Baby Bell-Ringer

On Wednesday, I had the extreme privilege of attending the first profession of vows of one of my college friends.

Sister Karol Joseph (that's JPII's baptismal name), along with 13 other young women, made the simple vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience for the duration of 3 years, and, after that, will make a final profession for life. (!) For me, one of the most beautiful and real moments was when the bishop handed them their new veils (newly blessed with holy water, of course!) and said, "...may you present it unblemished before the judgement seat of Christ."
Sweet!

This order, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, which was founded in 1997, is - despite their recent establishment - deeply rooted in the ancient monastic traditions of the Domincan Order. And as a testament to the beauty and authenticity of this religious order, be it known that they have 75+ young women whose average age is 28. TWENTY_EIGHT!!!!

After attending the solemn ceremony, i can't help but pour out gratitude to the Lord for taking these beautiful souls as His consecrated spouses! What a gift these religious are to the Church and to the world!

Here we are at the Mother House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Rosemarie got the privilege of ringing the huge monastery bell, as you can see in the picture. She loved being hoisted up by the hundreds of ringing pounds at the other end of the rope! Not obvious.



And here's the Mother House Chapel. Marble floors. Gilded altar. Choir stalls. Gotta love all that.


And of course, the newly professed. A beaming bride!