St Dominic’s Monastery

Nuns… pray for vocations

I 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.

St Dominic’s Monastery: 1st anniv in Linden, VA

Today, June 24, is the first anniversary of the dedication of Saint Dominic’s
Monastery new monastery in Linden, Virginia.

What an amazing year!
This summer four young women will enter the Monastery as postulants. As
envisioned, the Monastery is acting as a magnet attracting young women to
devote their lives to God. The life follows the traditional form of Second Order Dominican nuns with the night Office, the grill, silence, sacrifice and prayer. The nuns rarely leave the cloister and are completely focussed on Christ. They carry to Him our deepest needs through their prayer and sacrifice.

I would like to encourage everyone to send Sister Mary Paul (the
prioress) and the nuns at Saint Dominic’s Monastery an anniversary card and, if
possible, to include an anniversary gift – a check to support the formation of
their new members.

Cards can be mailed to:

Sister Mary Paul, O.P.

Saint Dominic’s Monastery

2636 Monastery Road

Linden, VA 22642

My friends Fathers Gabriel and Jordan as well as the laywoman Julie tell me the life of the monastery is going extremely well and the need for assistance is also great. So, I think the life of these Dominican nuns is VERY worth a sacrificial gift. Don’t you?

A new monastery of Dominican nuns: the witness

Saint Dominic’s Monastery is where a group of Dominican nuns –not to be confused with the

third order sisters like Nashville Dominicans or Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist– are beginning a new life in Linden, Virginia, and they ought to be on your radar screen. The monastery is 12 miles from Christendom College and a short distance from Washington, DC.

The nuns need our prayerful solidarity, vocations and material support. What’s more beautiful than a life dedicated to following the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the charism of Saint Dominic by faithfulness to a life of sacrifice, worship, study and community life? The nuns live what is considered a traditional Dominican nuns’ life with the night office, the traditional habit, community life and abstinence. Their life is not easy but they it is beautiful, happy and rewarding. The monastery will be blessed (dedicated) and the nuns formally enclosed by the bishop of the Dicoese of Arlington, The Most Reverend Paul Stephen Loverdi on October 7, 2008, the feast of the Holy Rosary.

A great story of monastic adventure may be found at Roman Catholic Vocations blog.