Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ – The holy fires of Pentecost (June 5) reach us and seem to fittingly launch our deeply cherished month of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The universal time of recommitment in accepting the invitation given us for this Work is on or near the Solemnity (this year, June 24). We unite in pledge and in prayer!
When our son, Spencer, turned 6 or so, we extended invitations seeking “shipmates” to search for a hidden treasure in a nearby beach. (Yes, adults and life jackets for all in the canoes). The summons took the form of a parchment “map” with charred edges. It was rolled, dropped in a bottle alongside sand and rocks, capped with a cork and delivered to the doorsteps of a few neighborhood chums.
Sometimes invitations take resources and pre-planning, most often they arrive in the spontaneity of the breaths of life itself. We are formed by the profusion of both the small and soaring daily invitations we receive and our responses to them. Invitations are sometimes subtle, sometimes sly, sometimes misjudged. At times we can backtrack from regrettable choices, other times we bear consequences.
Our Faith is rich with invitations of the best kind because they follow the Master Himself who is generous and trustworthy in invitation: Come and see (John 1:39); Follow Me (Mark 1:7) Come unto Me, all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28). To Zacchaeus: Come down, for today I must abide in your house (Luke 19:5) and to his friend: Lazarus, come forth (John 11:43). Not even the grave can thwart His call.
Sacred Liturgy, formed by both oral and written Tradition, echo the truth, goodness and beauty that mark the invitations of the Trinity. Grace, peace and mercy are extended throughout our Liturgies, inviting us ever-deeper into that river of graces that prepares us to receive both the living Word and the living Bread. Concurrently, a beckoning to offer heartfelt praise and glory to God is woven throughout. At the proper time, we burst into a chorus of Alleluia, Alleluia (literally “Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord”), inviting the reading of the Gospel, where we fittingly stand to listen and catch every word. We are invited (and often challenged) to live more deeply, as its truths are unfolded through the homily. Prayers and silences prepare us for the profound moments of consecration, that we may hear and respond properly to the invitation to the supper of the Lamb. This Sacrament of Unity unites us as one, but also touches each as a unique individual. That is indeed an invitation par excellence! In the remaining moments of the Mass, a final Trinitarian blessing is extended inviting us to go forth in renewed zeal and strength to fulfill God’s Will in our daily lives. We are blessed to be a blessing!
In these continuing uncertain times, this powerful and sure invitation can ironically seem fragile or even impossible. This month especially, Seven Sisters should sense the exact opposite. In our recommitment to the prayer support for our shepherds, we are poised to take this invitation surely and seriously. We are poised to imitate the way of the Master Himself and extend invitation to others to join in the work He has called us to in sacrifices of prayers for priests. Our work strengthens the priest and strengthens the Church. Yes, we are blessed to be a blessing! And why not call forth more blessing in these times that try to silence the invitations of Christ Himself. The Church is currently undergoing a Eucharistic Revival and our prayers are potent fuel for these efforts. Let us throw the nets far and wide in invitation for others to join in these efficacious endeavors of praying for priests through the offering of seamless Holy Hours. In this Revival we will need fortified and tireless priests!
You may not sense the nudge to invite someone to the prayer efforts of the Apostolate by dropping off a corked bottle at their doorstep. Be assured, there is a way that best suits you and those you may ask. Perhaps it may come in the echo of the Master Himself, “Come and see” …“Can you not watch … for an hour?” …“Follow me…I will show you how”. Over and again, I receive testimonies from women who joined our efforts because of the personal invitation of another. Such invitations hold eternal promise – for the impetus is love, the eternal thing. To those anxious about the future of the world or the future of the Church, to all who might question the place of charity in a world who has abandoned God, let us find encouragement in the words found in the Apostolate Guidelines Booklet from Pope Benedict XVI: “Love is never finished.”
May we solicit the aid of our Advocate, the Holy Spirit, “O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart…. Scatter there Thy cheerful beams” (St Augustine). Then, let us go forth, with joy, dear Sisters in Christ, to spread the good news of God’s work through the merits of this Apostolate – and invite!
United in prayer and mission…that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day…. “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’ (St Teresa of Calcutta) … your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate. THANK YOU! The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! What glory is given to God through your writing! Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.
Heartfelt welcome: New groups registered in MAY to cover more priests in daily prayer: Additional groups in British Columbia (Canada), Cameroon (Africa), Co. Derry (Ireland) and these USA states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. We pray daily for priests and bishops on 6 continents, 25 countries, all 50 USA states, and nearly every Province in Canada.
Reminders: (1) Gather together as many as possible to offer the commitment prayer. (2) If the priest you pray for is reassigned, continue praying until he finishes, then your group will pray for the priest who takes on that role of service of the former priest. (3) Distinct Anchoress for each group. If you are Anchoress for more than one group, please pass the baton to another to share in the joy of leadership. (4) Bishop groups have 21 intercessors, one Anchoress. (5) Holy Hours are the offering through this Apostolate work. Ideal is before the Blessed Sacrament exposed. Prayer before the Tabernacle is acceptable. (6) Contact your Anchoress, volunteer Coordinator in Diocese, or Website for questions.
ELIJAH’s HELPERS: By prayerful desire and directive of our Apostolate Chaplain, Fr Johnson, a pilot group of Seven Sisters intercessors dedicated to offering Holy Hours for priests in various forms of crisis within the Archdiocese of St Paul- Mpls, began in June 2021. This fruit of the Apostolate will be opening up to form more groups in more Dioceses beginning in June 2022. All inquiries to Nancy at ElijahsHelpers@gmail.com or cell: 612-756-1107.
ANNUAL Holy Card Design: As promised, this Communique announces that the upcoming Holy Card design was submitted by Susan S who prays for priests in Minnesota. Her beautiful icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is surrounded by these calligraphed words: Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart. As I read this my own heart leaped with a sure recognition that this is the unceasing invitation to every woman who commits to prayer for priests through the Apostolate! Know I remain very, very grateful to all the others who submitted their works of love.
RECENT … and AHEAD on the calendar:
> Gratitude to Katie for a well-organized and well-attended informational at Sacred Heart parish in rural Norfolk, NE, on Thurs, 05/05/22. These ladies love to pray and know how to cook!
> Gratitude to Fr Gary Coulter for invitation to Janette to offer a silent retreat at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly, NE, on 05/6-7/22. Topic: Inseparable: Our Eucharistic Lord and Our Lady. We employed the use of Visio Divina.
> Gratitude to Kristen & Natalie (North Platte, NE) requesting Janette join them for their weekly Zoom Rosary (Facebook) on 05/11/22. What a generous endorsement they gave to the Apostolate work!
> Gratitude to Kathy, the Bible Chicks and Fr Michael of St Dominic’s in San Francisco, CA, for hosting a 05/21/22 Retreat. Prayer: opening the heart wider still. Archbishop Cordileone joined us in the afternoon, offered a reflection, personal blessing to Janette and to all those in attendance. WOW!
