Tag: Dominican nuns

The contemplative vocation: Dominican nun

OP nuns having funThe second order of the Order of Preachers, the nuns (moniales), founded by Saint Dominic ten years before he founded the friars, is a distinct and beautiful vocation in the Church. The Dominican nuns are papally enclosed –meaning their interaction with the world is rather hidden and penitential requiring the permission of the local bishop for extended stays outside the monastery. The life of the Dominican nun is also mendicant meaning they also beg for the support of the monastery.

“When a cloistered nun consecrates her entire life to the Lord, a transformation happens beyond our understanding.” — Pope Francis, Address to the cloistered Poor Clare Nuns of Assisi, 4 October 2013

In the USA there are several monasteries of Dominican nuns worth noting:

Our Lady of Grace Monastery (North Guilford, CT)

Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary (Summit, NJ)

Saint Dominic Monastery (Linden, VA)

Monastery of the Mother of God (West Springfield, MA)

Monastery of St Jude (Marbury, AL)

Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary (Buffalo, NY)

Friends at Regina magazine published this story about the Dominican nuns in Summit. Give it a read. It is a conversation about the monastic life according to the Dominican charism. One of the interesting things is that the Summit nuns retain the vocation of the extern sister which is a great grace (you’ll have to read about it).

St Dominic’s Monastery: A Life of Faithfulness

Linden-courtyard.jpgSome time ago I mentioned here on Communio the monastery in Linden, Virginia which getting a jim-start on living the monastic life according to the Dominican charism. St Dominic’s Monastery is an exceptional place. 

Why is St Dominic’s a place to support? There are many reasons, not the least is the fact the nuns are very serious about the monastic life demonstrated by their observance of communal liturgical and personal prayer, their sacrifice of time and generous giving of self, the witness of the full habit, and commitment to the ideals of Saint Dominic and his successors. The nuns follow the path charted by Christ and the saints.

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Nuns… pray for vocations

Sr Lauren Funk and Sr Mary Dominic Linden Monastery.tifI was reminded earlier today of a need to pray for vocations to the contemplative life. A former colleague of mine recently entered Dominican life as a cloistered nun at Saint Dominic’s Monastery in Linden, VA. It is a traditional monastery of nuns, a very young of women who make a sacrifice to pray for us and the needs of the world. The postulant, Sister Lauren (left) is seen with a veteran nun, Sister Mary Dominic.

Pray for vocations.
As an aside, the Huffington Post had this special article with pictures of those who “thought” they had a vocation. One actually did pursue a vocation as a Benedictine nun at Regina Laudis Abbey (Bethlehem, CT), Mother Dolores Hart.

Building a tithe barn to last 600 years

tithing barn at the monastery.jpgThe Dominican nuns at Our Lady of Grace Monastery (North Guilford, CT) lost their barn this past winter with the constant snow fall. The old barn collapsed under the weight of lots of snow –it’s poor, old legs couldn’t bear the torment of heavy snow and ice. But the monastery needs a barn.

Since the nuns have no sustained interaction with the outside world due to being papally enclosed, the ever competent grounds keeper and building supervisor, Ryan, decided to build an old fashion tithe barn that’s expected to last 600 years. No nails will be used to keep the building together. And, all the wood was harvested from the monastery property and trimmed to need by Ryan and a local friend who’s graciously sharing his equipment and time.

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