GUESS THE IDENTITY OF THE DOMINICAN BIRTHDAY BABY!

The furrowed brow, the thoughtful
gaze of intellectual abstraction and,
yes, that hair(!), even then the signs
of a Dominican vocation were evident!

As we celebrate the feast of the Chair of St. Peter today, we remember the great apostle and his successors, especially our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, who continues to exercise Peter's ministry of teaching authority, in "strengthening his brothers." It has been marvelous to witness Benedict's obvious love for Christ's flock, and to see his quiet warmth and gentleness. His solicitude for the unity of the Church is especially heartening to behold. We pray the Lord will continue to strengthen Pope Benedict as he strengthens us!

And, we also celebrate the 40th birthday of a certain member of our community (pictured above, a few months after her entrance into the world), and invite our blog audience to guess just WHO the birthday nun is!

Some hints:
--Sister's photo has appeared on the blog, though she spends more time behind the camera than in front of it.
--she shares the same glorious ancestry as Pope John Paul the Great (and demands the singing of "Sto lat" for her birthday!). (There will be kielbasa, sauerkraut, and pierogies for dinner!).
--she is the most "statuesque" member of our community, and, since her entrance, has exercised an vital ministry of "kitchen cabinet outreach."

Happy Guessing! And, please keep Sister in your prayers as she reaches this milestone!