> Sat, 06/04/22: St Mary’s Cathedral, St Cloud, MN. Day of Reflection, Prayer, Recommitment. 8:30-2:45. Talks: Fr Brady Keller/Fred Blonigan. $15. Contact: Laura at koski2001@gmail.com
> Sat, 06/11/22: Morning of Renewal: Getting to Know our Patrons. St Vincent de Paul, Ft Wayne, IN. Talks: Fr Daniel Scheidt/Janette. Contact Tammie: sevensistersFWSB@gmail.com
> Sat, 06/18/22: Retreat and Recommitment. St. Michael Westside Chapel (Olympia, WA). All are welcome. Contact Holly: sevensistersseattle@gmail.com
MATTERS of the HEART:
Ø “Recently attended the retreat on Mary & the Eucharist at the Good Counsel Retreat Center in Waverly, Nebraska. It was a blessed weekend, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to attend. I wanted to share a grace that I received in doing Visio Divina with the Madonna of the Grapes. As I looked at the painting, the way Jesus was holding Mary’s veil captured my attention. It seemed to me that there must be more to that than just Jesus’ playfulness as a baby. I pondered this, and it seemed to me that Jesus was inviting us behind the veil. Mary veiled Jesus’ divinity by giving him flesh in the Incarnation, just as Jesus’ divinity is veiled in the Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine. It seemed to me that Jesus is saying “Come and see,” inviting us to enter the mysteries behind the veil of the appearances of bread and wine and the human flesh He took on.” (Prefers anonymous, Nebraska)
Ø “Words cannot express the experience of partaking in this protective dome of grace surrounding our priests through our prayers.” (Sandy, Wisconsin)
Ø “Two years ago, I became a Seven Sister. I was so unsure but once I started in Adoration I was swept away by the love and mercy found there in listening, asking how prayers should be directed, and focusing on supporting our priest. It has become a favorite time in my week.” (Mary Ann, Wisconsin)
Ø “What called my attention is the commitment and true need for our prayers in gratitude for our priests. Father E is an incredible priest, always supporting the community, helping with vocations, keeping our community, ministries, and activities running, and bringing new people into our Church. His efforts, energy, ideas, and guidance are greatly appreciated. Having the opportunity to commit together with sisters from my community to pray for him is such a blessing. I cannot thank God enough for giving us, faithful priests who dedicate their entire life to serving others. (Karla, Texas)
APPRECIATED and LOVEDquilt project: A double cloaking for RETIRED PRIESTS: Seven Sisters prayer and a quilt! The priests love both! To learn more regarding a single quilt for a retired priest or on how to get this started in your Diocese, contact QuiltsBySevenSisters@gmail.com
FASTING BROTHERS is growing: Groups of men offering various forms of fasting to augment the prayer efforts of a Seven Sisters group. Each man prayerfully discerns the type of fasting he will offer and commits to fast a designated day of the week (excepting Sunday/Solemnities). Our Chaplain, strongly urges formation of these groups. Anchoresses: let us know the Seven Sisters group to which the Fasting Brothers are linked, name of lead Brother, his contact info and the start date.
LAMP-BEARERS: In January 2020, Lamp-Bearers, so-named for their action of continually ‘filling of their lamps with the oil of prayer’, was launched to pray for the Apostolate at large. Each intercessor prays a minimum of once per week, but many are offering prayers every day. Intentions are gleaned from topics and calendar points in the monthly Communique and also sent to members on the second or third Sunday of the month. Additional intercessors welcomed. Those desiring to learn more, send an email of interest/inquiry through the Website.
SEVEN SISTERS Guideline BOOKLETS: Available as free download from Web site. Hard copies passed on for printing cost of $2 each + P/H. Order thru Web email with amount desired/address
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold BROCHURE: Effectively used in parish pamphlet stands (ask pastor’s approval prior), Adoration Chapels, Retreat Centers, Bags/Packets for Women’s Conferences/Retreats, Women’s clubs, Serra clubs – or simply handing out! Available on Web as free download. Recommend 80# silk for best printing results. May also order through Web site. Indicate address/quantity. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold LITANY for PRIESTS: Beautifully printed on 100# silk (a bit thicker than brochures). Original artwork (inspired by the Diary of St Faustina) by Seven Sister in Minnesota, Litany by Richard Cardinal Cushing. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
REMEMBRANCE of those SEVEN SISTERS who have PASSED: We want to remember those Seven Sisters in name and in prayer, who have gone before us to their eternal rest. Visit the Web site. Click on ABOUT folder and scroll to bottom, choose: IN REMEMBRANCE. Follow prompts… OR you may submit info via the Website email. Please check site monthly for additions and to pray!
PRIEST who has PASSED to ETERNAL REST: If the priest for whom you pray has entered eternal life, the group may be led to continue to pray for a length of time for the soul of that priest. Perhaps a novena of Holy Hours or the offering of holy Mass(es) for the priest. You will know. Some groups have/are offering Holy Hours for an entire year for their beloved deceased priest. Groups may be started following the death of a priest that did not have a group prior. This is commendable and welcomed. Please register these special groups through the Web site.
SPANISH translation of Communique:This is generously done every month by Zahyra B, Anchoress for a Seven Sisters group in Venezuela. They are then posted (and archived) on the Website. If it is easier to receive through an email account, please let me know. Expect a few days for translation. Commitment Prayer/Guidelines Booklet in Spanish (on the Web – free download).
Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ in these reflective April Lenten days into Holy Week into the jubilant Alleluia-rich Eastertide. Let us live the days with attention and responsiveness.
The protracted days of the Lenten season grant one’s soul the gift of opportunities to ponder the Way of Christ. One such scene is our sorrowful and troubled (Mt 26:37b) Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. Withdrawing with the three disciples closest to Him, He takes refuge in a familiar place. Hofmann’s portrayal is a motivating detailed piece for unhurried meditation. The disciples have been directed to pray. Three times the Lord pauses from His own prayer to find they have succumbed to drowsiness. “Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour?”
At its core, this is the inherent invitation posed to a woman considering Holy Hour offerings as a Seven Sister. Yes, at the heart, the intercessor assenting to the commitment is responding to Christ Himself. One-to-one. He asks for cooperation, a friendship in prayer, regarding matters of immense importance. One hour, watchful. The summons continues to echo through the centuries. “Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour?” Our Lord endures in intercession for and with us as we pray for His brother priests. He does not forsake us in our sacrifices of prayer, but rather joins us in an intimate companionship in, with and through the prayer. He is beckoning us into the conversations and doings of heaven! Thy Will on earth as in heaven. What a comfort and fortification all at once.
Considering Our Lord in the Garden might move one to be reminded that sacred Scripture often alludes to images of the gardens of our own hearts. Here prayer finds its roots. Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord (Hosea 10:12). Our Lord nurtures, cultivates, prunes and waters the virtuous bloom of our hearts for the end result of love. What potential for sweet aroma in this world in desperate need! For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing… (2 Corinthians 2:15).
