by Parish Visitor Editor | Mar 27, 2020 | Newsletter
God’s peace be with you, in these unusual days which God has allowed the world to experience. We hope you and your loved ones are safe.
We hope many people will be brought closer to the Lord during this time, realizing their great need for Him.
We have been praying much against the coronavirus. A few days ago we had a procession throughout Marycrest, asking Our Lady’s help and sprinkling holy water in all the areas.
Saint Joseph is also a very special friend and protector of our community, and on his feast day, March 19, we had another procession, carrying his picture, reciting the litany of Saint Joseph, singing, and sharing our petitions.
We are also praying twice daily, as Pope Francis has asked, his prayer to the Mother of Divine Love. You may like to do the same:
Mother of Divine Love, you, salvation of your people, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.
Dear Heavenly Mother, help us to live these difficult days filled with hope, with renewed unity, with a true spirit of obedience to what is required of us, with the certainty that after this trial we may arrive at the blessed and glorious hour of the Resurrection.
This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our foundation, and in very early March (before the virus spread) several Parish Visitors made a pilgrimage to various sites in New York City which are a part of our community’s history. Come with us as we review our pilgrimage. While walking with us, ask the intercession of our foundress, Servant of God Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, for your vocation.
When Mother Mary Teresa Tallon arrived from Utica, New York by railroad to New York City, she then took the subway to West 72nd Street. We also traveled by subway to the West 72nd Street station. Arriving there, we headed to Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church on West 71st Street.
In the early days of our community, before we had daily Mass in our convent, the Sisters walked the two blocks to Blessed Sacrament Church each day. We were glad to be able to have Mass in this beautiful church and to pray for our community. The pastor, Father David Nolan, recognized us as Parish Visitors and reminded us that one of our Parish Visitor Sisters had encouraged him, many years ago, to become a priest!
We walked the two blocks to the house which was the convent of our August 15, 1920 foundation, 328 West 71st Street. We prayed there for the community and talked informally with some of the passersby. Unexpectedly we were invited inside the building as well. This building is now being used as offices for a school. What a privilege to visit the “cradle of our community”!
Between these two sites we happened to pass a very tiny public park, not much wider than a driveway! We had brought our lunches, and it was the perfect place to stop and have lunch.
We then walked to West 61st Street to get as close as we could to the site where
St. Paul’s parish convent had been, where Mother Foundress, on January 25, 1908 at Mass, received the fullness of the inspiration to begin our community. We couldn’t get to the exact site, as a college is using the property now. At this site also we prayed for our community.
After that we walked the block or so to the large St. Paul the Apostle Church, where Mother Foundress would have gone for so many First Communions and other occasions.
This painting in St. Paul the Apostle Church could apply to Mother Foundress. She certainly “kept the faith” through many trials and difficulties. We praise God for the foundation of this community one hundred years ago.
Everywhere we went, people were extraordinarily friendly–smiling, talking, asking or promising prayers, giving us seats on the subway. We arrived home tired but happy to have the privilege of this special pilgrimage. May the graces of this pilgrimage extend to our whole community and to all of you who are reading this!
May God bless you now and always!
In Jesus,
Sister Dolores Marie
by Parish Visitor Editor | Feb 1, 2020 | Newsletter
Our 100th anniversary year has begun! Alleluia!
One hundred years ago, on August 15, 1920, the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate began in New York City.
New York City? How did a country girl end up founding a community in New York City? In the hustle and bustle of the city the Holy Spirit inspired our foundress, Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, to begin the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate. How did this happen?
Mother Mary Teresa, then Julia Teresa Tallon, grew up in the vicinity of Waterville, New York. A typical farm girl of that day, she attended school at the local one-room schoolhouse. Even at an early age she was concerned that others live and love their faith, and she informally taught the children of the families who came to the farm to help with the harvest. Although she knew no Sisters, she knew from an early age that she wanted to give herself to God.
When she was 17, Julia and her younger sister began working in a dressmaking factory in Utica, New York. While in Utica she attended daily Mass, which she had been unable to do in Waterville, and she became involved in church activities. At the age of 19 she was finally able to make plans to enter the convent, despite her mother’s opposition. She then became a teaching Sister, working in Indiana and California before being assigned to New York City.
During a retreat in California she realized that God was leading her to a deeper prayer life. She continued her deep prayerfulness even in the midst of her duties in New York City as a teacher in a Catholic school and director of a large Sunday school program. However, despite the good work she was doing, her heart went out to the many people all around her who were untouched by the Church.
The Church, the Catholic school, and the Sunday school program reached many people, but there were so many, many other Catholics who were never reached by God’s saving word. She knew that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, longed for these people, too.
