Beginning 'Candy Season'

On Labor Day we have the tradition of beginning what we call 'Candy Season'.  We start a heavier schedule of work in our candy factory to get ready for fall and Christmas sales.

We have a special Terce; the first of the 'little hours' of prayer that we pray in our chapel in the candy factory. Afterwards M.Rebecca went around to each room to bless it with holy water.

At the end of the week we united with all in fasting and prayer as requested by Pope Francis, praying especially for peace in Syria.

Our Visit to New Melleray Abbey

Last Thursday the community went over to New Melleray Abbey for a celebration to say goodbye to Abbot Brendan Freeman and to welcome our new Father Immediate, Fr. Mark Scott.

Sr. Grace (left) and Fr. Mark Scott (right)

We gathered in the infirmary common room and enjoyed a wonderful picnic meal, a gift of Madonna and Paul McAndrews.

After the meal, as is our tradition, we had a rousing game of volleyball even though the heat index was 102 degrees that day here in Iowa.

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