Every gardener either cultivates or yearns for roses! Since ancient times, roses symbolized God at work. The red rose has long been linked with love, beauty and martyrdom, so likely the cultivated garden of the heart of every Christian manifest the noteworthy blooms! Our Blessed Mother bears the titles of Mystical Rose and the Rose without Thorns. She is often portrayed with a crown of roses, as is the icon of the Immaculate Heart. At Lourdes, St Bernadette described Mary as having a yellow rose on each foot. A profusion of roses cascaded from St Juan Diego’s opened tilma, which bore the image of Our Lady. Rosary prayers are commonly spoken of as sending roses heavenward. St. Elizabeth of Hungary once carried food under her mantle to distribute to the poor. On her way, she unexpectedly met her husband who forbade this almsgiving. He opened her mantle, finding not food, but a bouquet of roses. As she lay dying St Thérèse of Lisieux shared: “After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will raise up a mighty host of little saints.” She poetically captured the essence of a self-emptying heart, desiring to give all to Christ, in her poem, An Unpetalled Rose (translation: Donald Kinney, OCD). All emphases by St Thérèse herself.
Jesus, when I see you held by your Mother,
Leaving her arms, trying, trembling, your first steps on our sad earth,
Before you I’d like to unpetal a rose in its freshness,
so that your little foot might rest ever so softly on a flower!
This unpetalled rose is the faithful images, Divine Child, of the heart
that wants to sacrifice itself for you unreservedly at each moment.
Lord, on your altars more than one new rose likes to shine.
It gives itself to you… but I dream of something else: To Be Unpetalled!
The rose in its splendor can adorn your feast, Lovable Child,
but the unpetalled rose is just flung out to blow away.
An unpetalled rose gives itself unaffectedly to be no more.
Like it, with joy I abandon myself to you, Little Jesus.
One walks on rose petals with no regrets, and this debris is a
simple ornament that one disposes of artlessly, that I’ve understood.
Jesus, for your love I’ve squandered my life, my future.
In the eyes of men, a rose forever withered, I must die!
For you, I must die, Child, Beauty Supreme, what a blessed fate!
In being unpetalled, I want to prove to you that I love you, O my treasure!
Under your baby steps, I want to live here below with mystery, and
I’d like to soften once more on Calvary your last steps!
In Lenten and Eastertide seasons, Our Lord is distinctly set before us as He who emptied Himself completely for love of us. Seven Sisters easily recognize the imitation of this lavishing of love in the lives of our saintly Apostolate patrons, St Mary Magdalene (outpouring of oil) and here in the poetry of St Thérèse. As we take refuge in a familiar place, as Christ Himself took refuge in the Garden to pray, let us seek the graces to cultivate the garden of our hearts of prayer – to desire to love more fully. Perhaps we may soften the steps of the priests/bishops for whom we pray with our unpetalled roses of prayer. Yes, Lord, we will keep watch with You for one hour. Yes, Lord! Yes!
United in prayer and mission…that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day…. “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’ (St Teresa of Calcutta) … your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate. THANK YOU! The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! What glory is given to God through your writing! Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.
Blessed Easter and Eastertide – all 50 days of rejoicing!
SEVEN SISTERS – in and out and about:
Heartfelt welcome: New groups registered in MARCH to cover more priests in daily prayer: Additional groups in British Columbia (Canada), Ireland (Co. Derry, Northern Ireland), Madrid (Spain), Washington, D.C., and these USA states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. We pray daily for priests and bishops on 6 continents, 25 countries, all 50 USA states, and nearly every Province in Canada.
ANNUAL Holy Card Design: The next Apostolate Holy Card will feature the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Submit your design! Render with pen and ink, full color, B/W, watercolor, as an icon, sketch. Inquiries through Website for size details. Will send copies of past years cards, as desired. Artwork due by May 1, 2022.
BOOK study: Seeking someone with KNOW-HOW to coordinate a book study through the Website on A Priest is Not His Own (Sheen). Send interest to do this to sevensistersapostolate@gmail.com
RECENT … and AHEAD on the calendar:
> Gratitude to Deb for arranging a gathering of Polish Seven Sisters and the recipient of their prayers, Fr Cyprian. (03/13/22- Holy Cross, Minneapolis, MN).
> Sat, 04/02/22: Des Moines Diocese CCW Conference “Vision for the Future.” Janette will speak in the afternoon regarding the Apostolate. Sts Peter and Paul (Atlantic, IA)
> Thurs, 05/05/22: Informational for Omaha Diocese in Norfolk, NE (Sacred Heart parish). Contact Katie: sevensistersomaha@gmail.com
>05/6-7/22: Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly, NE. Janette will conduct the retreat on this topic… Inseparable: Our Eucharistic Lord and Our Lady. Registration through Retreat Web.
>Sat, 05/21/22: St Dominic, San Francisco, CA. Women’s Retreat. Prayer: opening the heart wider still. Janette will offer the reflections. Contact: kathy@stdominics.org (415) 567-7824 x111
> Sat, 06/11/22: Morning of Renewal: “Getting to Know our Patrons.” St Vincent de Paul, Ft Wayne, IN. Talks: Fr Daniel Scheidt/Janette. Contact Tammie: sevensistersFWSB@gmail.com
> Sat, 06/18/22: Retreat and Recommitment. St. Michael Westside Chapel (Olympia, WA). All are welcome. Contact Holly: sevensistersseattle@gmail.com
MATTERS of the HEART:
Ø “Our priests need so much prayer in such a modern time of secularism. Our priests are so crucial to the parish in celebrating Mass, providing the Eucharist and offering us the sacraments. The truth of our Catholic faith has become very unpopular in society and our priests need the support of the faithful.” (Rhonda, Ireland)
Ø “I am a widow 1 – 1/2 years. My love for God has grown deeply in this time due to the encouragement and profound faith of my pastors. I heard about this ministry on Relevant Radio.” (Carol, Minnesota)
Ø “I heard about the Seven Sisters Apostolate through another prayer group. Our priests need prayer. It is the most holy and devout who are often targeted by evil. It is our honor and privilege to join this group of prayer warriors. Thank you for this beautiful invitation to special prayer.” (Patti, Pennsylvania)
Ø “The March Communique made me feel both privileged and blessed to be able to spend an hour praying for a priest or bishop who is carrying on Christ’s counter-culture way of love!” (JoAnne, Minnesota)
Ø “I heartily appreciate the Seven Sisters Apostolate in providing a prayerful structure toward supporting our beloved priests. Your booklet is beautifully written, clear and informative.” (Melissa, Illinois)
Ø “This ministry is so beautiful. Our priests truly appreciate the prayers. It is so dear to our hearts and joy to say I’m going to church to do my “SISTERS HOUR “. Some of us have a particular SISTERS prayer partner to go and pray with, for we have three priests to pray for.” (Wanda, Minnesota)
APPRECIATED and LOVED quilt project: A double cloaking for RETIRED PRIESTS: Seven Sisters prayer and a quilt! The priests love both! To learn more regarding a single quilt for a retired priest or on how to get this started in your Diocese, contact QuiltsBySevenSisters@gmail.com
FASTING BROTHERS is growing: Groups of men offering various forms of fasting to augment the prayer efforts of a Seven Sisters group. Each man prayerfully discerns the type of fasting he will offer and commits to fast a designated day of the week (excepting Sunday/Solemnities). Our Chaplain, strongly urges formation of these groups. Anchoresses: let us know the Seven Sisters group to which the Fasting Brothers are linked, name of lead Brother, his contact info and the start date.
