Summertime at Casa Maria means many things, but this year it has meant tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes! At the moment, we have an abundance of them, grown in our very own courtyard – between the roses and azaleas. There are among us sisters who are happily eating tomatoes two and three times a day! I have never been able to get on board with having them at every single meal, but I must say that a tomato grown in your yard is a completely different thing than one bought in a store.

But anyway, by now you are probably wondering, how did the sisters become tomato farmers? Well, we have had a few plants and attempts over the years, but this year’s crop began many years ago with my Grandad, Guy Whitfill. While I was growing up in rural Kentucky, I remember every summer he would grow these special yellow tomatoes. They were, in his humble opinion, the best that were to be had. Each year he would save seeds to be planted next season. But one spring, the seeds were not to be found! Being of a suspicious turn of mind, he always blamed one particular cousin. No one knows if he was right (except, I suppose, the cousin), but most folks thought Grandad just lost them himself. But either way, his famous yellow tomatoes were no more, to the regret of all.

Fast forward many years. My brother Andrew and his wife bought the house of my great aunt, who had lived nearby. As they were cleaning out and fixing up the house, Andrew found an envelope under the kitchen sink marked, “Guy’s yellow tomatoes.” He didn’t tell Grandad, but planted them just to see, and lo and behold! They grew, bore fruit, and Grandad’s tomatoes were back! You can imagine Grandad’s delight when Andrew took him some of the resurrected tomatoes. Well since then, my family has been enjoying them every year, thanks to my great aunt and Andrew, now the official steward of the family tomatoes. (And Saint Anthony might have had something to do with it too!)

Fast forward several more years. One day while visiting my folks, I was cutting up a delicious Whitfill Family Tomato when I decided to save the seeds and see how they would do in Sweet Home Alabama. Mother gave permission (She is usually keen on anything having to do with fresh produce), and Sister Mary Thomas half volunteered / was half volun-told to become our official tomato grower. She was up to the task. After a couple of years experimenting, and finding a good location, this year has yielded a bumper crop, a cause of joy to everyone! Sister Ave Maria, who has an irrepressible green thumb, has also gotten in on the action, planting a few plants of her own. Her tomatoes are a red, crinkly variety, and the two together have provided a very colorful dinner table!

Well, there are numerous morals that could be drawn from this story, (death and resurrection, be fruitful and multiply, the good steward who brings out the new and the old, the perfection of God’s timing, etc.) but I leave that to your own meditation. I will give the last word to that great American poet, John Denver, quoting a few poignant lines from his masterpiece, “Homegrown Tomatoes.” Here’s hoping y’all have a happy and delicious summer!

This summer, we would like to encourage you to keep all your diocesan and religious priests, and the sacred priesthood at large, in your prayer. These months are often the time for ordinations. New priests and deacons receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and many priests celebrate the anniversary of their ordinations. Furthermore, the summer is often a time for transitions between assignments – and while changes may be hard on the parish, remember to pray for your priests during these times as well! And lastly, we ask you to pray for seminarians. Whether preparing for school, or in their assignments at parishes during their summer, or any other tasks they are given, these men need our support as they serve the Church and discern the priesthood.

This June, the Diocese of Birmingham had the great joy of celebrating the ordination of Fr. Daniel Sessions to the priesthood. He is pictured below with Sister Marianna, our sacristan at Casa Maria, and Father Dominic Lee, OSB (ordained last summer). Both men served Mass regularly at Casa Maria throughout their teenage years. Seeing them serve God as priests is a great joy to our community!

We also look forward in great anticipation to the coming years. This Fall will see a record number of nineteen seminarians studying for priesthood with the Diocese of Birmingham, which is still considered mission territory. The number of Catholics in Alabama has been growing exponentially. As is the case in many other parts of the country, our priests have been stretched very thin to try to serve the spiritual needs of the faithful. God bless these men for their heroic sacrifices!

The Diocese of Birmingham is entrusted to the patronage of St. Paul, who left a great legacy of teaching about the priesthood in his two letters to Timothy. 2 Timothy is, in fact, written from Paul’s perspective of facing martyrdom, and entrusting his spiritual children to Timothy:

“Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but take your share of suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus … Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.” (2 Tim 1:8-14)

Consider how you might support the priests in your life. Perhaps you could simply offer them a word of encouragement or gratitude. Most of all, pray for them and for seminarians. And ask the Lord to send out many more workers for his harvest!

