July Novitiate Update

Our Novitiate
Sister Angelique, Sister Veronica
Postulant Cecilia
Aspirant Sarah (outside the enclosure grille, for now!)

Our Aspirant Sarah is scheduled to join our community on July 22, feast of St. Mary Magdalene, one of our favorite saints.  Along with the feast of St. Thomas, which we celebrated it is like a little Easter in the middle of summer.  The Paschal Mystery is never far from our hearts, indeed it is a part of our daily reality.

In the last few months we have had to bid farewell to some of our novitiate Sisters as it became clear that God was not calling them to remain with us forever.  In the midst of good-by embraces and tears, we assured them that it is always a blessing when God reveals His will, even when it is not as we would will.  And while we were together, we have been a blessing to each other in what we have shared and learned about Him and about ourselves.  We go forward now without regrets and knowing that we will ever be united in the Heart of Christ, as long as we are faithful to Him.  Yet it has been hard, as always the Cross is.  So we look forward with special Easter joy to welcoming a new one into our midst in a few weeks.

Sarah’s journey has been arduous as she had a large student loan to pay before she could enter religious life.  But diligent work with the Laboure Society has enabled her to successfully raise enough funds to pay off her loan.

Our two "Sarahs"
Sister Veronica (formerly Sarah Golden
and Aspirant Sarah Meier

Our other “Sarah”, now our Sister Veronica Mary, also paid back her student loan through the Laboure Society.  It was enlightening to find out that many young people are prevented from following their vocations because of onerous student debt.  Anyone interested in donating to a worthy cause could check out this website:   www. labouresociety.org

On June 14^th, Monsignor Keeney, pastor of St. Bede’s parish in nearby Williamsburg, VA, allowed Sarah to speak about her vocation and the good work at Laboure to the congregations at all the Sunday Masses.  Because of the generous response, she was able to meet and even surpass her fundraising goal.  May God bless and reward all our good friends at St. Bede’s.

Tomorrow we have a young discerner visiting us for a few days.  Pray for her and for us as we seek to know God’s Holy Will.  He tells us that He gives us “a future full of hope”.