Stone Dominicans - News & Events

2011-03-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

TEN JUBILEES OF DOMINICAN RELIGIOUS LIFE

DIAMOND & PLATINUM

SR Patricia Mary Diamond and Sr Mary Constance Platinum

Sr Mary Fintan and Sr Mary Camilla
Diamond

Sr Mary Conleth

Diamond

Sr Joan Mary

Diamond

Sr Mary Henry

Diamond

Sadly, Srs Mary Rupert, Joachim and Desmond could not be with us.

However, there were plenty us ready to celebrate such a special occasion !

Sr M Tamsin with Mr Anselm Nye who later read us an extract from his book on the history of our Congregation.

Preparing for Mass

Fr John Farrell O.P Provincial of the English Dominican Province, was the celebrant. He was assisted by the new chaplain of the convent Fr Tom Kearns O.P, seen here with the prioress of Stone, Sr Angela Mary Leydon, in the refectory at Blackfriars Oxford.

A good lunch followed !

In the afternoon we watched a power-point presentation of pictures and cartoons from the archives. Very enjoyable !

Srs M. Gonsalvo and M John at the slide show.

CUTTING THE JUBILEE CAKE

AND SO FAREWELL !

2011-03-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

A DAY OF RECOLLECTION and FRIENDSHIP at ST DOMINIC'S CONVENT EALING for OURSELVES and OTHER SISTERS OF THE AREA

Preparing for coffees.

and the lunch !

Chatting with each other and Fr Richard Ounsworth O.P before the talk.

The Talk in the chapel

Lunch in the refectory

2011-03-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

A very few pictures from
The Dominican Seminar on
Blessed John henry Newman

New Year 2011

Sr Karen D'Artois chairing.
Sr Anna mary House speaking on Newman's poetry

Waitng for a talk to begin.

A song to end !

2011-03-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

THE VOC EXPO
at Hayes, Middlesex October 2010

Srs Nadia and Joanna show children artefacts from Africa.

2011-03-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Reliquary of St Catherine of Siena
at St Dominic's Convent, Stone, Staffs

Holding the Relic

2011-02-25T12:53:00.001-08:00

VISITORS AT
"THE NEWMAN SYMPOSIUM"
AT ST DOMINIC'S CONVENT
STONE

SEPTEMBER 2010

Sister Peter of Oulton Abbey and the
chaplain of the Abbey,
the retired Abbot of Quarr Abbey

BENEDICTINES
AND
DOMINICANS !

Standing by the exhibition

2011-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

FOUR OF THE COMMUNITY OF
ST DOMINIC'S EALING (back rows)

with visitors

Srs Tamsin, Ann Catherine and Valery attended Cardinal newman's Beatification

Mass at Cofton park

2011-02-25T12:27:00.000-08:00

THE LAY DOMINICAN CONGRESS

JULY 2011

At the Carmelite Conference Centre
Boars Hill
Oxford

Frs John Farrell, Richard Conrad and Fabian Radcliffe O.Ps were present for the weekend.

Sr Valery attended on the saturday as the representative of the sisters.

2011-02-22T09:01:00.001-08:00

Sr Valery travels to Ars in France to attend the Ordination of Br Benedict bedingfeld of the Community of St John

Seen here travelling with Fr Michael, Parish Priest of swaffham, Norfolk, and the Mother of Br Thomas, aslo due to be Ordained for the Community.

Ssters of the Community

The ordination Mass in the underground church

2011-02-22T05:44:00.000-08:00

THE DOMINICAN FAMILY DAY 2011

Fr Richard Finn O.P speaking on lay confraternities in the Middle Ages

Members of the Family enjoying themselves

2010-05-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

DOMINICAN PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM MAY 16TH 2010

Srs Anna Mary, Diana (from the Czech republic) and Valery with friend Stephanie Roberts, Dominican pilgrims to Walsingham.

Below:
Two friars chatting.
Cambridge students with Sr Mirjam enjoying their picnic lunches after Mass.

