONOTYPES BY YVES BERGER, OPENS IN THE ART SHOP GALLERY On the Feast of St. Benedict, July 11, 2015, a new exhibit opened in our Monastic Art Shop Gallery. Mother Abbess Lucia and the community are honored to present the work of artist Yves Berger who lives and works in a remote Alpine village in the Haute-Savoie region of France. Trained at the Ecole Superieure des Beaux-Arts de Geneve (1995-2001), Yves was awarded the Prix Stravinsky for painting. He has traveled widely, exhibited in numerous European cities and has work in private collections worldwide. Visit our Monastic Art Shop page to learn more about the artist and for hours and directions. ABBATIAL BLESSING On May 10, 2015, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, the Right Reverend Mother Lucia Kuppens, O.S.B. received the Monastic Rite of Blessing from the hands of His Excellency the Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, S.T.D., Archbishop of Hartford. It was a joyful and Grace-filled celebration with abbots and priests concelebrating the Mass, and religious, family members and friends of Regina Laudis participating. Read Mother Abbess Lucia's Biography and see the insignia of her Blessing. Read an excellent article New Abbess at Regina Laudis had Background in Education by John Fitts published in The Register Citizen May 20, 2015. OUR PRIORESS AND SUBPRIORESS On February 6, 2015 our newly elected Mother Abbess appointed Reverend Mother Olivia-Frances Arnold as Prioress and Reverend Mother Margaret Georgina Patton as Subprioress. Read the Biography of: Mother Prioress Olivia-Frances Mother Subprioress Margaret Georgina Galleries of the Blessing and celebration and making of Abbatial insignia will be posted in the near future. HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 2015 Our Holy Week this year began with powerful practical commitments by the Monastic Community and Lay Oblate Communities in relationship. On Palm Sunday the Oblate Choir sang the Passion of Our Lord According to St. Mark with soloists singing the parts of Christus and the Chronista (Narrator). To celebrate the days of the Triduum we were blessed by the presence of Father Jack Siberski S.J. as our main celebrant and homilist. During the Office of Tenebrae on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday we heard the beauty of new voices in our choir as younger members sang solos: Lamentations of Jeremiah and Lessons of Tenebrae for the first time. At the Easter Vigil our Christmas tree from last year was the base of the Easter Fire and its branches could be seen through the flames and sparks. Abbey friend Michael Briney sang the Exultet surrounded by members of the Oblate Choir. His gorgeous rendering of the ancient text and the seven Old Testament readings, each one proclaimed uniquely by the members of the Auscultatores, brought the wonder of this "Blessed Night" to life. Read more and see the gallery of Holy Week and Easter 2015. Watch a live recording of Mother Dolores Hart reading the Epistle to the Romans at the Easter Vigil. ELECTION OF THE 3RD ABBESS OF REGINA LAUDIS ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST, 2015 It is with great joy that Mother Abbess David Serna, Abbess Emerita, announces the election of Reverend Mother Lucia Kuppens as the 3rd Abbess of the Abbey of Regina Laudis. The Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, S.T.D., Archbishop of Hartford, celebrated Mass and presided over the election which took place in the Abbey Church Jesu Fili Mariae. The Archbishop was accompanied by his secretary Rev. John L. Lavorgna and Sister Mariette J. Moan, A.S.C.J., the Vicar of the Office for Religious. Prayer of the Faithful offered by Mother Abbess David, Abbess Emerita, at Mass preceding the Abbatial Election -In gratitude for Mother Prioress from whom I have always received a response of faith and love and respect for the person of the Abbess. -In gratitude for Mother Subprioress whose obedience has been exemplary as well as her full-hearted friendship and assistance which she has never failed to give me. -In gratitude to my Council, to the Deans and to our Formation Mothers who have served me and the Community with whole-hearted trust. -In gratitude for the love and obedience given to me by the entire Community. May the new Abbess know the same joy being surrounded by daughters who are also friends. -In gratitude to the Brothers, Oblates and Friends of the Community who have faithfully supported us through their love and service. -In gratitude for the presence of Archbishop Blair, Father Lavorgna and Sister Mariette who made themselves available to serve our process of election. -In gratitude to God for the Blessing He bestowed on me through the Office of Abbess; may the next Abbess know