Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus P.O. Box 303 Gower, MO 64454 SING ye to God, sing a psalm to His name GOD in his holy place: God who maketh men of one manner to dwell in a house In it shall thy animals dwell; in thy sweetness, O God, thou hast provided for the poor. Psalm 67 The whole herd! From left to right - our milk providers: Ephy and Angel, heifers: Felice and Pozza, newborn bull calf: Carni, miniature horse: Dooley, two of our many feathered friends, and Thursday the cat - at a safe distance from our faithful dogs, Sunny and Rosie!
Spring 2015 Dear Family, Friends and Benefactors, It is a joy to bring you the latest news and pictures from our Priory, where the Benedictine life of ora et labora (pray and work) continues at its gentle and peaceful pace under the tender gaze of Our Lord. We have so much for which to be grateful, and it is a further grace that we are able to share so many blessings with all of you, who are all bound up in our hearts - indeed, our entire vocations! It is true that blessings are always conferred by the Sign of the Cross. In these past weeks, we have more fully grasped the sorrows that filled Our Lady s heart at the loss of her Son, as we too have lost someone most dear to us, our father and shepherd, Bishop Robert Finn. Though his resignation as the ordinary of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has saddened us deeply, we will be eternally grateful for the goodness he has shown to our community these past nine years. He has truly been our greatest benefactor, and we have no doubt that he will be rewarded in heaven as a most faithful son of Holy Mother Church. As Therese Neumann once said, Eternity is long enough for everyone to know what the truth really is. We continue to harvest the fruits of his labors in encouraging vocations both in the diocese and in our own community. The seven young women coming to us in the Fall are the flourishing legacy of Bishop Finn. May we therefore be faithful in gathering the graces the Lord has given us through these privileged years we have known him as our father. Benedictines The stole included symbols from the Litany of Loreto, left: House of Gold, Mystical Rose, Tower of David, Gate of Heaven. of Mary, Queen of Apostles A stole undertaken for Bishop Finn s anniversary of Episcopal consecration was a true labor of love. At left, Sisters crowd around the embroidery pieces to finish. Below: Virgin Most Pure, Ark of the Covenant, Morning Star, Queen of Apostles, and a large A and M (Ave Maria) on each bell. The design was based on an English Ecclesiastical embroidery from 1880.
The conclusion of Mary s Chastity from The Virtues of Mary by Fr. Lanzoni Q The words how shall this be, since I do not know man? not only reveal the promise which Mary had made in her heart, but also clearly indicate that she would actually have foregone divine maternity rather than her maidenhood, for there is no state so exalted that virginity is not higher. The angel s words of praise troubled Mary s humility but did not alarm her. When she hears of the Son that is to be born of her, she is alarmed and enquires of the angel. This is the holy and humble dignity of virginity. Hence it is that the Holy Fathers when they would praise the virginity of Mary can find no imagery fully equal to the expression of their thought. They call her the Garden Enclosed, the Fountain Sealed up, the Eastern Gate and give her other titles without end. Also the faithful generally, with their unerring supernatural instinct, not finding words apt to describe our Lady s virgin purity, speak of her as most chaste, without stain, Virgin of virgins, most pure, inviolate, without equal, She is indeed Virgo singularis, for she is Virgin and Mother. This marvelous combination of maidenhood with maternity accorded well with the dignity of the Son of God, who should be born to the amazement of nature. Likewise it befitted the dignity of God s own Mother who should bring forth her Son with mysterious childbirth, It was the prodigy foretold more than seven hundred years previously: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel.
We were joined this year by a contingent from Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary! The sewing Room was temporarily transformed into a cafeteria for hospitality. Special thanks to the Schuh family for organizing our work day, and to the Funk family for additional photos.
Baby phoebes in the crown of Christ the King! Sister Wilhelmina is surprised by a birthday gift: a tray table made for her by the Sisters. The number of vocations stresses our urgent need of your support to secure the remainder of the funds necessary to complete our retreat house and additions to the Priory. So many have come forward with tremendous generosity, including sponsorship for the dairy, dining room and parlor. We have nothing against supporting our local businesses, but taking out another loan this summer from the bank is not a mode of support we would relish! You can help us to avoid this unhappy necessity by your charity during these critical months. There are still opportunities to sponsor priest guest rooms, the chapter room, and the chapel. As you can see by the pie charts on the right, 100% of the donations we receive go toward these construction projects. As of this writing, we still need to raise approximately $500,000. We are confident that Saint Joseph will provide for us, just as he always has, through the goodness and generosity of so many of you, our dear benefactors. Our hearts are lifted up in prayer throughout each day and night for you and your intentions, the needs of our Church and the world. Please join us in praying especially for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, that the Lord will be pleased to send us another good shepherd to govern, teach and sanctify souls; one who, like Bishop Finn, has the priestly and sacrificial heart of Christ the High Priest. May Our Dear Savior pour out His mercy and grace on this local Church, and the entire Church Universal! Income from the last 12 months Enroll family and friends in a N ovena of M asses beginning on the feast of the S acred H eart June 12, 2015 Suggested stipend $15 each via our website benedictinesofmary.org In His Merciful Heart, Mother Cecilia and Sisters Expenditures from the last 12 months
Ora et The Divine Office: the voice of the Church, the Bride of Christ Rogation procession, asking God s blessing on the crops Whoever seeks not the Cross of Christ seeks not the glory of Christ! Saint John of the Cross Let them devote themselves to holy reading. Rule of St. Benedict Each Sister says good night to Our Lady before retiring. Rosary walks are taken twice weekly. Man has a noble task: That of prayer and love. To pray and love, that is the happiness of man on earth. Saint Jean-Marie Vianney The whole community gathers for a half hour of mental prayer each day, and continues to pray silently by turns through the night.
Labora A last minute rush to tie up ends outside before a downpour! There is always office work to do, from bookkeeping to taking care of online orders for CDs and vestments. Seedlings begun under the lights in our basement are transplanted to the garden We are blessed to sew vestments for priests, a concrete manifestation of our constant prayers. Cleaning beneath our Sacred Heart painting, a gift from the Benedictine Sisters of Clyde Finishing a cake for visiting mothers on Mother s Day Preparing the beanpoles and weeding the garden
Mother Cecilia meets with architect Bill Heyer, right, and owner representative Paul Villotti to finalize construction details. Gravel has been laid for the footprint of the Retreat House. We are ready to begin!! The three additions will be added onto the west wing, with construction components being staggered three weeks after the Retreat House. March 31, 2006: Bishop Finn welcomes the community the night of our arrival. October 3, 2014: Bishop Finn and Mother Cecilia in Rome after presenting the Constitutions to Ecclesia Dei.
Please help us to raise the remaining $500,000 needed for our priest retreat house and additions to the Priory! Visit our donation page here to lend your support to these much needed projects!