The National Eucharistic Congress was a wonderful opportunity to experience the mutual unity and support of the members of the Body of Christ, the Church.  Seeing so many religious Sisters, priests, bishops and laity, was deeply affirming to each of us in our particular vocation.   I personally met so many old friends – and made new and surprising ones – that what stands out to me is the community of believers gathered around Jesus.  I know that I owe my faith to so many who have walked with me in my pilgrimage of faith over the years. And I am excited to “hoe my row” and work in His Vineyard with His coworkers until our glorious entry into His kingdom – Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus, Come! -Mother Louise Marie

Jesus said, “…and I when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.”  The Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis celebrated the presence of Sacrifice of Christ on the altar at Mass, with opportunities to receive the fruit of this sacrifice: Communion with Our Lord, the source of holiness and food for the journey to heaven.  There was time for acts of thanksgiving by adoring His Real Presence and receiving his blessing. Then the final commendation was to give back what we had been given, to our local Churches, our homes, and within our hearts. -Sister Rita Marie

Pictured above: Evening Adoration; Public Procession with Benediction at the Civic Monument; Perpetual Adoration at the Church of St. John that was filled each day with prayer; the stadium held 60,000 souls worshipping together.

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I was so happy to be able to attend the Eucharist Congress, and to witness the faith and unity of priests, Sisters, and lay people. I was busy at our table, answering questions and sharing materials about our community, as well as attending smaller get-togethers. This experience of the Congress really uplifted me and strengthened my faith! -Sister Mary Philomena

It has been beautiful to see the local and national efforts to contribute to the Eucharistic Revival called for by our Bishops, and so needed in the Church! What trial can we not withstand, when our Lord is present among us?

We had the joy of participating in a few national pilgrimage events as the Juan Diego pilgrimage passed through Birmingham. A few representative Sisters will also be at the Congress next week – we look forward to seeing many of you there!

A few representative Sisters will also be at the Congress next week – we look forward to seeing many of you there!

From June 10 – 12, we had a wonderful opportunity to offer formation in Spanish for 40 retreatants using the catechetical program Come, Follow Me. The participants came from several parishes throughout our diocese and even from as far as Minnesota. Because most of the teachers are Spanish-speakers, we offered simultaneous translation for English speakers.

Fr. José Aurelio Jimenez (pictured below) traveled from San Sebastián, Spain to provide formation, experience, and the catechetical context of this beautiful program. Come, Follow Me developed from the lay community Notre Dame de Vie, which was begun by the French Carmelite Blessed Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus.

Emmanuelle Bonhomme (projected below) is one of the formators of Come, Follow Me and Zoomed in from France to share her experience.

It was a moving and fruitful retreat with many graces for us Sister Servants and the participants (some pictured below)!

You have accompanied us this Spring in our major work of drainage and erosion control at our pond. We are approaching the finish line, with only some irrigation, electrical, and fencing work remaining – as well as the installation of a gazebo near the pond. We took advantage of this moment to also beautify the entire pond area. Mother Mary Gabriel would frequently tell us, “God is a God of order.” The craftsmanship of the men who helped us with this work reflects the beauty and order of God.

Work at the Pond: January – April 2024

To reiterate, over the years we have struggled with erosion caused by the quantity and speed of storm water entering the pond.

Erosion caused by periodic flooding.

As we built the erosion wall with massive boulders, we took the opportunity to dredge a large quantity of silt, install new drainage pipes, and stabilize the road. We’d like to share with you some before and after photos, and then show you how well this solution handled a recent Alabama storm.

The Scope of This Project!

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Before and After Photos

Recently, we’ve had some monsoon-level rains. We want to share the videos of how well the new drainage functioned after that storm.

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Finishing Touches

Please join us in praying for the remaining details of irrigation, fencing, electrical, and future gazebo (rendering inserted below), and support us as you are able! The future gazebo began through the suggestion and an initial donation from one of our families. We are thrilled to be at the final stages of providing a place that reflects the beauty and order of God for retreatants and the Sisters.

This Spring has already been very full! We have had retreats nearly every weekend, have been taking a course on Wisdom Literature in the Bible and the Psalms, and still kept up with all our regular apostolic work. While the Sisters have been balancing these activities, we’ve had lots of help addressing the maintenance needs around the property. In February, we posted pictures of the flood and erosion issues at the pond. Thanks to the help from many donations and the hard work of good friends, the pond and the surrounding drainage areas are being reinforced with rock to help meet future water influx.

We also were thrilled that about seventy members of the local Fraternus men’s group came to volunteer one Saturday. They spread out, clearing the undergrowth, fallen limbs, and who knows what from the many wooded areas around the property.

The fountain in the courtyard developed several leaks over the years which required extensive repair and rebuilding of the stonework. A generous donor covered half of the costs at the start of this project, and several others have contributed to the remaining expenses. Below you can see the beautiful results! God bless you for your generosity!

We look forward to your next visit, and we hope all these lovely improvements will provide an even more inviting setting for your retreat!