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Sixteenth Sunday of the Year
22 July 2006
Praised be Jesus Christ! Now and forever!
Dear Friends in Christ,
I bring you good news of a great joy: We have received the names of the three Nashville Dominican Sisters who will be moving to St. Mary’s in the first week of August.
Sr. Anna Grace, O.P. will be our new principal and the superior of the local Dominican community. Sr. John Thomas, O.P. will teach religion and English in the middle school, and Sr. Mary Lucy, O.P. will teach the 2nd grade. All three of these Sisters are young, energetic, well-educated, and on fire with the love of God and devotion to teaching children to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, hope, and love. I will not attempt to introduce these Sisters to you before they arrive and you meet them in person, but for now I will tell you that they range in age from the late 20’s to the mid 30’s and that they are exceptionally gifted women who could have chosen any path in life. That they chose to live the evangelical life as consecrated daughters of St. Dominic is testimony to their profound faith – a faith that will change everything these Sisters touch for the better. Among the special gifts of the Nashville Dominicans is authentic Christian joy, and when our Sisters arrive and get settled in their new home among us, I believe that we will all see how a small amount of leaven can raise an entire loaf.
We are living in a rare moment of profound change in the 154 year history of St. Mary’s, and I am grateful beyond all telling for the blessing we have received in the decision of the Nashville Dominicans to make our parish their newest mission. The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia now run twenty-nine schools in eleven states, and they shine like a bright beacon of hope throughout the Church in the United States. Their presence here will bring fresh energy and new life to our church and school, and the young women of St. Mary’s will have the opportunity to see authentic religious life lived by a community of Sisters who are completely dedicated to following the Lord Jesus with a radical commitment of their entire lives. This is a rare grace in our time, and we should all be grateful for this remarkable opportunity.
Two more weeks remain before all three Sisters are here in Greenville, and we are working hard to make the final preparations in their new convent. Please begin now, though, to pray each day for Sr. Anna Grace, Sr. John Thomas, and Sr. Mary Lucy of the Order of Preachers, that they may be instruments of grace for our children and for this entire parish.
Father Newman