LAMP-BEARERS: In January 2020, Lamp-Bearers, so-named for their action of continually ‘filling of their lamps with the oil of prayer’, was launched to pray for the Apostolate at large. Each intercessor prays a minimum of once per week, but many are offering prayers every day. Intentions are gleaned from topics and calendar points in the monthly Communique and also sent to members on the second or third Sunday of the month. Additional intercessors welcomed. Those desiring to learn more, send an email of interest/inquiry through the Website.
SEVEN SISTERS Guideline BOOKLETS: Available as free download from Web site. Hard copies passed on for printing cost of $2 each + P/H. Order thru Web email with amount desired/address
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold BROCHURE: Effectively used in parish pamphlet stands (ask pastor’s approval prior), Adoration Chapels, Retreat Centers, Bags/Packets for Women’s Conferences/Retreats, Women’s clubs, Serra clubs – or simply handing out! Available on Web as free download. Recommend 80# silk for best printing results. May also order through Web site. Indicate address/quantity. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold LITANY for PRIESTS: Beautifully printed on 100# silk (a bit thicker than brochures). Original artwork (inspired by the Diary of St Faustina) by Seven Sister in Minnesota, Litany by Richard Cardinal Cushing. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
REMEMBRANCE of those SEVEN SISTERS who have PASSED: We want to remember those Seven Sisters in name and in prayer, who have gone before us to their eternal rest. Visit the Web site. Click on ABOUT folder and scroll to bottom, choose: IN REMEMBRANCE. Follow prompts… OR you may submit info via the Website email. Please check site monthly for additions!
PRIEST who has PASSED to ETERNAL REST: If the priest for whom you pray has entered eternal life, the group may be led to continue to pray for a length of time for the soul of that priest. Perhaps a novena of Holy Hours or the offering of holy Mass(es) for the priest. You will know. Some groups have/are offering Holy Hours for an entire year for their beloved deceased priest. Groups may be started following the death of a priest that did not have a group prior. This is commendable and welcomed. Please register these special groups through the Web site.
SPANISH translation of Communique: This is generously done every month by Zahyra B, Anchoress for a Seven Sisters group in Venezuela. They are then posted (and archived) on the Website. If it is easier to receive through an email account, please let me know. Expect a few days for translation. Commitment Prayer/Guidelines Booklet in Spanish (on the Web – free download).
Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ! The stream of baptismal waters spilling across one’s brow just might be the first hint that the path in this new life goes against the flow. The serious Christian soon discovers that the life of righteousness truly runs counter to the life of the world. “Going against the flow” is not pursued for the sake of being different, a non-conformist. Rather, conformity to Christ is the path. Our whims and ideas do not govern, instead, love beckons, guides and serves as the fuel. For Christ’s love compels our hearts (2 Cor 5:14). When assented to, the individuals earnestly seeking conformity to Christ become marvelously distinct in that conformity!
Both written and oral traditions of the Faith have preserved testaments of magnanimous lives. This month, March 26, we celebrate our Apostolate patron, St Margaret Clitherow. During the mid-16th century priests were hunted and killed in England. Those associated with harboring them or trying to further the Catholic Faith were condemned to death. A convert, St Margaret refused to partake in Church of England services thus incurring regular, steep fines. Her unwavering love and zeal for the Eucharistic life and priests was central to her heart. She fearlessly arranged for secret Masses in her home, hid fugitive priests and catechized those attracted to the Faith. Discovered by authorities, she was condemned to death. On Good Friday of 1586 (Feast of the Annunciation that year also) she was stretched on the ground in cruciform shape, a sharp rock placed beneath her. A door was laid atop. Unbearable weights were added, one by one, crushing her to death. While her husband never converted to the Faith, her two sons, Henry and William, became priests and her daughter, Anne, a religious sister. Her last three breaths: “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu!” St Margaret Clitherow, pray for us!
Seven Sisters consistently pray in the sacred Presence of Our Eucharistic Lord, with the strongest of hopes, for a deeper conformity of Christ for the priests/bishops for whom they pledge to pray. The priest has sacramentally acquiesced to this radical cause “against the flow” on the day of Ordination. Christ’s love through our sacrifices of prayers supports and invigorates this interior, revolutionary, eternal holy order. Dominican priest, Fr Henri Lacordaire, offers insights into the counter-culture life of a priest in his familiar poem, Thou Art a Priest Forever:
To live in the midst of the world without wishing its pleasures;
To be a member of each family, yet belonging to none;
To share all suffering; to penetrate all secrets; to heal all wounds;
To go from men to God to offer Him their prayers;
To return from God to men to bring pardon and hope;
To have a heart of fire for Charity and a heart of bronze for Chastity;
To teach and to pardon, console and bless always.
My God, what a life; and it is yours, O Priest of Jesus Christ!
Venerable Mother Claret de la Touche, in her book, The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood, conveys more insight into the in-this-world-but-not-of-it life of the priest: “God the Father sees in the priest the most perfect image of the Word Incarnate, a second ‘Jesus’ so like the first that he could be taken for Him. He sees him in a luminous mirror in which the virtues of His beloved Son are reflected. He hears the voice of Jesus in the voice of the priest. The Word sees in the priest a brother, a friend, a product of His heart, another self, by whom He continues all His works, and in whom His human life and His life of Priest and Victim is prolonged as it were through the centuries.” Against all odds and practicalities, the priest is called to win others, save others and be a partaker of the Gospel himself. All this as alter Christus. Such graces he must be afforded, for the world bears no guidance!
The priest’s witness is meant to stir, challenge and enlist hearts to likewise follow Christ in this counter-cultural way of love. The heart compasses of Seven Sisters seem set in this direction. We have tossed our cloaks to the ground to move, unencumbered, upon that narrow way. While last minute invitations, tiredness, forgetfulness, word of new clearance sales and a myriad of other temptations may present themselves to sway our commitment to a Holy Hour once a week, we are not deterred. We are familiar with this way that is not easy, that must be deaf to the call of the world, while keen to the call of commitment. Our “yes” means “yes”. The way of love motivates and impels.
It has been said that it is better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction. For Seven Sisters, it might be added that walking (and kneeling) with six others is a fortifying gift! And is it not in the generosity of our Lord to also bless us in united prayers with intercessors all over the world in our quest to call forth strength and sanctity for our shepherds!
When the sister of St Thomas Aquinas asked him how to become holy, he replied that it needed only one thing – a firm act of the will, for God would certainly supply the necessary grace. Let us be heartened that our firm acts of the will in prayer, albeit counter-cultural, will indeed be met with the necessary graces to persevere in those prayers destined for the fruit of sanctity. Nothing less!
United in prayer and mission…that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day…. “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’ (St Teresa of Calcutta) … your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate. THANK YOU! The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! What glory is given to God through your writing! Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.
10th Anniversary Year of our Founding Graces (03/24/11 – 03/24/21)
Together we celebrated in special ways each month for a whole year!
So many graces! All glory be to God!
Accept this offer of a grand finale gift – from me to you:
The first Diocese that covers every priest with a Seven Sisters group in the Diocese:
A Morning/Day of Reflection and Renewal in your Diocese, all expenses covered.