She saw that many children who should have been learning their faith never came to religious instructions; others came and dropped out and were never seen again. Families found numerous excuses for not going to Mass and for not having their children baptized and brought up in the faith. Young people became involved in illicit pleasures. The list could go on and on. They needed Jesus in their lives.
Does all this sound familiar? Yes, all these things were going on even then, while the Sacred Heart of the Good Shepherd longed for these souls to return to Him, these precious souls for whom He had shed His blood.
The children, especially, tugged at her heart. So many children of supposedly Catholic families were growing up like pagans, knowing little or nothing of their heritage of faith and of God’s deep love for them. How could she help them?
She realized that someone would have to go out to these people to encourage them in their faith, to help them to know and love the Lord. They needed missionaries, even though they lived perhaps within a stone’s throw of the Church!
At Mass, on January 25, 1908, it became clear to her that God wanted her to begin a new religious community dedicated to deeper prayer, to outreach to those in need of Him, and to instructing people in their faith. Her efforts to begin a new community met with many difficulties.
Finally, on August 15, 1920, the feast of Mary’s Assumption, in New York City, the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate came into being.
Since 1920 we have spread out to other cities and states and into the Philippines and Nigeria as well.
The Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate have always kept to these ideals of a deep prayer life combined with outreach to and religious instruction of those in need of the Lord—we are contemplative-missionaries!
As Mother Mary Teresa Tallon said, the greater our contemplative communion with God, the more zealous we will be as missionaries.
Not having institutions, we are free to work directly with the people, in grass-roots contact, finding
those in need and helping them in the spirit of the Sacred Heart of the Good Shepherd—especially the neglectful Catholics and the poor. While our first concern is their spiritual need, we do not neglect the material needs and other needs of the people.
We find our strength in the Eucharist, and this is also the greatest gift we have to offer to the people—helping them to return to, or to begin to receive, Jesus in the Eucharist.
Mary, too, gives us a model for our contemplative-missionary vocation in her visitation to Elizabeth after receiving the angel’s wonderful message that she was to be the Mother of God. Mary shows us that prayerfully pondering the Word in one’s heart as a contemplative and visiting someone in need definitely can go together!
Our love of the Church, our simple and friendly approach to people, and our simple community life are other traits of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate.
There were many people in need of the Lord in the early 1900’s, but I’m sure you can imagine how many more there are these days!
They need someone to go to them, to help them, to tell them about their Lord. What about you? Is He nudging you to do this?
If you are feeling His nudge and wondering if the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate might be where God wants you, email me or give me a call. We can get better acquainted and arrange for you to visit us and meet us first hand.
God bless you and guide you as you continue to discern His will for your life!
In Jesus,
Sister Dolores Marie
by Parish Visitor Editor | Dec 8, 2019 | Newsletter
“I am the Light of the World. He who follows Me, walks not in darkness” (John 8:12). We know that Jesus wants everyone to walk in His Light; however, so many people live in darkness.
Some have never known the Light. Some knew it once, a long time ago, but let the Light go out of their lives. Others have only a tiny bit of the Light left in their hearts.
Yet, Jesus calls to them, to come to the Light. How it must sadden His Sacred Heart to know that so many still live in the dark. He wants His consecrated Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate to help these people, to bring the Light to those living in darkness.
How often we Parish Visitors have been able to help others to see the Light, to live in the Light, to pass the Light on to children! What a beautiful privilege we have!
Does this strike a chord in your heart? If so, is Jesus calling you to come and bring the Light to those who don’t know Him, along with us?
Come and get better acquainted with the Parish Visitors! This might be exactly the place where Jesus the Light will burn brighter in your own heart and where you can bring many others closer to Him!
Do not be afraid! Pray for the grace to know His will, and the courage to go ahead and follow!
Our contemplative prayer life is an essential part of our community charism. It gives consolation to Jesus for those away from Him, and it also gives our words the power to touch hearts.
Sharing community life with others who have the same ideals strengthens our desire to love God more deeply and to help others. It includes having fun, also!
May you and your family have a very blessed and peaceful Christmas, and may He give you the grace to follow Him!
Joyfully in Jesus,
Sister Dolores Marie
by Sr. Mary Emmadoña Lee | Sep 1, 2019 | Newsletter
The highlight of each summer is our annual eight-day retreat, which is always a time of many blessings and graces for the year ahead. Helpful meetings of Mother Maria Catherine with superiors, formation directors, Sisters in formation, and Sisters recently final professed also took place during these months.
Four Sisters participated in Camp Veritas, a week-long prayerful and fun-filled camp for teens. Other Sisters took part in Vacation Bible School programs in various parishes as well as other events.
