At the beginning of January, seven Sister Servants traveled to St. Louis to attend the FOCUS SEEK conference, along with 17,000 other participants! Many attendees were college students and FOCUS missionaries from across the country, but there were also large numbers of FOCUS missionary alumni, priests and religious, as well as others who desired to share and deepen their Faith.

We had an incredible week, fruitful in prayer, sacraments and fellowship, sharing our life and apostolate with many friends – both new and those we have met on campuses already visited.

Mother Louise Marie, Sister Mary Philomena and Sister Madeleine Marie flew into St. Louis, while Sister Marie Therese, Sister Mary Faustina, Sister Mary Michael, and Sister Rose Marie trekked on the road with materials for our vocations booth and compact bookstore. Sister Madeleine Marie was also asked to share her story, as a St. Louis vocation, and tell about our community on Roadmap to Heaven. Listen below! (Sister is interviewed in the middle section)

At our booth, we offered free rosaries, medals, stickers, and coffee! We also brought a variety of bookstore items to offer for sale, including spiritual reading, Rosary booklets, Pier Giorgio T-shirts, and more. Pier Giorgio has been a great heavenly friend of our community, and always introduces us to new friends, as his story and our connection with Frassati USA bring up lots of questions, and requests for ‘selfies’ with his cutout!

Each day, the Sisters were chiefly kept occupied meeting and building connections with various groups. We enjoyed meeting new friends amongst all the different groups, or running into familiar faces in the crowd. Our experience in St Louis confirmed the fruitfulness of our campus visits over the past two years.

Highlights for the Sisters included the beautiful and carefully planned Eucharistic Liturgies – with over 400 priests and numerous bishops. What an incredible witness to Christ and His Church today!

Mother Louise Marie was moved to tears on entering the adoration chapel, seeing the number of seats provided, and knowing that it had been regularly filled to capacity during the conference. Wednesday evening included adoration in the stadium with a Eucharistic procession; during this time confessions were available late into the evening.

We have all been inspired anew at this conference to “go and bear fruit that will last,” as we work in our apostolate to evangelize through catechesis and retreats!

“Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?” This prayer of Saint Maximilian Kolbe echoes in the hearts of Catholics as we celebrate the Solemnity on December 8^th.

In December 1854, Blessed Pius IX proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, mandating the belief in this teaching. The proclamation is worth reading in full:

“We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by the Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.” (Ineffabilis Deus, December 8, 1854)

The clarity of this statement brings peace to the minds and hearts of devout Catholics who have grown up with an understanding of the privileged position of the Mother of God.

But for some, perhaps, this doctrine does not connect well to the heart. True, belief in an infallible teaching of the Church requires Faith- this is a gift of the Holy Spirit. But I am convinced that the Mother of God wishes to connect the head to the heart- she wants to be present to each of her children. 

In Paris is found the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal; few know this medal was originally called the “Medal of the Immaculate Conception”. Our Lady appeared to a young Sister of Charity, Catherine Labouré, and asked her to spread devotion to her Immaculate Conception, primarily through a medal inscribed with the prayer: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”. Our Lady told Saint Catherine: “Have a medal struck of this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; it should be worn around the neck. Grace will abound for the persons who wear it with confidence.” 

That Our Lady asked for her medal “to be worn around the neck” emphasizes her great desire to be ever present and close to her children. When we wear a precious medal or a locket, perhaps with a picture of a loved one, “around the neck”, it is a constant reminder of the presence of that beloved person. That the Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, wishes to be so close to us, her children, is amazing! Yet her coming in Paris and again in Lourdes soon after, demonstrates her true maternity. The Immaculate Conception becomes “touchable”; not only a doctrine or dogma on paper, but a living, loving, breathing mother who wishes to be involved in the lives of her children. 

The very last sentence of the proclamation “Ineffabilis Deus” is astonishing: “What she asks, she obtains. Her pleas can never be unheard.” This confidence should fill us with the same hope as the Holy Father, Pius IX as he exclaims: “Our soul overflows with joy and our tongue with exultation. We give, and we shall continue to give, the humblest and deepest thanks to Jesus Christ, our Lord… We are firm in our confidence that she will obtain pardon for the sinner, health for the sick, strength of heart for the weak, consolation for the afflicted, help for those in danger; that she will remove spiritual blindness from all who are in error, so that they may return to the path of truth and justice, and that here may be one flock and one shepherd.”