___________________________________
SEVEN SISTERS – in and out and about:
Heartfelt welcome: New groups registered in FEBRUARY to cover more priests in daily prayer: Additional groups in British Columbia (Canada), Cameroon (Africa), Ireland (Derry County, Northern Ireland) and these USA states: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. We pray daily for priests and bishops on 6 continents, 25 countries, all 50 USA states, and nearly every Province in Canada.
ANNUAL Holy Card Design: The next Apostolate Holy Card will feature the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Submit your design! Render with pen and ink, full color, B/W, watercolor, as an icon, sketch. Inquiries through Website for size details. Will send copies of past years cards, as desired. Artwork due by May 2022.
RECENT … and AHEAD on the calendar:
> Gratitude to Sr Cecilia Joy (Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity) for a Zoom interview with Janette (02/17/22). Available: FSCC Facebook Page and YouTube. Contact: sceciliajoy@fscc-calledtobe.org
> Gratitude to Deb for arranging a Mass to be offered for the Seven Sisters and priests of Holy Cross campus in Minneapolis, MN on 02/20/22. Coffee, pastries and enlightening testimonies followed.
> 03/02/22, Ash Wednesday: Initiative being launched by Bishop McKeown at the Cathedral in County Derry for Seven Sisters groups for all priests in the area.
> Sat, 04/02/22: Des Moines Diocese CCW Conference. “Vision for the Future.” Janette will speak in the afternoon regarding the Apostolate.
> Thurs, 05/05/22: Informational for Omaha Diocese in Norfolk, NE (Sacred Heart parish). Details forthcoming. Contact Katie: sevensistersomaha@gmail.com
>05/6-7/22: Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly, NE. Janette will conduct the retreat on this topic… Inseparable: Our Eucharistic Lord and Our Lady. Registration through Retreat Web.
MATTERS of the HEART:
Ø “I really value my daily holy hours. Since being in the 7 Sisters I’ve expanded my prayer life! Thank you so much, the Apostolate has been a great inspiration to a deeper prayer life for me.” (Peggy, Wisconsin)
Ø “I have discerned a call to religious life, but will remain at Franciscan (Steubenville) for the next year. Early this morning in adoration I was praying for priests and men who are discerning. I felt the call to give back to the friars a small offering for their lives which they give to us, the student body. I would like to start a Seven Sisters group for the University president and hope to grow until we have women praying and men fasting for every friar, every day, every week of the year, during school and summer. We need the youth to rise and rebuild a broken Church.” (Isabel, Ohio)
Ø “This is something my sweet Lord has placed on my heart to do :)” (Elba, Louisiana)
Ø “My son is currently a seminarian and I learned of this Apostolate from another seminarian’s mom. I love that the Lord is working to support our priests through moms! May He continue to lead others to lift our priests in prayer!” (Cindy, Pennsylvania)
Ø “I am a stay-at-home mom. My oldest daughter and my oldest son are discerning religious life. When I heard about the Seven Sisters Apostolate, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Priests need our prayers and support and I’m very happy to be able to help.” (Joy, Minnesota)’
Ø “I have a dear friend who is an Anchoress in Texas. She shared her experience with me, and it has been on my heart ever since. Now, with the Renew My Church process beginning in our Archdiocese, it seems the perfect time. Our pastor is completely in favor and very grateful for the prayers.” (Laura, Illinois)
Ø “We are so grateful for the opportunity to pray through this holy ministry. Our collective prayers are so powerful. And isn’t it just like Our Mother Mary to take our gifts, and wrap them beautifully to present them before Our Lord?! Thank you for being a faithful servant in Our Lady’s workshop!” (Mary Lou, Wisconsin)
APPRECIATED and LOVED quilt project: A double cloaking for RETIRED PRIESTS: Seven Sisters prayer and a quilt! The priests love both! To learn more regarding a single quilt for a retired priest or on how to get this started in your Diocese, contact QuiltsBySevenSisters@gmail.com
FASTING BROTHERS is growing: Groups of men offering various forms of fasting to augment the prayer efforts of a Seven Sisters group. Each man prayerfully discerns the type of fasting he will offer and commits to fast a designated day of the week (excepting Sunday/Solemnities). Our Chaplain, strongly urges formation of these groups. Anchoresses: let us know the Seven Sisters group to which the Fasting Brothers are linked, name of lead Brother, his contact info and the start date.
LAMP-BEARERS: In January 2020, Lamp-Bearers, so-named for their action of continually ‘filling of their lamps with the oil of prayer’, was launched to pray for the Apostolate at large. Each intercessor prays a minimum of once per week, but many are offering prayers every day. Intentions are gleaned from topics and calendar points in the monthly Communique and also sent to members on the second or third Sunday of the month. Additional intercessors welcomed. Those desiring to learn more, send an email of interest/inquiry through the Website.
SEVEN SISTERS Guideline BOOKLETS: Available as free download from Web site. Hard copies passed on for printing cost of $2 each + P/H. Order thru Web email with amount desired/address
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold BROCHURE: Effectively used in parish pamphlet stands (ask pastor’s approval prior), Adoration Chapels, Retreat Centers, Bags/Packets for Women’s Conferences/Retreats, Women’s clubs, Serra clubs – or simply handing out! Available on Web as free download. Recommend 80# silk for best printing results. May also order through Web site. Indicate address/quantity. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold LITANY for PRIESTS: Beautifully printed on 100# silk (a bit thicker than brochures). Original artwork (inspired by the Diary of St Faustina) by Seven Sister in Minnesota, Litany by Richard Cardinal Cushing. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
REMEMBRANCE of those SEVEN SISTERS who have PASSED: We want to remember those Seven Sisters in name and in prayer, who have gone before us to their eternal rest. Visit the Web site. Click on ABOUT folder and scroll to bottom, choose: IN REMEMBRANCE. Follow prompts… OR you may submit info via the Website email. Please check site monthly for additions!
PRIEST who has PASSED to ETERNAL REST: If the priest for whom you pray has entered eternal life, the group may be led to continue to pray for a length of time for the soul of that priest. Perhaps a novena of Holy Hours or the offering of holy Mass(es) for the priest. You will know. Some groups have/are offering Holy Hours for an entire year for their beloved deceased priest. Groups may be started following the death of a priest that did not have a group prior. This is commendable and welcomed. Please register these special groups through the Web site.
SPANISH translation of Communique: This is generously done every month by Zahyra B, Anchoress for a Seven Sisters group in Venezuela. They are then posted (and archived) on the Website. If it is easier to receive through an email account, please let me know. Expect a few days for translation. Commitment Prayer/Guidelines Booklet in Spanish (on the Web – free download).
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
— Psalm 119:105
Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ!
On 30 September 2019, the 1600th anniversary of St Jerome’s death, Pope Francis instituted the Sunday of the Word of God with the apostolic letter Aperuit illis. The annual observance takes place the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (this year, Jan 23). The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said: “A day devoted to the Bible should not be seen as a yearly event but rather a year-long event, for we urgently need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures and of the Risen Lord, who continues to speak His word and to break bread in the community of believers.” With thoughts of February, as one friend puts it, Scripture is God’s Love letter, His Valentine Divine. It is meant to be thoughtfully savored!