On July 2 we celebrated the jubilees of five Sisters who followed Jesus for many years and continue to follow! Sr. Mary Beata and Sr. Maria Arlene celebrated 25 years, Sr. Eileen Marie and Sr. Marie Cecile 70 years, and Sr. Mary Elise, 80 years in religious life! That adds up to 270 years of dedication to the Lord, giving oneself to God through the vows of religious life, communing with Him in prayer, and serving His people zealously. Here is a photo from the day:
August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is also the anniversary of our 1920 foundation. The formation Sisters dramatized a reenactment of the day of our foundation, with Mother Mary Teresa arriving by train and subway from Utica, New York after many years of praying and planning, and difficulties.
The following day was the official “kickoff” of our 100th anniversary celebration, which will take place August 15, 2020. We had an ice cream social, with tours of the Chapel, motherhouse family room, and Mother Foundress’ heritage room, as well as games for children. The event ended with a prayer service to Mary in our Chapel. About 150 people came to share the evening with us. Here are a few photos of the event:
On August 25 we joyfully celebrated the first vows of Sr. Maria Rowena. That same day Sr. Mary Imelda and Sr. Jhoan Marie also renewed their vows. May God bless them all with happiness, holiness and apostolic fruitfulness!
Our beautiful apostolate continues during the summer, and I‘d like to share with you a story from a few years ago, when Sr. Jhoan Marie was in the Philippines.
It was a hot and humid day in the Philippines, and the houses on this particular street were owned by well-to-do people. As I went along on visitation, trying to help them spiritually, I found that many were not home. However, one kind woman, a good Catholic, told me of her church involvement and said to me, “Whenever I can be of any help to you, just let me know.” Going further down the street, I noticed a gap between houses. There was a fence with an opening and beyond it an extremely poor area. I went through the opening and was immediately surrounded by many smiling, friendly children trying to grab my hand, Filipino style.
My heart went out to them. They were obviously so poor. In speaking with them I also found out that they were spiritually poor. Supposedly Catholics, they knew next to nothing about their faith, and most of them had never even been baptized.
I spoke with some of the mothers, and when I returned to the convent I was able to arrange for religious instructions for them.
The following week I went there again to have an informal first class. Because of the heat and the noise, we decided to go through the fence to the “nicer” area, where there was a small park. One of the girls, however, said she couldn’t come unless she could bring her baby sister, who was about two years old. I agreed to this, and off the whole group went, to the park.
We began our informal class. Several of the children interrupted to say they were hungry, but I hadn’t brought any snacks with me. I said, “I can’t promise, but maybe later we might be able to get something,” thinking that there might be something I could get for them at the church. After a short while I heard screams! Baby sister had been climbing on a park bench and fell off, and now she was bleeding profusely. Her big sister wrapped a shirt around the bleeding head, and I stood there, trying to decide what to do next.
Then I remembered the kind lady in the big house. I went there quickly and called, “Emergency.” I knew she had had some first aid training, and she ran back with me to help the child, who thankfully was not seriously hurt.
Then, out of nowhere, she said, “ Have the children had snacks this afternoon?” I said, “Not yet,” and the children very eagerly voiced their agreement. Then she encouraged them to learn their faith well, and to the delight of the children, she left us to get snacks for everyone. How God provides!
Some time passed, and plans were made for a group baptism. Several mothers were hesitant at first, but finally all of them agreed to allow their children to have the grace of baptism and then to learn even more about the beauty of our faith.
The group baptism was held, with some of the children wearing borrowed clothes. May Jesus hold these precious children in His loving heart all their lives!
We pray daily for more young women to dedicate themselves to the Lord in love and to bring all His people closer to Him!
May God bless you and continue to guide you in your discernment of His will for your life!
In Jesus,
Sister Dolores Marie
by Sr. Mary Emmadoña Lee | Mar 1, 2019 | Newsletter
Sr. Alina Marie and Sr. Marie Meaghan, now in their second year of novitiate, will be making first vows before long. I asked them to share some of their thoughts for this newsletter. (Sr. Maria Rowena‘s vows will be a few months later.)
Sr. Alina Marie remembers the day she began her novitiate. “I cannot express what joy filled my heart! When I put on the habit and the white veil for the first time, what awe of God filled my soul. It was real! It had happened! I was actually a novice! With the veil upon my head, it was as though God had covered me with His love.
“Since that day, the novitiate has been a very special time for my relationship with the Lord. It has been all about learning the intimate love of Our Lord and how I can respond to it by seeking to give myself completely to Him through the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience.
