First Profession of Sr. Maria Julia of the Eucharist, O.P.
“I, Sister Maria Julia of the Eucharist, make profession and promise obedience to God and to Blessed Mary and to Blessed Dominic and to the Master of the Order of Friars Preachers and to you, Sister Joseph Maria of the Holy Family ... for three years.”
On the Feast of St. Bartholomew, our novice Sr. Maria Julia of the Eucharist made her first profession of vows for three years into the hands of our prioress, Sr. Joseph Maria. At First Profession, a sister exchanges the white veil of a novice which she has worn for the past two years for the black veil of a professed sister. The priest gives her the black veil of profession with the words:
“Accept the sacred veil by which you may be recognized as a house of prayer for your Lord and a temple of intercession for all people.”
The prioress and the novice mistress place the veil on the newly-professed sister’s head while the community sings two beautiful Gregorian chants. From this moment onwards, the sister’s black veil serves as a sign of her consecration as “a house of prayer” for God and “a temple of intercession” for the world.
Sister Maria Julia’s family traveled from Wisconsin to attend, along with a number of friends from her time at Christendom College, including her friend and fellow Dominican Br. Linus Martz OP, who served as deacon for the Mass. The main celebrant was our vicar Fr. Andrew Hofer OP, who traveled with Br. Linus up from Washington, D.C. Our chaplain Fr. Elias Henritzy OP, two of our confessors, Msgr Robert Harahan and Msgr Robert Coleman, and Fr. Columba Thomas OP concelebrated the Mass.
After signing the Book of Professions, Sr. Maria Julia headed to the parlor to greet her family and friends. One of the guests at the reception was a very cute baby who made his way over the counter into the enclosure to visit with the nuns!