Our shepherds and deacons carry a solemn responsibility as they mount the ambo, of helping us understand the Sacra Pagina (Sacred Page). And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers (1 Thessalonians 2:13). The gift of preaching and homiletics requires discipline: interior and exterior preparation, exploration of the dovetailing of multiple texts of each liturgy and continual refinement of the skills to proclaim in a clear way that which has been entrusted. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). By intentionally welcoming silence after preaching, the clerics train and remind us to allow the wealth of the word of God to be meditatively received, unrushed. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
As Seven Sisters we have the ideal milieu (praying before the Word made Flesh) in which to fan the flame of desire and love of the Word of God in the hearts of the priests/bishops for whom we pray. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16). For the priests/bishops: our prayers can beseech a growing interior hunger for the Word of God; a bolstering of the time needed to study and receive the strength of God’s Word; a maturing finesse to link the readings of holy Mass, and also the role and significance of Scripture in the sacramental life, at large, and in the life of each individual, including the priest/bishop himself. For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).
When my children were school-age, I was dedicated to a ministry that brought mothers together once a week to pray for the needs of the school, teachers and our children. The leader of the group chose an attribute of God’s character/care which launched our prayer times. A Scripture verse was prepared prior that related to the theme. Near the finish of our concerted time together, we paired off. Each mom in the couplet committed to pray the chosen verse every day inserting their own child’s name into the verse and also for one child of the other mother. It proved to be an easily doable commitment with enormous effect that continues to bear fruit. So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Thoughts of this moves me to suggest that this may be something to consider to likewise offer for the priest/bishop for whom you are committed to pray. If your heart leaps to take this up, keep a roster of the weekly Scriptures. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:7).
In closing, 20th c French mystic, Servant of God, Madeleine Delbrel says it well and clear and with a challenge – in regard to the priests/bishops for whom we pray and ourselves: “The Word of God is not brought to the ends of the world in a suitcase. We carry it in ourselves. We don’t set it off in a corner of ourselves, arranged in our memory as if on a cupboard shelf. We must let it go to the very core of ourselves, to the very center around which our whole being revolves. We cannot be missionaries if we have not sincerely, generously, and warmly welcomed the Word of God, the Gospel within ourselves. The vital dynamic of this word is to take flesh, to become flesh in us. And when this word comes to dwell within us, we become capable of being missionaries. … Once we have heard God’s Word, we no longer have the right not to accept it; once we have accepted it, we no longer have the right not to let it become flesh in us; once it has become flesh in us, we no longer have the right to keep it for ourselves alone. Henceforward, we belong to all those who are waiting for the Word.”
Let us take up the challenge in our prayers for the priests/bishops for whom we pray and for ourselves! Let us together see what Our Lord, the living Word, will do!
United in prayer and mission…that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day…. “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’ (St Teresa of Calcutta) … your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate. THANK YOU! The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! What glory is given to God through your writing! Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.
10th Anniversary Year of our Founding Graces (03/24/11 – 03/24/21)
In a continued one-year celebration through March 2022, in February:
Arrange for a Mass to be offered for the priest for whom you pray
and/or your Seven Sisters group.
SEVEN SISTERS – in and out and about:
Heartfelt welcome: New groups registered in JANUARY to cover more priests in daily prayer: Additional groups in Canada (Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia) and these USA states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. We pray daily for priests and bishops on 6 continents, 25 countries, all 50 USA states, and nearly every Province in Canada.
ANNUAL Holy Card Design: The next Apostolate Holy Card will feature the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Submit your design! Render with pen and ink, full color, B/W, watercolor, as an icon, sketch. Inquiries through Website for size details. Will send copies of past years cards, as desired. Artwork by May 2022.
RECENT … and AHEAD on the calendar:
> Gratitude to Tammie for her prayerful organizing, adaptability, and hosting of a Seven Sisters overnight Retreat at St Felix Retreat Center, Huntington, IN. Special thanks to Nicole and Fr Gurtner.
> Thurs, 02/17/22: Zoom interview with Sr Cecilia Joy Kugel (Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity) and Janette. Available: FSCC Facebook Page and YouTube. Contact: sceciliajoy@fscc-calledtobe.org
> Sat, 04/02/22: Des Moines Diocese CCW Conference. “Vision for the Future.” Janette will speak in the afternoon regarding the Apostolate. Details forthcoming.
> Thurs, 05/05/22: Informational for Omaha Diocese in Norfolk, NE (Sacred Heart parish). Details forthcoming. Contact Katie: sevensistersomaha@gmail.com
>05/6-7/22: Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly, NE. Janette will conduct the retreat on this topic… Inseparable: Our Eucharistic Lord and Our Lady. Registration through Retreat Web.
MATTERS of the HEART:
Ø “A friend mentioned it to me. The idea caught my attention. I did ask for details as I thought it might be very complicated. I heard Janette’s testimony and was inspired to start a group. I decided to discern and pray. At my hour of adoration, I asked My Jesus, My Lord, if this was for me. I prayed to My Blessed Mamma that if she wants me to pursue this, to send me the women… she did. One of the girls who signed up is also starting the 7 Sisters in another parish with 4 priests and 1 retired priest. This will grow!” (Maria, Vancouver, Canada)
Ø “I don’t think we’ll see this side of heaven all the ways this apostolate has sustained and built the church. Years ago, I was invited to discern being a sister for our bishop. It has been a humbling joy to carry him in my heart and continually offer him to the Lord. I am a stay-at-home mother of five young children. The Spirit brought together a group for another priest in no time. Thank you for all the love and sacrifice you have poured into the building of this apostolate!” (Lindsey, Indiana)
Ø “Hello! I am a student studying at Kansas State University. I was led to start a Seven Sisters group because of a group formed for our pastor at our student center. It is Father’s first year here at KSU. He replaced a priest who was highly involved in the students’ lives and dearly loved. He has big shoes to fill. This will be the perfect way to welcome him. He gives his all to the students each day and loves us so well.” (Emily, Kansas)
Ø “When I first heard about your apostolate a couple of years ago, although I supported your work in spirit, I did not feel called to begin a group. One of my sisters mentioned to me that she had been invited to be a replacement “sister” for a month, and the fruits in her spiritual life were obvious. As she told me about her experience, I began to sense I was now being called to start a group. I spent a week in prayer and discernment. At the beginning of the week, I mentioned the Apostolate to my husband, who immediately exclaimed, “You HAVE to do this at our parish.” I was very surprised at his response, since he usually is telling me to do fewer things, not being in another ministry. I told him that I was first going to spend a week in prayer and discernment. He gave me that knowing smile and said, “Okay…” 🙂 On the last day of the week, God very clearly said in my heart, “I am with you,” and invited me to begin a group at our parish.” (Barbara, California)
Ø “Hi, I was a Seven Sister in Virginia. My husband is in the military, and we just moved to Fort Worth. I have met amazing faithful prayerful ladies, and have been feeling called to start a group here. The priest has approved this. I know the value and need for prayers for priests, and know this would be valuable and beautiful thing for the community.” (Ingrid, Texas)
APPRECIATED and LOVED quilt project: A double cloaking for RETIRED PRIESTS: Seven Sisters prayer and a quilt! The priests love both! To learn more regarding a single quilt for a retired priest or on how to get this started in your Diocese, contact QuiltsBySevenSisters@gmail.com
FASTING BROTHERS is growing: Groups of men offering various forms of fasting to augment the prayer efforts of a Seven Sisters group. Each man prayerfully discerns the type of fasting he will offer and commits to fast a designated day of the week (excepting Sunday/Solemnities). Our Chaplain, strongly urges formation of these groups. Anchoresses: let us know the Seven Sisters group to which the Fasting Brothers are linked, name of lead Brother, his contact info and the start date.