“The evangelical counsels are beautiful. Chastity is about striving to have a single-hearted devotion to Christ and seeking to give my whole being to Him in response to His total gift of self to me.
“Poverty is about placing myself in complete dependence on and trust in God for everything I need, and seeking to have a spirit of simplicity, gratitude, and attachment to God alone.
“Obedience is about seeking to abandon myself totally to the will of God through my lawful superior, with confidence that God will assuredly bring me to a closer union with Him through my obedience.”
Sr. Marie Meaghan adds, “The novitiate is a time of further discernment and going deeper in prayer with the Lord, in preparation for what He has in store for you. This is similar to when Jesus went into the desert for a special time before He started His public ministry.
“As I look in awe and excitement to professing my first vows, it is so amazing! And, ‘Only by the grace of God, go I.’”
The novices recently helped these little girls to put on a skit about St. Catherine Laboure. You’ll see the Blessed Mother, St. Catherine, and her guardian angel.
The other little girls are St. Catherine’s fellow novices. Perhaps one or more of them will be a real novice one day!
Events
Our Philadelphia convent opened on February 1 with a beautiful Mass, the enthronement of the Sacred Heart, and a blessing of the entire convent. It’s great to have another convent home from which the Sisters will go out to bring Jesus’ love, and it’s great to have another tabernacle home for Jesus.
We have participated in several vocation events, in parishes and at a college, spreading the word about consecrated life and our beautiful charism.
In our last newsletter I told of our plans to have World Youth Day here at Marycrest this August. Plans have changed, due to various circumstances, and we won’t be having it this summer. Instead, a number of the Sisters will be taking part in other youth events in the area, such as Camp Veritas, Camp Spiritus, and others.
Lent is upon us, and the Sisters have been finding many people in need of Jesus! This holy season is a special time of grace; please pray with us that many whom we find who have been away from confession for years will seek His mercy and return to Him. This is also a time for preparations for those who will be received into the Church, for those who will make their First Communions in May, and for those who will be confirmed. Pray for them all, and ask the Lord if He wants you to help with this beautiful contemplative-missionary apostolate!
Keep close to Jesus, trusting in Him, and He will never fail you! God bless you!
Sr. Dolores Marie
by Sr. Mary Emmadoña Lee | Jan 1, 2018 | Newsletter
The Story of a Vocation
The seed of a vocation to religious life is sown at our baptism, and it is nourished within us over the years—whether or not we know it! Then one day we realize that He might be gently calling us to be His bride.
A lot of prayer, maybe resistance, perhaps tears, goes into discerning a vocation. Finally one says “yes” and makes plans to enter the convent. Follow Leah as she becomes Sister Maria Leah and makes her final vows (which took place on January 25, 2018).
Postulancy is a time of transition from “the outside” to living in the convent. There is much to learn about prayer and about so many other things in the life of a Parish Visitor of Mary Immaculate.
Time flies, and the novitiate begins. The novice is helped to grow in her love of the Lord and in knowledge of the faith. She has classes on the vows and on the spirit and life of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, on Catholic doctrine, and on prayer and Scripture.
She learns more about our contemplative-missionary charism and sees even more clearly its vital importance.
There’s time for fun, too! Convent life is never boring!
With first vows her vocation continues to grow and develop.
She learns the joy of bringing people closer to the Lord, of being a spiritual mother, of sharing God’s word, “face to face and heart to heart.”
Finally the big day of final profession comes, the day of vowing to live chastity, poverty and obedience for life as a Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, and to be “a willing holocaust for the redemption of the most abandoned souls” (our mission crucifix prayer).
What a privilege to love and serve Him all our days! Through sunshine and rain, through health and sickness, throughout the years. The rose crown at final profession is the symbol of the crown of heaven which will be given to us for faithfulness to our vows.
Is God calling YOU to this?
WHAT IS A SISTER?
“What’s a Sister?” asked Tommy, age four. When he was told, “A Sister is someone who loves God so much that she’s married to Him,” he responded, “Wow! That’s cool!”
There is a beauty in a life of prayer, a life close to God, a life of giving ourselves to God to praise Him and to be used to help others love and praise Him.
We are happy to wear our religious habit as a witness to Jesus, as well as a sign of our life of simplicity, our vow of poverty.
It’s a help in the apostolate, as well, since we are immediately recognized as Sisters. It’s amazing how even those away from the Church will say something like this when answering the door, “Sister, you’re not interested in me, I left the Church long ago. Go to the lady next door.” That can begin a good conversation! Without a habit that would never happen!
Every person has a soul, and every person is important to Him. But, how many don’t know Him? How many have given up on God? How many don’t care? To how many is He just a word they have heard?
