FALL-ing Snow

This is one of our maple trees on the other side of the wall. You can see the snow!

The remarkable thing about Fall in New Jersey is that when it finally gets going it lasts! Our Sisters from New England are always surprised to find that the vibrant colors last more than a few days and are even uneffected by the weather!

This morning the first snow of the season visited it us. Mind you, last month it was 80 degrees! Our new sisters from the South have been praying for lots of snow but we keep reminding them that with snow comes shovelling it!

During the snow shower one of the Sisters passed the novitiate stairwell and saw a new pair of boots and mittens at the ready. If there is snow wouldn't there be accumulation? Not necessarily! It wasn't cold enough for that.

The community is on retreat from Sunday until Wednesday, November 21st. We traditionally have a triduum retreat these days to prepare our hearts for Pro Orantibus Day which is celebrated on the 21st, the Feast of the Presentation of Mary. It is also the day when our community first made Solemn Profession and was fully incorporated into the Order of Preachers in 1955. This remains a special anniversary for us as the community had been praying and hoping for this privilege since 1924.

You can read more about Pro Orantibus Day by going to Cloistered Life, a website sponsored by the Institute for Religious Life. There you can also read about the life of several different cloistered orders.