On the left: Lay Dominicans from Leicester

Below: Two Dominican sisters from Greenwich,

Leicester students

Fr Leon, Prior of Leicester

On the Holy Walk -

a barefooted pilgrim

Final prayers outside the Catholic church in the village.

2010-04-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

DON'T MISS THIS PILGRIMAGE

A Pilgrimage for May

Mary's Special Month

10 am Coffee/tea
10.30 talk: The Rosary
Fr Richard Conrad O.P

Tours of the convent: See
- the relic of St catherine of Siena
- the chapel of Blessed Dominic Barberi C.P
- the desk of St Pope Pius X
- part of the hair shirt of St Thomas More
- the tombs of Bishop Ullathorne & Mother Margaret Hallahan
- beautiful hand-embroidered vestments

Enjoy the convent garden while you eat your picnic lunch

2.30 ROSARY PROCESSION round the garden to the "stations" of
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
marked by banners representing each mystery

End the day with Saturday Evening Mass of The Most Holy Trinity
Afterwards: tea and cake to set you on your journey home

St Dominic's Convent, Stone, Staffs ST15 8EN
Contact: Sr Angela Mary leydon O.P Tel 01785 812091
Email: angelaleydon@btinternet.com
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Study Weekend at St Dominic's Convent, Stone, Staffs ST15 8EN
THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
with Fr Thomas Crean O.P & Sr Valery Walker O.P
and the teaching of St Thomas Aquinas Dominican

Friday Evening June 18th -- Sunday Midday June 20th
Suggested donation: £60 (waged) £30 (unwaged)

Contact: Sr Valery O.P Tel. 01223 353730
Email: valeryop39@googlemail.com

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A SYMPOSIUM AT STONE

PERSONALITIES
FROM THE HISTORY OF
ST DOMINIC'S CONVENT & PARISH

Ven John Henry Newman Oratorian

Blessed Dominic Barberi Passionist

Margaret Mary Hallahan Dominican

William Bernard Ullathorne O.S.B
First Bishop of Birmingham

Speakers: Bishop William Kenny Passionist
Dr Judith Champ Author of a biography of Bishop Ullathorne
Sr M Cecily Boulding Dominican

Further Information: Sr Angela Mary Leydon O.P Tel. 01785 812091
Email: angelaleydon@btinternet.com
St Dominic's Convent, Station Rd, Stone, Staffs ST15 8EN

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2010-01-17T07:28:00.000-08:00

ST THOMAS AQUINAS STUDY WEEKEND
NOVEMBER 13 -15 2009

VENUE; ST DOMINIC'S CONVENT
STATION RD STONE STAFFS

TOPIC: PURGATORY

LEADERS: FR THOMAS CREAN O.P
SR VALERY WALKER O.P

2009-12-08T04:24:00.000-08:00

ALL SOULS DAY NOVEMBER 1ST 2009

At 2 pm on All souls Day afternoon, members of the two communities of Blackfriars, Buckingham Rd, and St Catherine's, 155 Huntingdon Rd, met
at All Souls cemetery to pray for the
dead of the Order buried there -and
for all the Holy Souls.

2009-10-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-27T08:18:00.001-07:00

"The Holiness of the Mass" was the title
of a Day of Reflection held in Fisher House Hall,
Cambridge, on Saturday October 10th 2009.

Fr Richard Ounsworth O.P. gave a most interesting talk on the Old Testament background to the Mass.

This was followed (after coffee) by Mrs Elizabeth Wang speaking on the Mass as holy and awe-inspiring. She illustrated her talk with one of her paintings.

Some people went out into town to find lunch; others picniced in the hall.

In the afternoon there was some study and discussion, based on the teaching of St Thomas Aquinas and led by Sr Valery O.P. assisted by Fr Richard and Sr Anna Mary,

Though the numbers attending the day were small, the talks and discussion were much appreciated.