Some of you have asked to see more posts about what happens during ordinary daily life at Casa Maria – here’s a regular event at home that you might enjoy seeing! We try to send you a newsletter three or four times a year, but did you know how many hands pitch in to make it possible? There’s all the pictures that are taken with newsletters in mind, then the designing, proofing, printing…

Then, once the newsletter arrives at the convent, we all enjoy taking a peek!

Then, we clear out the reception room and set it up as a workroom. On average, we send 8,500-9,000 newsletters every mailing! The day before mailing, we set up two tables for stuffing envelopes, one for sealing, and a big table for labeling.

And before you know it, the latest newsletter will be in your mailbox – hope you enjoy it!

Early one morning in May, four Sister Servants flew all the way to the great state of Washington. We went to share about our life as Sister Servants with the parish and school of one of our Casa Maria retreat masters. Fr. Wichert has come to give retreats for the last few years, and because he couldn’t bring his entire parish on a 5-hour plane ride down to Birmingham, he asked that some of us come and bring a little of Casa Maria to them. It was exciting to teach the community about our vocation and the joy it gives us to live totally for God. 

Each morning, we visited a few classrooms to talk to the students and answer whatever questions they had about religious life. Then, we had the joy of eating lunch with the students and joining them for recess! In most areas of the country, recess might be moved inside if it is raining—not in Washington! Rain does not keep these kids from their daily time for running around, playing soccer or four-square, so we didn’t let it deter us either. 

On Friday morning, we joined the school and parish for their May Crowning. That morning, every single student brought a few flowers, and at the beginning of Mass, they all processed up to the front of the church to put their flowers in vases to be placed around Our Lady. Needless to say, she was thoroughly adorned with hundreds of flowers! The seventh-grade students led the music for the Mass, and Sister Benedicta Marie served as guest director of the choir.   

Each evening, we were able to join in many of the regular parish activities, including First Communion classes and youth group. One night, the parish had a potluck, at which the four of us gave a presentation on the universal call to holiness and the ways of cultivating a life of grace. At this event we were able to meet a lot of the parishioners, including the families of the students we had already met in the mornings. Everyone was so welcoming and kind! 

A trip to the beautiful Pacific Northwest wouldn’t be complete without some time spent in the great outdoors! On Sunday afternoon, Fr. Wichert brought us for a hike to see Wallace Falls, and after a rigorous hike to see the waterfall, we were treated to a rainbow shining forth from the mist of the falls.

The trip was a great grace to the four of us Sisters, and we pray it was equally so for all we met!

For the past four years, the Sister Servants have been visiting college campuses throughout the Southeast, and it has been a blessing all around! The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) trains young missionaries to serve on college campuses, and we have supported them in one way or another for many years. Increasingly over the years, FOCUS has been emphasizing the importance of the witness of religious life, and what an impact this witness can make on college students. so in 2019 we began to spend more time with FOCUS missionaries and on campuses, and a new apostolic venture came about. While many of the campuses that we visit are FOCUS campuses, some of them are not. We have found ourselves at a variety of schools and student centers, each with its own unique atmosphere and character. It is always edifying that on every campus, we have encountered young Catholic men and women desiring to put God at the center of their lives, when there is so much pressure to do otherwise. It is also beautiful to see our Eucharistic Lord present in each campus chapel – and present to each of these young people.

The Sisters have been traveling quite a bit, to visit these schools! Some campuses have invited us to come once a month or once a semester, but of course we visit those farther away less often. Take a look and see (approximately) where we have been!

We have been able to bring our apostolic work to the college students in a variety of ways. We have assisted with retreats, given talks on different aspects of the Faith, led study groups, and prayed with students. Often, just being present at a meal or at Mass is an opportunity to meet and speak with students who wouldn’t get to speak with Sisters otherwise. Our first aim in this work is to serve the people God wants us to meet during each visit, through prayer and in conversation. At the same time, it has been a blessing to us as well, to encounter these young people. It is beautiful to see the grace of God at work in each individual soul. 

Please pray for us as we continue to work with different Catholic student centers and visit campuses. Please pray for the students also, as it is truly a battle to live the Faith in such a secular sphere of society. God is doing great things and his grace is always sufficient for every challenge! 

And, these visits have also borne the fruit of bringing many young adults to retreats at Casa Maria!