The English Dominican Congregation's Biennial Meeting at St Dominic's Convent, Stone, Staffordshire
November 23 -26 2009
On the right you see the sisters gathered for the Congregation's biennial meeting (the Chapter took place two years ago). There were to be talks on aspects of the Congregation's history, an assessment of the events of the past two years, and plans for the two years ahead.
On the left, Sr Mary Pauline Burling talks with Fr John Farrell O.P., the present Prior Provincial of the English province of the friars; he was the chaplain for the weekend.
The first talk of the weekend was given by Dr Judith Champ, an historian and lecturer at Oscott College (the Seminary for the Archdiocese of Birmingham). She set the great flourishing of womens' religious, apostolic congregations in the nineteenth century in its historical context. In her second talk she spoke about the great friendship between Mother Margaret Hallahan (see the website) and Bishop William Bernard Ullathorne O.S.B., first bishop of Birmingham. Bishop Ullathorne, when he was the mission priest at Coventry, assisted Margaret in starting a group of conventual, apostolic Dominican sisters.Between the talks there was a coffee break.
On the left: Sister Alberta talking to Sister Angela Mary, the Prioress of St Dominic's. Above: Dr Champ taking coffee with Sister Jadwiga.
Here, Sister Ann Catherine chats with Mr Anselm Nye. On Sunday morning Mr Nye would be the first speaker.At 12.15 everyone gathered in the choir (the sisters' chapel, off the parish church) for Mass.
After Mass followed a buffet lunch in the cloisters and time for fresh air and chatting.
At 2.30 the sisters reconvened in St Dominic's lecture room to hear the Prioress General's biannual report.
Sr M.Pauline is seen below at the rostrum.
Following this report, Sr M. Cecily reported on the work of the small commission set up to explore the possibility of a study centre at Stone. She was followed in her turn by the three members of the Vocation Promotion team (unfortunately, no picture).
Sr M. Cecily reporting.
At 4.45 the meeting ajourned for Evening Prayer. At which
Sr.M.Tamsin preached. Her picture is below.
On the right are Mr Nye and some of the sisters in choir.
Some sisters gathered in the library after Vespers to pray the Rosary before Mother Margaret's statue of Our Lady.
Supper followed by a social evening in the Generalate closed the day.
Sunday, after Morning Prayer, began with Mr Anselm Nye reading us a chapter of the book he is writing for us on the history of the Congreagtion. The chapter concerned the amalgamation in 1929 of 5 small congregations of Dominican sisters into the present English Dominican Congregation of St catherine of Siena, with its Mother House at Stone. (See the website, under Who We Are) Discussion followed the talk.
In the afternoon, a questionnaire from Dominican Sisters International (DSI) was thoroughly discussed - with the result that further discussion by the individual communities was necessary before definite replies could be sent to DSI. Sr M Pauline chaired the discussion and Sr Ann Catherine acted as secretary.
At Evening Prayer, Sr M Henry preached. Her picture and sermon are below.
"In the scripture reading for evening prayer of Sunday week 2, ( Colossians 1:3 - 6a) St paul uses thses words: GRACE, FAITH, LOVE. Surely these are all gifts we would like to possess in abundance?
These gifts have been brought alive in England and wales during September and October this year by the visit of the relics of St Therese. Why did about 250,000 people go on pilgrimage to venerate these relics? Because, in our post-Christian world, materialistic society they are searching for something deeper; thay are searching for space, for quiet, for peace. In St Therese they find these qualities made accessible by her "Little way", which is in effect a "Big way" because it covers everything . As Archbishop Kelly said in Liverpool, "We do not want the sentimenatl pictures or even the real pictures of a determined young woman, but in the relics are the bones that enabled her to do God's will." As a man in salford said to me, " She did nothing extraordinary." Perhaps it is harder to do ordinary things extraordinarily well! That is the key to her Little, Big Way - "I would like to sanctify the beating of my heart, my thoughts, my most simple works, by joining them to His most infinite merits." The force of Therese's obscure and in many ways unremarkable life lies in her desire to open her heart totally to the transforming effect of grace, to refuse God nothing.
At Aylesford there were many white tents scattered among the trees in the orchard. First-aid posts? No, they were places where priests were hearing confessions, bringing peace to troubled hearts. Everywhere the relics went the priests were busy - as in Liverpool Cathedral, where priests were in every corner with penitents kneeling at their feet. It was an occasion when Catholics, and others, came together to proclain their Faith in a seemingly faithless age.
Finally, love. As Therese says, "Love is the true motive force which enables the members of the Church to act; it's a universe of its own, comprising all time and space." So whatever our age, ouratte of health, we can be, like St Therese, "Love deep down in the heart of Mother Church."
After supper we reconvened to look critically at our website.
Monday morning was spent deliberating our priorities for the next two years - once again chaired by Sr M Pauline and recorded by Sr Ann Catherine. Finally, after lunch, all departed - until next time!