LAMP-BEARERS: In January 2020, Lamp-Bearers, so-named for their action of continually ‘filling of their lamps with the oil of prayer’, was launched to pray for the Apostolate at large. Each intercessor prays a minimum of once per week, but many are offering prayers every day. Intentions are gleaned from topics and calendar points in the monthly Communique and also sent to members on the second or third Sunday of the month. Additional intercessors welcomed. Those desiring to learn more, send an email of interest/inquiry through the Website.
SEVEN SISTERS Guideline BOOKLETS: Available as free download from Web site. Hard copies passed on for printing cost of $2 each + P/H. Order thru Web email with amount desired/address
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold BROCHURE: Effectively used in parish pamphlet stands (ask pastor’s approval prior), Adoration Chapels, Retreat Centers, Bags/Packets for Women’s Conferences/Retreats, Women’s clubs, Serra clubs – or simply handing out! Available on Web as free download. Recommend 80# silk for best printing results. May also order through Web site. Indicate address/quantity. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold LITANY for PRIESTS: Beautifully printed on 100# silk (a bit thicker than brochures). Original artwork (inspired by the Diary of St Faustina) by Seven Sister in Minnesota, Litany by Richard Cardinal Cushing. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
REMEMBRANCE of those SEVEN SISTERS who have PASSED: We want to remember those Seven Sisters in name and in prayer, who have gone before us to their eternal rest. Visit the Web site. Click on ABOUT folder and scroll to bottom, choose: IN REMEMBRANCE. Follow prompts… OR you may submit info via the Website email. Please check site monthly for additions!
PRIEST who has PASSED to ETERNAL REST: If the priest for whom you pray has entered eternal life, the group may be led to continue to pray for a length of time for the soul of that priest. Perhaps a novena of Holy Hours or the offering of holy Mass(es) for the priest. You will know. Some groups have/are offering Holy Hours for an entire year for their beloved deceased priest. Groups may be started following the death of a priest that did not have a group prior. This is commendable and welcomed. Please register these special groups through the Web site.
SPANISH translation of Communique: This is generously done every month by Zahyra B, Anchoress for a Seven Sisters group in Venezuela. They are then posted (and archived) on the Website. If it is easier to receive through an email account, please let me know. Expect a few days for translation. Commitment Prayer/Guidelines Booklet in Spanish (on the Web – free download).
“Let us proceed each one along our path to the same goal, united in purpose and by means of God’s order which, in its great variety, is in us all.”
— Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade
Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ! Blessed Christmastide and New Year of the Lord 2022. An inescapable, generous shower of graces persists in this glorious season! “Be not afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ! … become the saints of the new millennium!” (St John Paul II).
Behavioral science intimates that many of our actions merit us the title: creatures of habit. A fascinating finding suggests a tendency for most of us to begin and end our very days in mirrored-fashion. For instance, some brew a cup of coffee in the morning, then sip tea or wine at night. Others commence the day with a vigorous run, then wind down with evening stretching exercises. My friend, Bridget, once shared that as a child every morning and night she knelt for prayers at the side of her bed. For decades she has kept up the practice. “Things would be off kilter if I missed either one”. For Bridget, her bedside prayers offered while kneeling serve as bookends, of sorts, to buttress her day.
While our Holy Hours as Seven Sisters are unique-to-each, over time many have asked for assistance on beginning the Hour. Given the echo aspect of human behavior, the response might answer how to end the Hour, as well. A simple trifecta of actions is proposed: blessing with holy water, acknowledging God’s presence, and seeking God’s guidance.
#1-Holy Water: Whether entering an Adoration Chapel, the Church itself to pray before the Tabernacle or, if homebound, preparing to offer the Hour at home, holy water is the perfect, far-reaching beginning! Signing oneself with the cross, powerful on its own, is enhanced with the use of holy water. This sacramental has long been promoted. Around 130 AD Pope Alexander in his Apostolic Constitutions wrote: “We bless salt and water for the people, that all who may be sprinkled therewith may be cleansed and sanctified.” The Church has encouraged its pious use to strengthen and guard us and our prayers. In his book, Holy Water, Fr Heinrich Theiler, informs that the first prayer uttered over the salt used in holy water commands that ‘every delusion and wickedness of the devil, and all unclean spirits… fly and depart.’ The prayer pronounced over the water speaks of the blessed water as a shield against the assaults of spiritual wickedness and a protection from temptations. St Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church (and Doctor of Prayer) shares this in her autobiography (Chapter 31): “From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again. They also flee from the cross, but return; so holy water must have great value. … I have myself felt an extraordinary consolation when I have used holy water. It is certain that I have felt a great joy and inner peace which I cannot describe, a joy with which my soul was quite refreshed. This is not merely an effect of the imagination, nor a rare occurrence. I have experienced it frequently and paid special attention to it. On these occasions I feel like one who, suffering intense thirst, takes a glass of water and is quite refreshed.” Holy water is an extraordinary gift through the Church. It requires a priest to bless it – a splendid connection for the Seven Sister – and ideal way to begin and end the Hour!
#2-Acknowledging God’s presence: Silence, sweet silence, is our initial gesture of recognition and respect that we are in the presence of the Almighty. Most enter the Adoration Chapel and assume a kneeling position with both knees and profound, unrushed bow. St Augustine stated that “one should adopt the bodily position best calculated to move the soul.” This may change over the arc of our lifetime, but regardless, the gesture(s) should be a conscious tribute that one is in the presence of God, of the Other. “I adore Thee, O Christ, and I praise Thee.” … “I love you with all of my heart, my God, my Lord.” … “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.” Slow, deep breathing and closed eyes can help settle one’s body for this audience with the King. Donning a mantilla or veil during Adoration is a beautiful calling for some women. It has the potential to remind of one’s humility before God and revitalize one’s awe of the intimacy of the love of God through the Blessed Sacrament.
#3-Seeking God’s guidance: It behooves us to remember that these Holy Hours are God’s idea. Every week we intentionally respond to Him: “Can you not watch with Me one hour?” (Mark 14:37). Being and remaining open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the course of the Hour for God’s Will and Way will help focus and enliven the prayer efforts. Be assured as St Jeanne Jugan reminds: “God will help us. The work is His.” This sets the Hour as a rich time of cor ad cor loquitar (heart speaks to heart), anticipating divine guidance in prayer for the good of the priest/bishop for whom we appeal.