herself Blessed to serve and may she do so relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of the whole Community. -In wonder that Archbishop Blair made present our Foundress Lady Abbess today, in his prophetic utterance of her motto: "Quis ut Deus", "Who is like to our God?". FOR YOUR LENTEN AND EASTER MEDITATIONS—READINGS BY MOTHER DOLORES HART This Lenten and Easter Season we are pleased to offer you readings by Mother Dolores Hart, recorded in our Church Jesu Fili Mariae. The texts have been chosen from Scripture and/or the Fathers of the Church. Mother Dolores adds a personal message of her own to each recording. We hope her readings are a source of inspiration and consolation for each of you as we enter Holy Week and celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. Watch a video of Mother Dolores reading: April 4th at the Easter Vigil—From the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, Chapter 6, verses 3-11. March 27th—From the Book of Revelation, Chapter 21, verses 1-7. February 25th—The Gospel of the Transfiguration of the Lord according to St. Mark, Chapter 9, verses 2-10. February 25th—A Commentary on the the Transfiguration by Pope St. Leo the Great. This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
From the Gospel of the Transfiguration, St. Mark, 9:7.
FAITHFUL FARMERS—REGINA LAUDIS FEATURED IN THE FURROW MAGAZINEThe Furrow is an agricultural magazine published by the John Deere Company. An article entitled Faithful Farmers is available on-line on in the January 2015 issue, pages 42-49. Journalist Joe Link captures the essence of our approach to stewardship of the land in the context of our Benedictine spirituality. Members of our Novitiate: postulant Gwyneth Owen (now Sister Teresa Benedicta) and postulant Suzanne Erickson (now Sister Jeanne Paul) are featured. The article is accompanied by gorgeous photographs of our young community members at our daily celebration of the Mass, at work on our land, and caring for our animals. Reflections from more "seasoned" members of the community, responsible for the beef and dairy herds and gardens are included. Mr. Link has generously made available a PDF file of the full article and photographs for you to download and enjoy. It’s part of our spirituality
to have land we work. This is a way of
getting to know God’s creation. It’s a way for people to get to understand themselves. Mother Augusta Collins in Faithful Farmers article, published in The Furrow Magazine, January 2015
ABBEY DAIRY NEWSOur dairy has a new roof! Our dairy barn and facility suffered extensive damage because of the severe weather of early 2013. In the spring of 2014 replacement of the roof was made possible through funds from the 2013 PLANT (Production Loss Assistance Needed Today) Grant offered through the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. Read more and see a gallery of the roof installation. We have a new pasteurizer! The pasteurizer we purchased in 1987 stopped functioning in the spring of 2012 and could not be repaired. As a result we could not sell our fresh cheeses which require pasteurization in order to be legally sold and were unable to make ice cream. Through the generosity of benefactors we were able to commission Frank Kipe of Microdairy Designs in Maryland to design and fabricate a new pasteurizer which would fit into our tiny dairy. Read more and see a gallery of the pasteurizer installation and blessing. Cheese and Microbes Colloquium and Newly-published Book On June 11th, 2014 at the invitation of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) Mother Noella, a microbiologist specializing in cheese-ripening fungi, participated in a colloquium on Cheese and Microbes in Washington, D.C. The colloquium was part of the AAM series called FAQ's in which “frequently asked questions” about microbes and how they affect our lives are addressed. The Cheese and Microbes colloquium proceedings will be published in a “FAQ's” booklet written in language that is accessible to cheese-lovers and cheesemakers who may not be scientists, and will available free to the public at the American Society for Microbiology web site. Mother Noella is also a contributing author to the American Society of Microbiology book Cheese and Microbes released on April 30th, 2014. Her chapter entitled: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Tales of Fungal-Ripened Cheese was written in collaboration with her doctoral adviser from the University of Connecticut, Professor David Benson. Read more about the Colloquium and Cheese and Microbes book. A REFLECTION FROM MOTHER DOLORES HART In response to the countless heartfelt letters and questions Mother Dolores has received from those who have read her autobiography