As we spend this time of Advent preparing for the birth of Jesus, let us join our confident prayers with those of Our Lady, Mother of God, who chooses also to be Mother of all of us. 

After a hiatus of two and a half years, we resumed our weekly Come, Follow Me class at the convent in September. Come, Follow Me is a catechetical journey with young children that uses prayerful reflection and dialogue on the Scriptures to provoke a free response of the children to follow in Jesus’ footsteps as His disciples. The year is divided into three parts: Welcoming the Love of God, Living in Communion with Jesus, and Acting and Living as a Child of the Church with the Holy Spirit.

For the past few weeks, we have been finishing up the first part of the year by looking at the History of the People of God, particularly through the figures of Abraham, Moses, Samuel and David. Each lesson includes a practical activity that reinforces the session and gives the children both something to help them grow in their private and family prayer life.

This past week’s lesson coincided with the Feast of Christ the King, and we talked about Samuel being called by God to go to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem to anoint the future King of Israel (cf. 1 Sam 16). We discussed how Jesus, the descendant of David, is the true King sent by God to His people to be not only the king of the universe but also the King of our hearts.

As I planned this lesson, I thought of the Jesse Tree, a custom I first learned about in the first grade at my parish grade school. I looked around at various sets available, and I asked Sr. Ave Maria if she could make a set based on the reflections found in Sara Estabrook’s The Mosaic Jesse Tree. Different sets of ornaments highlight different aspects of salvation history, and I chose these because it included meditations on the “O Antiphons” during the last days before Christmas–a particularly Catholic touch that also ties this practice into our liturgical life and customs at Casa Maria. This set’s meditations also take the Old Testament figures and relates them directly to the person of Jesus.

In our life as Sister Servants, we can attest to how a renewed study of Salvation History completely changes the way we approach Christmas. The tradition of the Jesse Tree does just that. Each day of December, the child or family reads about one part of Salvation History leading up to the birth of the Savior. Often the Jesse Tree is a dead tree branch symbolizing Isaiah’s prophecy of the shoot that will spring up from the stump of Jesse (Is 11:1). Though this tree (or branch) looks dead, it is the instrument God will use to bring forth a curious sequence of events, making way for the greatest Event of all: the Incarnation and Savior’s birth. Familiarity with the ups and downs of Israel–their hopes and failures, God’s promises and the Chosen People’s anticipation–gives us a greater appreciation of God’s great gift of His own Son at Christmas.

As a gift to you, we wanted to make a PDF of Sr. Ave Maria’s ornaments available to any families or individuals who are interested in adopting this custom. You can print your own copies to make your own ornaments with the matching name or Antiphon on its reverse side. If you are able, you may give a $5 contribution to help us make more resources like this available in the future. To download the instructions and Scripture passages that correspond to these ornaments, click here.

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When I made these with my students, we printed these using a good color copier and color printer paper (you can take these to a print shop for good results). I purchased these wooden ornaments in bulk and painted them with metallic gold spray paint (available at craft and hardware stores). Craft paint also works, but the spray paint had an even finish and was much faster.

Using a foam brush, we applied a thin layer of Mod Podge to one side and attached the image to the ornament. To avoid bubbles, you will want to smooth out the paper. We repeated the same process on the other side with the matching name or description.

When these dried, we put a thin layer of Mod Podge over the pictures, one side at a time. Note: this is a craft that is best done by 9 year olds and up, although our young students were able to do it (and had a great time doing so) with their parents’ help. If a child is doing this project, you may want to cover the workspace with a plastic bag or disposable table cloth and keep a damp rag nearby.

Alternatively, while the PDF isn’t formatted to be printed double-sided, you could print them on cardstock, match up the two sides, and laminate them for sturdiness. You can then hang them with ribbon, yarn, or a string.

We have heard that families have different ways of creating their Jesse Trees. Some arrange a fallen tree branch in a pot with rocks or sand, covered with a cloth. Others hang them from the Christmas tree before Christmas decorations go up. They can also be hung from a garland on a fireplace mantel or stair railing so that it becomes a timeline of Salvation History.

We hope you get as much joy out of these miniature glimpses of Salvation History as we have! We pray for you and your families daily as you spiritually prepare for the coming birth of Our Lord!

(Photos are from the All Souls’ Day Mass celebrated by Bishop Raica at Elmwood Cemetery for the deceased priests of the Diocese of Birmingham. The Sister Servants were honored to provide the altar and all accompaniments for the Mass.)

