On March 19th we joined the Universal Church in celebrating St. Joseph, our special Heavenly Patron. This year our celebration also marked the close of our 25th Anniversary Year since our founding on March 19, 1988 in San Rafael, Argentina.
Celebrations throughout the Province also included a note of thanksgiving for the 20th Anniversary of this Province of the Immaculate Conception (1994 – 2014) which has grown over the years to encompass 19 houses in the United States (1994), Canada (2004), Guyana (2007) and Suriname (2010).
Mass in Brooklyn
Sisters on the East Coast gathered in Brooklyn where we were very blessed to have His Excellency Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros preside over the Holy Mass at the Monastery of the Precious Blood in Borough Park. Our contemplative sisters of the Monastery of St. Edith Stein live at that monastery alongside the Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood.
This Holy Mass was especially beautiful since one of our contemplative sisters, Sr. Maria Virgen Morena Enrique, SSVM, made her final vows.
The monastery church is designed like an “L” in which the sanctuary is the center point, the shared focal point for both sections: the church for the faithful and the chapel of the cloistered sisters. For the Litany of the Saints, the profession, and the reception of the insignia of profession, Sr. Virgen Morena entered into the sanctuary from behind the grill of the monastery chapel.
At the close of the Mass, we gathered for a rare provincial group photograph which included our contemplative sisters (see the back row of the top photo)! Congratulations to Sr. Virgen Morena as a Spouse of Christ!
Celebrations Elsewhere in the Province
The sisters of the missions in Toronto and Peterborough gathered for a special Mass and reception to honor St. Joseph. In far flung missions of our Province, the sisters celebrated locally, recalling all the blessings we have received from God over the years–especially through the hands of St. Joseph!