The Good Shepherd’s loving, merciful heart longs for these persons. He wants to seek them out, to talk to them, to tell them of His love.
The Good Shepherd, the Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy—all are one! Jesus is the Good Shepherd with a loving, merciful heart, longing for each one of us and for each person that exists!
The children especially tug at His Heart. How many haven’t been told of Him? Haven’t been taught to pray?
Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate are His instruments in seeking out the straying sheep, in lovingly helping the children to know and love Him. Our life of prayer gives power to our words and actions.
Sometimes the Good Shepherd also uses us as wordless witnesses! One Sister had a long wait at the dentist’s office, and a woman long away from the church approached her and a good conversation ensued about the faith and about returning to the Lord.
Another woman said to a Sister, “I see you so often, and even though I’ve never spoken to you, whenever I see you I think I should go to confession and return to God. She did, after 10 years! A teen was touch by Sister’s kindness to a difficult child, and without speaking to Sister, decided to return to church.
Yes, there is such a beauty in “being married to God” and in helping his straying sheep and lambs return to Him. Does this strike a chord in your heart, too?
MISSION TERRITORY
This sign we saw is so true! Going from our convent we also go into mission territory, which is all around us!
In every town and city there are people needing to be reached by the Good Shepherd.
Some are Catholics in name only. There are those whose faith has wavered and weakened. Some are agnostics or atheists.
Others are confused and searching, or angry with God or the Church. There are parents who neglect the religious education of their children, poor persons who don’t know where to turn, immigrants unfamiliar with the city and the language. This list could go on… and on… and on. This is mission territory. This is Parish Visitor territory!
Since our foundation in 1920 we have been going out to the people, bringing the love and message of the Good Shepherd. He is with us all the time. We seek out His straying sheep, one soul at a time!
He is with us, all the while. It’s an exciting and satisfying apostolate, dear to the heart of the Good Shepherd. During our formation we are taught to be gentle, non-threatening apostles while upholding the teachings of the Church.
Our prayer life gives us God’s grace as we go among the people, “face to face and heart to heart,” as our foundress, Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, said. This combination of deep prayer—contemplation—and missionary zeal is the essence of the Parish Visitor vocation!
The soul behind that door may be just waiting for the Lord! What a privilege to be His instrument in this apostolate!
What a joy when someone says, “Yes, it’s been many years since I’ve been to confession, but now I’m going to return and make a fresh start.” Or they might say, “Sister, I’ve been putting off the baby’s baptism too long. You’ve spurred me on to do it right away.”
Instructing in the faith is part of our mission. We try to “make the truth lovable,” so that persons will have a real relationship with Jesus.
If only we had more Sisters, we could reach so many more people in so many places.
What about you?
PERPETUAL VOWS
On October 13 Sr. Theresa Marie, formerly of Michigan, professed her final vows in a very beautiful ceremony.
As part of the ceremony she was asked to confirm her determination to make her vows, before proceeding forward to profess her vows in these words:
Called by the Holy Spirit to a greater perfection of love in union with Jesus, I desire to give myself totally to God in this congregation.
For the honor of Almighty God, and under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our holy patron St. Joseph,
I, Sister Theresa Marie Moore, before you Mother Maria Catherine Iannotti, our general superior,
Vow for life to live the Gospel counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience according to the constitutions of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate,
And I promise, with God’s grace, to observe them faithfully.
May God grant Sr. Theresa Marie many holy, happy, and apostolically fruitful years as a Parish Visitor of Mary Immaculate.
May He also guide and bless you as you discern His will for your own life.
God’s peace be with you, in these unusual days which God has allowed the world to experience. We hope you and your loved ones are safe.
During a retreat in California she realized that God was leading her to a deeper prayer life. She continued her deep prayerfulness even in the midst of her duties in New York City as a teacher in a Catholic school and director of a large Sunday school program. However, despite the good work she was doing, her heart went out to the many people all around her who were untouched by the Church.
At Mass, on January 25, 1908, it became clear to her that God wanted her to begin a new religious community dedicated to deeper prayer, to outreach to those in need of Him, and to instructing people in their faith. Her efforts to begin a new community met with many difficulties.
We find our strength in the Eucharist, and this is also the greatest gift we have to offer to the people—helping them to return to, or to begin to receive, Jesus in the Eucharist.
Our love of the Church, our simple and friendly approach to people, and our simple community life are other traits of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate.
“I am the Light of the World. He who follows Me, walks not in darkness” (John 8:12). We know that Jesus wants everyone to walk in His Light; however, so many people live in darkness.
Does this strike a chord in your heart? If so, is Jesus calling you to come and bring the Light to those who don’t know Him, along with us?