2009-10-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

21st September 2009

Here you see Sr Anna Mary on her return from the

AVAAZ Wake-Up Call for Action Day in
Cambridge, organized in response to the threat of Global
Warming. In 134 countries all over the world 2632 events were taking place in support of this action. As you can see, Sr Anna mary took an active part!

2009-10-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

Meeting of Vocation Promoters "You are God's Unshakeable Hope" Birmingham University Chaplaincy Saturday September 26th 2009
Sr Valery attended this event, organised by a small group of vocation promoters to enable the larger group - about 70 attended - to share experiences and gain ideas for the future.

The day began coffee and introductions. Then there was prayer.
The Abbot of Mount St Bernard's Cictercian Abbey in Leicestershire gave an excellent talk, based on a contemporary account of the vocation of St Aelred of Rievaux and drawing from that story eight lessons for today.
1. It is GOD who calls; we are the medium and we must PRAY!
2. A vocation is "for the welfare and comfort of many" not precisely for a particular order or congregation as such.
3.Likewise, the call is first and foremost to follow Jesus. Choice of the way is secondary.
4. A first enquiry is an enormous step; we must be sensitive in our response.
5. What he, Aelred, first met and heard was terribly important - and therefore, how we present ourselves.
6. PEOPLE make a person decide for a particular place. A warm welcome is essential, and openness.
7. The monks believed in their way of life and spoke about it encouragingly; they "spoke the word of God" with him. They believed in it as a good way of life, not purely spiritually, but as offering opportunities eg. as it offered an alternative way of life to marriage to women of the nineteenth century; it can be that as job opportunities shrink in today's world, our way of life may offer openings not to be found elsewhere.
8. Aelred's story makes clear that the final decision will not necessarily be entirely rational. Aelred admitted in later life, that if his servant had NOT wanted to revisit the abbey, he himself would not have returned - and stayed!

Lunch followed - a very good lunch! with time for conversation and fresh air.

After lunch there was a sharing exercise in groups, directing our attention to hopes and plans for the future. It was decided that a meeting next year was desireable, since this meeting had proved encouraging and stimulating. Sr valery offered S Dominic's Convent, Stone as a possible venue, subject to the Prioress, Sr Angela Mary's agreement. The offer was accepted. Since then, Sr Angela Mary has kindly agreed; the date has yet to be chosen.
The day ended with prayer and cheerful goodbyes.

2009-08-14T03:36:00.000-07:00

LLANDUDNO 2009
Friday 19th - Sunday 21st June

"New Beginnings" for newly Confirmed young Catholics from the parish of Our Lady and the Angels, Stoke-on-Trent.

In the picture you see the nine young people together with parish priest Fr The-Quang, Mrs Celia Teague, parish sister Sr Sunniva O.P (from the Dominican community in Stone, Staffordshire) and Br Lawrence Lew O.P (a Dominican student brother from Oxford) the leaders of the group.

The weekend took place at "Abbeyleix" a holiday house by the sea, belonging to St Mary's Home in Stone (run by Sr Sunniva's community) and kindly lent to the group for the weekend. The house nestles beneath the Little Orme with panoramic views across the bay.

Mrs Teague writes: "..we were all allocated groups who took it in turn to plan evening and night prayer and to prepare parts of the Mass and to help with clearing tables after meals....we each had an unknown prayer partner, from among the group, who supported us through prayer and by keeping a lookout for us.

The main session for the weekend was led by Br lawrence...we discovered how life is a journey...we thought about the possibilities of each day being a new beginning and this was supported through activities ....for instance, an extended penitential rite during Sunday Mass."

There were social activities too - a magical weekend in many ways!

2009-07-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

SUMMER INITIATIVE 2009

England is enjoying a "European Invasion" of Dominican sisters this summer! As a result of the work of the organization "Dominican Sisters International", Dominican sisters from several European countries are visiting England for the month of July in order to improve their English - and at the same time to consolidate good relations,
friendship, with the Dominican sisters of England.

Above you see the four sisters staying with our Conregation at our convent in Cambridge (see below). The sisters are from Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. They will be introduced one by one.

