St. Rose of Lima Fiesta, August 20, 2017 – Sister Mercy and Sister Kateri went to the Fiesta Mass, followed by a beautiful procession, lunch, auction, various activities, and a special Raffle drawing (proceeds going to our monastery).  We are grateful to Father Jim Walker, retired Pastor, and all the parishioners of St. Mary and St. Rose of Lima Parishes, who kindly sponsored the Raffle: “Northeast Shrines and Canada Tour Package for two, October 9-17, 2017, a nine-day North American tour from Washington, D.C, to Montreal and Toronto, then to Niagra Falls…”   The winner of the Raffle went to someone in La Vita, New Mexico.   Thank you for all who participated!  They raised a total of $7,213.00.  We hope to put up a porch in the St. Walburga modular building.

August 16, 2017, Sister Mary Fisher drove to Albuquerque, to pick up our Chaplain, Father Jeffrey Steele, traveling from St. Benedict’s Abbey, in South Africa.  We are happy to welcome him again, as he was with us before from April-June 2016.  He recently had a bout with vertigo, but he is doing much better.

On July 10, 2017, we formally received Sister Mercy Hoang, into the Novitiate, for one year of canonical study.  We opened the celebration with a prayer to St. Benedict.  Sister Mercy received the white veil and we asked for the mercy of God in the sharing of our monastic way of life.  – Prioress Hilda had surgery to remove the fibroid tumors, July 5^th.  She is progressing very well, but still needs to rest often.  God willing, she will visit her family in Guatemala, in November.  According to our Customary, the sisters can visit their families for one month every three years.  – Sister Benedicta is currently doing much better with medication to help stabilize her condition; the sisters take turns in helping her with appointments, medications, etc.  – We ask your prayers for Sister Julianne who will have out-patient surgery to correct the carpel tunnel syndrome of her right wrist.  In October, she will be giving a workshop to some of the parishioners of St. Mary’s Parish, Farmington, NM. – Sister Mary will be doing a private retreat for eight days at the St. Andrews Abbey, in Valyermo, California.  From August 13-23, 2017, Sister Stephen Phiri had the opportunity of being a guest of the St. Walburga Abbey, Virginia Dale, Colorado, for about one week, learning more about lectio divinaand the Divine Office. We appreciate all the efforts of Mother Maria-Michael, OSB, Sister Ancilla, and all the members of the community to make this happen.  – The rest of the sisters are doing fine, living the day-to-day monastic schedule.

If you have any special prayer requests, please let us know.  We ask for your prayers, as the sisters will be on their yearly retreat, the first week of October.  May Our Lord bless you and your loved ones, and we especially pray for all students as they have begun their new school terms.  God bless you!

St. Rose of Lima Family Center – Dedication April 29, 2017 –  

St. Rose of Lima Family Center Dedication April 29, 2017, Blanco, NM –  Some of the sisters went to this special dedication of a new parish hall.  As most of you remember, we were residents of the CCD classrooms above the St. Rose of Lima Church, June 2008, for twelve months.  –  There was quite a crowd for the Blessing given by Bishop James.  Special appreciation was given to Father Jim, Pastor of the Parish for his efforts and those of all who offered their prayers, work, and financial help  to make this a special day of joy and good food.

February 10, 2017 (Feast of St. Scholastica), was a very special day for our community in that we received new veils.  We had prayed and discussed this decision and found it appropriate that we wear the very traditional veil with wimple.  Sister Guadalupe spent time after her home visit with the Benedictine Nuns of Vera Cruz, Mexico, to learn how to sew the new veils.   When we made the change on Feb 10th, S. Guadalupe helped each of us with a special time of silence.  We then processed into the Chapel.  The actual blessing  was by Abbot Philip who gave a sermon followed by a formal sprinkling of holy water on our veils. Our Novice continues to wear the original white veil given to her and God willing, in two years, she will receive a new veil as a Junior sister.  Now, can you recognize who’s who?

Effective January 1, 2017, Sister Hilda Tuyuc, was appointed Prioress of our community, a blessing by Abbess Mary Barnes,  of the Benedictine Abbey, Jamberoo, Australia.  Sister Benedicta Serna, will be relieved of her position as Prioress, and we are very grateful for the service that Sister Benedicta has provided over the last eleven years.In 1986, former Sister Hilda entered the Missionaries of the Eucharist in Guatemala and spent ten years doing missionary work.  During that time, she met Benedictine monks in Guatemala, and knew she wanted to be one of them, but there were no Benedictine nuns in Guatemala.  When she found Benedictines in New Mexico, USA, she wrote asking the community to give her an opportunity to visit.  They said yes.  The American Embassy made it very difficult for her to obtain a Visa; not until Sister Julianne Allen, former Superior of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert and Father Christian Leisy, from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert went to Guatemala and helped her obtain the Visa in 1998.Prioress Hilda quotes from the Rule of St. Benedict, that, “Our life in the monastery is ‘ora et labora’.  We gather to pray the Divine Office seven times a day with daily Mass.”   As any monastery, we have a schedule that allows us to spend time doing lectio divina, individual study, and recreation.  Since building a monastery, everything here is small like our Chapel, Guesthouse, etc.  Guests are usually happy to spend time at the monastery.  Our life in here in Gobernador is very simple like Bethlehem or Nazareth at the time of Jesus.  I am very grateful to God and to the community for allowing me to be a part of this monastic journey.  May God be glorified in everything.”

Profession of Simple Monastic Vows of Sister Scholastica Nguyen December 6, 2016

Following the Gospel of the Mass for the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sister Scholastica read the Chart of her Profession, promising Stability, Conversion of Life and Obedience according to the Rule of St. Benedict, and the Constitutions of the Abbey of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, for one year.  Abbot Philip Lawrence, from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert officiated the celebration.  Sister Scholastica, Sister Hilda and Abbot Philip go to the altar to sign the Profession of vows, which is left on the altar.

Sister Hilda reads:  “May Sister Scholastica continually ponder the Word of God as it comes to her in liturgy, Lectio and prayer, and in the sharing of the common life, and may she treasure that Word in her heart, as Mary did.  May His Word become of joy of her heart.”