World Day of Prayer for Vocations: Regina Caeli

Greetings,

As the Church celebrates the 50th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis shared a few words on the topic...

Dear brothers and sisters,
Fourth Sunday of Easter is characterized by the Gospel of the Good Shepherd - in the tenth chapter of St. John – which we read every year. Today’s passage contains these words of Jesus: " My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one".These four verses contain Jesus’ entire message, the core of His Gospel: He calls us to participate in His relationship with the Father, and this is eternal life.

Jesus wants to establish a relationship with his friends that is a reflection of His relationship with the Father, a relationship of mutual belonging in full trust, in intimate communion. To express this deep understanding, this relationship of friendship Jesus uses the image of the shepherd with his sheep: he calls them, and they know his voice, they respond to his call and follow him. How beautiful this parable is! The mystery of the voice is suggestive: from our mother's womb we learn to recognize her voice and that of our father, from the tone of a voice we perceive love or disdain, affection or coldness. The voice of Jesus is unique! If we learn to distinguish it, He guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond the abyss of death.

But at a certain point Jesus, referring to his sheep, says: "My Father, who has given them to me..." (Jn 10,29). This is very important, it is a profound mystery, that is not easy to understand: if I feel attracted to Jesus, if his voice warms my heart, it is thanks to God the Father, who has put in me the desire of love, of truth, life, beauty ... and Jesus is all this to the full! This helps us to understand the mystery of vocation, particularly the call to a special consecration. Sometimes Jesus calls us, invites us to follow him, but maybe we don’t realize that it is Him, just like young Samuel. There are many young people today, here in the square. There are many of you! So many of you young people present today in the square!

I would like to ask you: have you sometimes heard the voice of the Lord which through a desire, a certain restlessness, invites you to follow Him more closely? Have you heard it? I can’t hear you…there you are! Have you had any desire to be apostles of Jesus? Youth must spend itself for high ideals. Do you think so? Do you agree? Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave! Be brave, ask Him!!! Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life, is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community ... That's why Jesus said, "Pray the Lord of the harvest - that is, God the Father - to send out laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38). The vocations are born in prayer and from prayer, and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit. I like to underline this today, the "World Day of Prayer for Vocations." We pray especially for the new priests of the Diocese of Rome, whom I had the joy of ordaining this morning. And we invoke the intercession of Mary. Today there were 10 young men who have said "yes" to Jesus and were ordained priests this morning ... This is beautiful! Let us invoke the intercession of Mary who is the woman who said "yes." Mary said "yes," all her life! She has learned to recognize the voice of Jesus since she bore him in her womb. Mary, Our Mother, help us to know better the voice of Jesus and follow it, to walk the path of life!

Thank you so much for your greeting, but let us also proclaim Jesus loudly... Let us all pray together to the Virgin Mary

A Vatican Radio transcript and translation of Pope Francis’ Regina Caeli address this Fourth Sunday of Easter, World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

We're All Student Sisters

Greetings,
Our sisters' work in Catholic education began in Switzerland with our founding monastery!  The Benedictine Sisters at Maria Rickenbach built their convent on the musenalp mountainside, and in 1864 began a school for girls with the condition to exempt ten places for children in need, even the children of Niederrickenbach (the village below) were taught there.

One of our first works as a new community in America was also education.  Early sisters responded to the call of God and Bishop Martin Marty to teach on the Fort Yates Standing Rock Indian Reservation.  The Swiss sisters from the Alps arrived on those windswept plains as early as the late 1870's to begin this missionary work in the Dakota Territory.


These pictures are now preserved through the State Historical Society of North Dakota
as a part of the Frank B. Fiske Photograph Collection1952. 
Sewing Room Credit:  http://digitalhorizonsonline.org/u?/uw-ndshs,249

Today, we continue to serve as teachers, professors, principals, and tutors on many levels in Catholic schools and colleges.  Our educational outreach has always stretched across the barriers of distance, language, and culture to support those seeking to learn.  In 1962 the sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery began a new way of supporting education; we invited student sisters from religious communities across the ocean to learn with us.

The first sisters came from South Korea, the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters.  Later the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Benedictine Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians were joining us from Tanzania, the Daughters of Mary came from Uganda, and the Missionary Benedictine Sisters joined us from throughout their international order.  During the past 50 years, approximately 30 sisters have shared our Benedictine life while attending Mount Marty and nearby colleges.  Their degrees and interests have been varied:  music, nursing, sociology, education, philosophy, and much more.  Each sister seeking to improve not only her own life, but also the ministry and service of her community and native country.



Since beginning this educational ministry, sisters from the monastery have begun to reach out internationally as well.  The prioresses occasionally travel to our Olivetan Benedictine sisters and their Korean community.  Our procurator met with the Benedictine sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians in Tanzania to learn of new ways we could collaborate with their growing community.  Others of our sisters have joined the Alliance for International Monasticism in teaching throughout women's religious communities in Africa.

This sacred time of living in community has been more than offering an opportunity for the student sisters, we've become students and learned much through their generous sharing of traditions.  The Holy Spirit sisters from Tanzania celebrated music and dance with the sisters.  We laughed and danced, but never quite found the rhythm that naturally flowed through their spirit.  Our Olivetan Benedictine sisters have been sharing their traditional Korean foods for years, but it is their exquisite artistry and music that have become the treasured treat.  The stories of their faith and vocation have enriched our own faith and challenged us to keep growing in our Benedictine call to seek God in all things. 

Blessings,



Happy Easter!

Follow this photo link to our Facebook account (anyone can see this) to view a short slideshow of our Triduum celebrations and ceremony.

Blessings,