A Visit from Our New Archbishop

This past Sunday our new archbishop, Michael Jackels, came to the monastery for Mass and after stayed for a brunch so that the community could get to know him and he us. We had a lively exchange; telling each other about ourselves. 

We consider Archbishop Michael an honorary Trappist as at one time he seriously considered entering our monastery of Gethsemani in Kentucky. We feel blessed to have him leading the diocese of Dubuque.

Sister Anna and Our New Sculpture

Sr. Anna O'Meara made her first profession as a Cistercian nun on August 20th, the feast of St. Bernard.  Sr. Anna was a professor of scripture at Clark College here in Dubuque.

Sr. Anna

The environment for our Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey sculpture is now complete.  It is very beautiful and inviting with it's waterfalls and greenery.  We are grateful to our landscape designer Chris Frommelt (Ridge Road Nursery, Bellevue, Iowa) for her vision and execution of the site.

Sister Mary Becomes a Novice

Yesterday on the feast of the Assumption our postulant Mary Hastie received the habit of a Cistercian nun and became a novice. Mary has a great devotion to Saint Therese of Lisieux and took the name Sr. Mary Therese. Sr. Mary Therese is a native of North Central Iowa and worked in health care before entering Mississippi Abbey.

Sr. Kathleen (novice director), Sr. Mary Therese, and M. Rebecca

Visiting Norway

M. Rebecca and Sr. Grace are visiting our community of Tautra Mariakloster in Norway.  This is the first visit for both of them. OLM founded the abbey back in 1999.

M.Rebecca and Sr. Grace with the community of Tautra Mariakloster

Summer & Jam Making

We are having a very beautiful summer.  It started out hot, then rainy and now it is mild and oh so very comfortable. 

The berries and fruit trees seem to like it too.  We had an abundant crop of wild black raspberries this year which inspired Sr. Myra to make jam.  We also enjoyed pies and pancakes.  This week she is concentrating on peach jam.