The Convent of St catherine of Siena, Cambridge

The Czech republic

I am Sr Maria Kasparova. I am a junior sister in the Czech congregation of Dominican sisters. I am 28 and I am an art teacher. I teach in our secondary school - only girls. I enjoy handwork.
I have come to England because I want to learn English well.

2009-07-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

Trinity School, Leamington Spa,
Vocation day

On thursady July 25 Sister Valery, of the Cambridge community, joined members of other religious congregations at Trinity School, Leamington Spa, for a day on Vocation and its meaning, for the 14 year-olds.

Each member of the group spoke to the seven groups of young people, each approaching the subject in their own particular way.

Sr Valery spoke about her own call from Our Lord to be a Dominican sister of the English Congregation. She gave a power-point presentation on that subject.

The day went happily and seemed well received by the students. Only time will show whether the talks and pictures have inspired any of those who listened and saw to wish to dedicate their own lives to God and the service of the Gospel.
Members of the team

Sr Valery at study - a page from the power-point

Account of the Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Stone Saturday May 30th

2009-06-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary were celebrated on Saturday June 30th at St Dominic's Convent, Stone, by 150 pilgrims who came from as far afield as Warrington and Burton-on-Trent and included babies in buggies as well as residents of St Mary's residential home for the elderly.

The day began with an excellent talk, well researched and inspiring, on the history of the Rosary, given by Sr Mary Pauline Burling, the Prioress General of this Congregation.

The talk was followed by tours of the convent, church and chapel of Blessed Dominic Barberi, led by Srs M Henry, Cecily and Valery. In the convent library was a display of vestments, hand-embroidered by sisters of the community in the nineteenth century, as well as a portion of the hairshirt once worn by St Thomas More, and a baton used by Sir Edward Elgar, the composer, whose sister joined the Stroud congregation (see "Who We Are"). Blessed Dominic barberi was the Passionist priest, a missionary to England, who received John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church; as a consequence, Newman several times visited Dominic at Stone, attended Mass there and later preached the first sermon in the big church built by Mother Margaret Hallahan. Mother Margaret's grave could be seen in the sisters' choir (or chapel).

The Rosary procession to Our Lady of Stone began at 2.30 and was led off by two acolytes carrying silver processional lamps (given to the Dominican community by Cardinal Newman) and a trumpet solo, played by Br Robert Verrill, a student brother from the Dominican Priory in Oxford. Fr Leon Pereira O.P, Prior of Holy Cross Priory in Leicester was the celebrant, both at the procession and at the Vigil Mass of Penetecost which followed. Rosary banners (again, hand-embroidered by sisters in the eighteenth century) of the five Glorious Mysteries had been set up at "stations" round the convent grounds. The procession moved from station to station singing hymns to Our Lady. At each station a group of students, either from Oxford, Cambridge or Kings in London, provided a meditation and music and led the appropriate decade of the Rosary.

At the shrine itself there was the ceremony of the crowning of Our Lady and the Holy Child by Rhiannon Brown, aged 11, and Callum Plews, aged 9, both parishioners and pupils of local Catholic schools. Sr Anna Mary read a short meditation on Our Lady's glory and we sang the Salve Regina.

The pilgrimage will be held again next year - probably again on the last saturday in May. Watch this spot for future announcements!

Parish Mission Sherborne Dorset Lent 2009

2009-04-22T03:16:00.000-07:00

At the invitation of the parish priest, Fr Rodney Schofield, a Dominican Preaching Team spent some days during Lent 2009 in the parish of the Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm, Sherborne, Dorset.

The team, Fr John Patrick Kenrick, Sr Anna mary House and Sr Valery Walker, based its evangelization programme on the text of Matthew 11:4-6: "Go and tell what you hear and see..." and on the celebration of the sacraments of the Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation.

We were most hospitably received by the parishioners. In addition to the talks to groups and individuals, each day we shared Mass and afterwards a simple meal in the parish hall and had the opportunity to have wide-ranging discussions with those who wanted to come.