Monday, April 25, 2016

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

For Sunday dinner yesterday we were delighted to be able to welcome an old friend, J. Francis Cardinal Stafford. Back when he was Archbishop of Denver, Cardinal Stafford accompanied us through some of the more dramatic events of our Abbey's history, including our elevation to the status of Abbey and the visit of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, both of which took place in 1989.

During his visit, His Eminence reminisced about our 1995 decision to relocate the Abbey from Boulder to the far north of Colorado, and also expressed his gratitude for the postulants and novices with which the Lord has blessed our community. He said he had asked both our current Abbess, Mother Maria Michael, and our Abbess Emerita, Mother Maria-Thomas, to what they attribute this flow of new vocations. Both listed, as the first consideration, the beauty of our liturgy. This is, indeed, what strikes everyone who visits and is able to pray with us. It's good to be reminded of this treasure. Praising God every day in song, one might get spoiled and forget what an awesome privilege it is.

Monday, April 18, 2016

New Novices at the Abbey

On Good Shepherd Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, April 17, 2016, Postulant Brandi completed her year as a postulant and was given the habit of a Benedictine novice. For the period of her two-year novitiate she'll be known by her full baptismal name,  Sr. Brandi Lynn.


Sunday, April 17. Mother Maria Michael and Sr. Maria Columba (who celebrates the anniversary of her final commitment to our Abbey on this day) gather around the Good Shepherd with new novice Sr. Brandi Lynn.

The ceremony of clothing took place after Lauds on a very snowy morning. The weather had disrupted the travel plans of many, including our large weekend retreat group from Loveland, and the new novices parents, who had planned to fly in from St. Louis for the occasion. The result was a quiet and prayerful day, which has its own beauties.

Sr. Brandi Lynn joins Sr. Ann and Sr. Catherine, who have been novices since October, 2014, and also Sr. Catherine Marie, who was clothed on February 2, 2016. It is seldom that a relatively small community such as ours can boast of four novice Sisters; we are grateful for this unmerited blessing.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Auris Cordis enters the 21st Century

Welcome to the future home of news from the Abbey of St. Walburga!

To supplement our twice-yearly print newsletter, Auris Cordis, we are trying to get our blog together and take it on the web.

Thank you for visiting, and we hope you will enjoy future posts.