The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows, she now offers on our site a personal reflection which will be updated from time to time. June 27, 2014 Mother Dolores offers a reflection on her participation and presentation at the Eucharist Congress in Atlanta. June 4, 2014—Mother Dolores offers a reflection: Passage of a Beloved Creature on the recent death of her African Grey parrot Tobiel. May 4, 2014—Mother Dolores' reflection on Annie Get Your Gun. ORIGINAL TRANSLATION OF THE EASTER PROCLAMATION THE EXSULTET We are pleased to share a beautiful English translation of the Exsultet by classicist and Abbey friend, Joseph T. Moller. Going back to critical Latin sources, Joseph offers us a fresh poetic expression of the text, rather then a conventional translation. The translation is accompanied by images of our Easter Vigil and a gallery of the making of our Paschal candle and tapers. THE BEAUTY OF ORDINARY THINGS BY HARRIET SCOTT CHESSMAN Harriet Scott Chessman's newly-released novel The Beauty of Ordinary Things, available in the Monastic Art Shop,is dedicated to the Abbey's beloved deceased members Mother Irene and Mother Placid. Harriet has known the Abbey of Regina Laudis since 1973 when she met Mother Lucia Kuppens, O.S.B. (then Patricia), on their first day of Chaucer class as graduate students in the Department of English at Yale University. They became fast friends and remained so all during the searching, tumultuous, heady, heartbreaking years of the 1970’s that Harriet brings to life so well in this her fourth novel, The Beauty of Ordinary Things. Over the course of many years, Harriet has grown to be the beloved friend of the entire Abbey community and writes of her monastic experience with the sensitivity, intelligence and grace born of inner experience. FROM THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE This resonant, lyrical novel is the story of the relationship between Benny Finn, a Vietnam veteran struggling to find his place in the world, and Sister Clare, a young Benedictine nun facing her First Vows. As Benny and Sister Clare come to know each other at an Abbey in New Hampshire over the course of one summer, 1974, they open themselves, with courage, to the grace and surprise of love's many forms.
Like Annie Dillard, Chessman plumbs the mysteries of the spirit and celebrates the quiet grace notes of the earth. The Beauty of Ordinary Things is deep as a prayer, a meditation on two people seeking their right place in the world. The book speaks softly, but oh how it lingers in the mind. I can't praise it enough.
— Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad
Read more reviews and learn more about the author and her work. INSPIRING NEW VIDEO GREGORIAN CHANT: AN EXTRAORDINARY INHERITANCE Dr. Theodore Marier responds to a question about Gregorian Chant from Mother Dolores Hart during a tutorial with the Abbey Choir in the 1980's. Includes footage of our Foundress Mother Benedict Duss. Play video. Read more about Dr. Theodore Marier's work with the Abbey. THE ABBEY AND OUR CHAPLAIN FATHER IAIN HIGHET FEATURED IN MICHAEL POLLAN'S NEW BOOK Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation My first impression of Sister Noella was of a woman decidedly more earthy than spiritual. But I soon came to see that, for her, the miracles of Christ were many, and could be witnessed in the unlikeliest of places, including a barrel of milk or under a microscope. Several of Christ's miracles rather famously involve fermentation, as she pointed out to me with a twinkle. Like bread and wine, cheese is the transformation of ordinary matter into something extraordinary, a process suggestive of transcendence.
As it happened, Father Iain's sermon that morning was on the subject of fermentation. The day's text was the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. What was Jesus' attitude to the covenant of the Old Testament? He did not seek simply to reject it, Father Iain said. 'No one who has been drinking old wine desires new,' Jesus tells the Pharisees. Tradition, like an old wine, is too precious to throw out. And yet Christ's gospel did introduce something new and transformative, the result of a process Father Iain likened to fermentation. In the same way that 'fermentation releases energy in the process of breaking down the wheat, grape juice or curds; so Jesus is saying that his interpretation and revelation of the covenant is a life-giving and transformative mediation of the covenant...'
Michael Pollan, Part IV Earth: Fermentation's Cold Fire in Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation To read more excerpts or to order Cooked. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 2013 Abbey of Regina Laudis. All rights reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||