We celebrated Sr. Julie's Perpetual Profession on Saturday, July 21st!
During her novitiate, Sister had made this clay piece "Hesed". This Old Testament term of God's loving mercy for each of us; it became the theme of her Perpetual Profession "O God, Your Faithful Love Upholds Me". She celebrated answering this faithful love with her family, monastic sisters, and lay-folk with whom she serves.
According to Benedictine Tradition, the sister writes out the profession statement in her own hand and reads it before all the sisters in the oratory or chapel of the monastery:
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
I, Sister Julie baptized in the diocese of Peoria, Illinois
promise to God perpetually stability in this monastery,
fidelity to the monastic way of life,
and obedience according to the Rule of Saint Benedict,
the norms of the Federation of Saint Gertrude
and the living tradition of this monastery.
I make this monastic profession before God and the saints,
before Sister Penny, prioress, and the sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery.
In witness thereof, I have written this document and
have signed it here at Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, SD
on the 21st day of July in the year 2012.
Sr. Julie and Sr. Penny, prioress, then sign the profession statement on the altar and leave the profession document on the altar throughout the rest of the Eucharistic Celebration. This is an important connection to the professed sister offering her life in connection with that of Christ and for the Church.
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| Sr. Mary Jo singing the Suscipe after signing her transfer documents on the altar. |
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| Sr. Mary Jo reading her transfer document before the Federation President, our Prioress, and our Formation director. |
A week after celebrating the perpetual profession of Sr. Julie; our community gathered again to celebrate the perpetual transfer of Sr. Mary Jo's vow of stability to our monastery. She commemorated God's continued love and care for her religious call with the theme "You Will Show Me the Path of Life".
A week after Sr. Mary Jo's celebration, the community gathered to welcome a new seeker of God's love in our Benedictine life. On Friday, August 3rd, Peggy followed our 1500-year-old-tradition, knocked on the monastery door, and was asked "What do you seek?". She then answers the prioresses question and steps across the threshold of the monastery doors into her new life as a postulant in our community. A sign of this new direction is the blessed Benedictine medal that the prioress gives to the postulant.
Blessings,
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