Our Sisters celebrated our Feast of the Queenship of Mary, our Congregation's feast day in conjunction with our 40th anniversary of our arrival here in the U.S.! Bishop John Leibrecht, our main celebrant, reminded us that "to remember is a religious act" (Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.). During the Mass, we recollected upon God's blessings in the past 40 years: what we have accomplished, the people who have helped us, and most importantly, God's hand in it all! Bishop John reflected on the Old Testament reading from Isaiah Ch. 9. The Jewish people, having been conquered and exiled from their homeland, continued to have faith and hope in a child that will come to them: "they name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace" (Is 9:5). Hundreds of years later, the prophecy was fulfilled in our Savior, Jesus Christ, through the "yes" of our Queen, Mary! Bishop John reminds us that in Old Testament times, since the king had many wives, the queen was his mother. The Queen mother had great influence and power over the king. And so it is with Mary, our Queen Mother. She is our Mother Superior, our model, and great intercessor. May we be worthy of bearing her name! After Mass, we had a wonderful lunch prepared by the Springfield sisters with Bishop John and many friends. The feast was a lovely backdrop to the memories, laughs, and conversation. We marvel at God's providence in the last 40 years and thank Him for all the blessings upon our community! We continue to ask for Mary's continued intercession in the many more years to come! Please pray for us as we pray for you!
As always here's a few pictures from our celebration... Enjoy! https://photos.app.goo.gl/UosT5tPZ5FmLUmf29