Community News

Dedication of New St. Mary’s Convent in Greenwich

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“In a bold move the Community of St. Mary has reinvented itself. It is still a work in progress, but the Community has positioned itself for growth and for the faithful fulfillment of its mission.”

With these words the Rev. Christopher Brown, Rector of Trinity Church, Potsdam, and Provincial Chaplain to the Sisters of St. Mary, Eastern Province, ushered in a new era in the Sisterhood’s history in his sermon preached at the dedication of St. Mary’s Convent in Greenwich, NY.

Over two hundred friends, Associates, religious, clergy, and parishioners from all over the Diocese of Albany joined the Sisters on Sunday, August 14, to bless their new convent home and celebrate God’s providence in bringing the community to this new beginning.

The convent dedication was celebrated on Sunday afternoon in anticipation of the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin the following day. The Sisters observe the Feast of the Presentation of Christ (also called the Purification of St. Mary) as their patronal feastday, Bishop Horatio Potter having received the first vows of the Founding Sisters on February 2, 1865. The August Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary now also takes a place of honor in the Community’s calendar.

Three bishops presided: the Rt. Rev. Daniel Herzog, Bishop of the Diocese of Albany and Episcopal Visitor to the Eastern Province of the Community of St. Mary, the Rt. Rev. David Ball, Retired Bishop of the Diocese of Albany and former Visitor, and the Rt. Rev. David Bena, Suffragan Bishop of Albany and CSM Associate.

The liturgy took place in the convent gardens overlooking the valley of the Christ the King Spiritual Life Center and vista of distant hills. Two processions of clergy and religious led by Bishops Herzog and Bena moved through the convent interior with incense, holy water and formal prayer. The Holy Eucharist was then celebrated at an open air altar beneath the crucifix on the south exterior wall of St. Mary’s Chapel with the congregation seated under awnings on the lawn.

Associate Connie Barrett and SLC staffer Hannah Mudge, playing cello and violin, joined organist Charles Burks in accompanying members of the All Saints Cathedral Choir who led the music during the Mass.

CSM Associates and guests traveled from all over the United States to share this day with the Sisters. Religious Orders represented included the All Saints Sisters of the Poor, the Order of the Holy Cross, and the Sisters of the Church from Canada. Three Sisters from the Western Province of CSM, Sisters Leticia, Mary Grace and Mary Paula, attended.

Photos of this dedication service appeared in the September 4 issue of the Living Church, courtesy of Associate Richard Mammana.

“What does this tell us about the vocation of the Community of St. Mary?” asked Father Brown at the conclusion of his sermon exploring the role of St. Mary in Anglican devotion.

“Their vocation is not just to cultivate a contemplative lifestyle, or to preserve the esthetic of Benedictine monasticism. Their vocation, like Mary’s, is to be Gospel people, to yield themselves to God’s purpose so that God can work through them…. This is not to say that the Sisters of St. Mary are to do anything different from what they have done all along, living a rule centered on the Daily Office and meditation on the Word of God. The example of Mary is simply an invitation to recover the Gospel urgency that lies behind the monastic rule and the unique way of life of those who follow it.”

Sister Maryeva demonstrates
spinning to Amelia Brown.

Visitors to the Convent

On July 24 three senior staff from St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside, Queens — Dr. Burt Grebin, Eileen Chisari and Deacon Michael Maroutsis — visited the Sisters, seeing first hand the wonders of the “new place,” touring the larger Spiritual Life Center, and catching up the Sisters on news of the hospital and its satellite works downstate.

Mother Miriam and Sister Mary Elizabeth with St. Mary’s
Hospital staff — Eileen Chisari, Vice President, Inpatient Care,
Deacon Michael Maroutsis, Pastoral Care, and
Dr. Burt Grebin, Healthcare System President and CEO

On October 7, members of St. Paul’s, K Street, in Washington, D.C. caravanned up for a Columbus Day weekend visit and retreat. The trip was spearheaded by Associates Marcia Berrien, Alice Tilson and Betsy Siegmund. The people of St. Paul’s have been dedicated supporters of the Malawian project, and the 21 visitors spent time on Saturday learning more about the current Malawi project and other work of the Sisters, including a tour of the cashmere goat barn and a demonstration of our honey extraction operation. Sunday was kept as a Quiet Day with meditations on Benedictine Spirituality led by Mother Miriam. Monday was given to hikes, rest and, for some, touring of the local area.

“Biker Babe” Sister Mary Helen prepares
to take a spin on Ted Gay’s Harley, as
Sister Mary Angela watches

Upcoming Silent Retreats

The Sisters are collaborating with the Spiritual Life Center in hosting two Classic Silent Retreats: May 12-14, 2006, and an Associates’ Labor Day Retreat September 1-5, 2006. Accommodations are limited. More information will be available in the next Messenger.

Sisters “Out and About ”

During the third week of August, Sister Mary Jean served on staff at St. Michael’s Youth Conference in West Hartford, CT.

In September, Mother Miriam gave a presentation about our foundation in Malawi at the annual Diocesan Missions Outreach Conference at the Spiritual Life Center.

In October Sister Mary Elizabeth spoke on Celtic Spirituality to New England Episcopalians at St. Gabriel’s Conference in Shrewsbury, Mass., and in early November she gave a presentation on Lectio Divina at St. George’s Church, Clifton Park.

Farm and Works

This summer saw the completion of a new barn to house the community’s cashmere goat herd and to provide separate kitchen space for honey extraction .

We combed out our first “harvest” of cashmere wool in May, had it tested for quality, and are preparing to process it for spinning and knitting. Having bred the mature does with a good cashmere buck last January, Maeve and Chikondi dropped three goat kids in June. Our doe kid, Madilitso, (which means “Blessing”) was rejected by her dam shortly after birth and so was raised by bottle at the convent, to the delight of guests. Her buckling brothers were named Tumpha (“Jump-up”) and Og (the Old Testament King of Bashan) and are sturdy, stinky boys.

In May we bought two Great Pyrenees guard dogs, “Flower” and “Oden”, so that our growing herd can be pastured outside most of the year without fear of local coydogs.

A good friend, Carol Homer, gave us several large looms in the spring and, we are slowly learning how to integrate our animal work with the Sisters’ love of fiber crafts. Sister Maryeva is becoming facile with the spinning wheel, and Mother Miriam has even mastered the drop spindle.

The honey harvest was down due to a long drought in the summer. Containers in the form of praying angels were found, and “Honey Angels” have been a popular item at the SLC King’s Korner Bookshop. A new line of beeswax lip balm has been created to use the small quantity of wax extracted with the honey.

Gardening time was largely given to landscaping and preparing for the convent dedication in August, but sufficient tomatoes were grown to warrant busy summer canning of sauces and relishes. Applesauce, jams and chutneys from locally grown produce were also put up this summer.