The month of November holds a special place for many, as the month dedicated to prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Half-way through the month, we are reminded to persevere in these prayers with the feast of St. Gertrude, who was especially devoted to them.

Yet now at the end of the month, it is so easy to have our thoughts taken up with preparations for Thanksgiving! As reminders to be thankful start appearing, the two themes can be joined to make a beautiful opportunity for reflection.

This Fall, our community has suffered the loss of some very dear, long-time friends, and the father of one of our Sisters. They will be much missed by us all. But their lives have given us so much to be grateful for! Such friendship, love, generosity, and examples of virtue and striving for holiness! Such dedication to God’s will and fidelity in following in His footsteps. We thank God for having been blessed to know such persons! And also, that once they have attained to the joys of Heaven, they will be mighty intercessors for us, the Church Militant.

As we approach the next few weeks’ festivities, let us pay our debts of friendship, and pray for the Holy Souls!

by Sister Joseph Marie, SsEW

Pilgrim – a foreigner

At the end of September/beginning of October, I and four of my religious sisters were given the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. Never having been on a “pilgrimage” to anywhere, much less overseas, I had no idea what to expect. I looked up the word “pilgrim” in the dictionary; it comes from the Latin “peregrinus”: “foreigner, stranger.” Pilgrimage is derived from this same word and has come to mean “a stranger on a journey to a sacred place.” This set me to thinking on what I was about to do, where I was going. 

In 1858 Our Lady appeared to a fourteen-year-old peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, standing in a niche in a cavern on the banks of the River Gave in southern France. She appeared to Bernadette a total of eighteen times, asking her to pray the rosary for poor sinners, that a chapel should be built there in her (Our Lady’s) honor and that processions should come there. She revealed herself to Bernadette as “I am the Immaculate Conception,” reiterating the dogma recently proclaimed by Pope Bl. Pius IX in 1854. 

Arriving in France after an all-night flight, I understood what it meant to be a “pilgrim”. A person in a foreign place, without understanding the language, trying to keep up with our group while shuffling luggage up and down escalators, waiting in line to go through customs and praying earnestly I didn’t “beep” while walking through the metal detectors, I realized how important it is to fulfill the Old Testament mandate “be kind to the foreigner in your midst!” My longing to arrive in Lourdes where Our Lady was surely waiting for me became ever more earnest. 

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Life is a pilgrimage

As the sisters and I prayed together at Our Lady’s Grotto and washed in the miraculous spring, the line from Psalm 84 came to me: “As they go through the Bitter Valley, they make it a place of springs…” While we attended the Devotions at the Basilica and took part in the Rosary processions with thousands of other pilgrims from all over the world, I realized in a tangible way, the gift of unity of the Body of Christ. Together we prayed the Rosary for the Church suffering on earth and in Purgatory. As we took extra care of the sick among the pilgrims, we sensed the encouragement of the Church Triumphant seen in the banners of the Saints as we processed by them, following Our Queen with our lighted candles. All of us praying to her together, offering our petitions and bringing the intentions of all those we love, brought home to me the reality of the Communion of Saints. 

Some may wonder, as I did before I left, “why travel to these places when I can just ‘google it’ and see better pictures anyway?” “Why go through all the expense and inconvenience of traveling to a foreign land when I can pray here at home, in our own convent chapel?” I found the answer when I arrived in Lourdes, but also as I pondered on my experiences when I came back home. 

The second reading in the Office of Readings for Thursday of the 38^th week in Ordinary Time is from “A Treatise on John” by Saint Augustine. He writes of our being drawn to God by our longing for Him -that our will is drawn to God by our desire to love. Hearing Augustine’s examples of “desiring”, this sentence caught my attention: “Show me one who is full of longing, one who is hungry, one who is a pilgrim and suffering from thirst in the desert of this world, eager for the fountain in the homeland of eternity and he knows what I mean.” 

When I heard the word “pilgrim” it dawned on me: THIS is why we travel to the sacred places. Because they remind us that our whole life is a pilgrimage to the Holy City, the New Jerusalem where Jesus and Mary await us; where the saints lead us into the joy of the Heavenly Father who waits to welcome us after the arduous journey of life. May we be welcomed by that same presence of Our Lady that I was welcomed with in the Grotto of Lourdes. 

After Lourdes, the Sisters were also able to visit other holy sites in France. A few photos of these shrines are below.