At the conclusion of the Hour a mirrored response can be applied in an attitude of gratitude. #1 – for God’s specific guidance in our prayers, #2 – for His Presence and nearness, and #3 – ending the Hour as begun, with a blessing using Holy Water. Appropriately, the acronym WOW could serve as a memory jog for this simple, power-packed trifecta:
Water (holy) – consecrating the beginning, fortifying the finish
Our Lord – acknowledging His Presence
Will/Way – seeking/following Our Lord’s Will and Way for the Holy Hour
St Athanasius said of St Anthony of the Desert (Feast Day: Jan 17) “…he always looked upon himself as a beginner, as if every day were the first in which he was serving God, and as if in the past he had done nothing good and was but just setting foot in the way of the Lord, taking the first steps on the road to Heaven.” What a humble, refreshing way to consider sure bookends of our Holy Hours!
United in prayer and mission…that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day…. “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’ (St Teresa of Calcutta) … your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate. THANK YOU! The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! What glory is given to God through your writing! Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.
10th Anniversary Year of our Founding Graces (03/24/11 – 03/24/21)
In a continued one-year celebration through March 2022, this month:
Choose a country (or your city or state) and pray this month for more priests
to be covered in more prayers there. Let us together see what God will do!
___________________________________
SEVEN SISTERS – in and out and about:
Heartfelt welcome: New groups registered in DECEMBER to cover more priests in daily prayer: Additional groups in Canada (Edmonton, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia) and Uganda (NEW Country!), and these USA states: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wyoming. We pray daily for priests and bishops on 6 continents, 25 countries, all 50 USA states, and nearly every Province in Canada.
ANNUAL Holy Card Design: Next year’s Apostolate Holy Card will feature the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Submit your design! Render with pen and ink, full color, B/W, watercolor, as an icon, sketch. Inquiries through the Website address. Will share prayer and give size details. Artwork by May 2022.
RECENT … and AHEAD on the calendar:
> 01/21-22/22: St Felix Retreat Center, Huntington, IN. Real Women Wear Armor (Eph 6:10-18)
> Thurs, 05/05/22: Informational for Omaha Diocese in Norfolk, NE (Sacred Heart parish). Details forthcoming. Contact Katie: sevensistersomaha@gmail.com
>05/6-7/22: Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly, NE. Janette will conduct the retreat on this topic… Inseparable: Our Eucharistic Lord and Our Lady. Registration through Retreat Web.
MATTERS of the HEART:
Ø “Felt called to do something like this for our very important priests! Glad to know that something like this exists! To organize this intentional prayer.” (Misty, Kansas)
Ø “I am a lifelong Catholic and have seen what prayer can do. A parish can only be as strong as the priest who serves them. I also have come to understand how hard and complicated the life of a priest can be unless supported by prayer. I am a cancer survivor and during my time of treatment I knew people were praying for me because I know without prayer I could not have gone through the process. God was carried my cross with me, as He promised He would. We can do this for priests too.” (Eva, North Dakota)
Ø “I have been a Seven Sisters member since our very first year at our parish, both as a regular and as a sub. I love the fact that I can do something tangible to assist our priests in their vocations. I have experienced the fruits of praying the Holy Hour for my priest, so when the opportunity came to be an anchoress and prayer warrior for another priest, I was very happy to do it.” (Megan, Virginia)
Ø “I am a 35-year-old mother of 2. With Father’s service at our parish, I felt more connected to the church and my faith than ever before. When I read the note in the bulletin about starting a Seven Sisters group at our parish, I knew I had to give back and do this for him.” (Casey, Delaware)
Ø “I was a member of another Parish when introduced to the Apostolate. I was asked to participate, but was not inspired at the time. I have since moved to a new Parish. As I knelt in Adoration one morning, the Holy Spirit inspired me to inquire about this very thing, the Seven Sisters Apostolate. Today I asked and was told that there hadn’t been anyone to do this before. The support is here to begin and I am very pleased to know that I would be doing what He is asking of me. This Apostolate is needed now more than ever. Our Priests need the spiritual support that we can offer. Praise be to God for this wonderful group.” (Julie, Kansas)
Ø “When I read about your approach, I was inspired further because of the Holy Hour. It brought a big smile on my face. We are already seven, but there are two Bishops who need strong women prayer warriors behind them and have requested to help. More is coming!” (Stella, Uganda, Africa)
APPRECIATED and LOVED quilt project: A double cloaking for RETIRED PRIESTS: Seven Sisters prayer and a quilt! The priests love both! To learn more regarding a single quilt for a retired priest or on how to get this started in your Diocese, contact QuiltsBySevenSisters@gmail.com
FASTING BROTHERS is growing: Groups of men offering various forms of fasting to augment the prayer efforts of a Seven Sisters group. Each man prayerfully discerns the type of fasting he will offer and commits to fast a designated day of the week (excepting Sunday/Solemnities). Our Chaplain, strongly urges formation of these groups. Anchoresses: let us know the Seven Sisters group to which the Fasting Brothers are linked, name of lead Brother, his contact info and the start date.
LAMP-BEARERS: In January 2020, Lamp-Bearers, so-named for their action of continually ‘filling of their lamps with the oil of prayer’, was launched to pray for the Apostolate at large. Each intercessor prays a minimum of once per week, but many are offering prayers every day. Intentions are gleaned from topics and calendar points in the monthly Communique and also sent to members on the second or third Sunday of the month. Additional intercessors welcomed. Those desiring to learn more, send an email of interest/inquiry through the Website.
SEVEN SISTERS Guideline BOOKLETS: Available as free download from Web site. Hard copies passed on for printing cost of $2 each + P/H. Order thru Web email with amount desired/address
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold BROCHURE: Effectively used in parish pamphlet stands (ask pastor’s approval prior), Adoration Chapels, Retreat Centers, Bags/Packets for Women’s Conferences/Retreats, Women’s clubs, Serra clubs – or simply handing out! Available on Web as free download. Recommend 80# silk for best printing results. May also order through Web site. Indicate address/quantity. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold LITANY for PRIESTS: Beautifully printed on 100# silk (a bit thicker than brochures). Original artwork (inspired by the Diary of St Faustina) by Seven Sister in Minnesota, Litany by Richard Cardinal Cushing. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
REMEMBRANCE of those SEVEN SISTERS who have PASSED: We want to remember those Seven Sisters in name and in prayer, who have gone before us to their eternal rest. Visit the Web site. Click on ABOUT folder and scroll to bottom, choose: IN REMEMBRANCE. Follow prompts… OR you may submit info via the Website email. Please check site monthly for additions!
PRIEST who has PASSED to ETERNAL REST: If the priest for whom you pray has entered eternal life, the group may be led to continue to pray for a length of time for the soul of that priest. Perhaps a novena of Holy Hours or the offering of holy Mass(es) for the priest. You will know. Some groups have/are offering Holy Hours for an entire year for their beloved deceased priest. Groups may be started following the death of a priest that did not have a group prior. This is commendable and welcomed. Please register these special groups through the Web site.
SPANISH translation of Communique: This is generously done every month by Zahyra B, Anchoress for a Seven Sisters group in Venezuela. They are then posted (and archived) on the Website. If it is easier to receive through an email account, please let me know. Expect a few days for translation. Commitment Prayer/Guidelines Booklet in Spanish (on the Web – free download).
…in quietness and trust is your strength. – Isaiah 30:15
Madonna of the Grapes, pray for us!
St John Vianney, pray for us!
“The school of Nazareth, the school of love… past, present, future.”
Greetings to dearest Sisters in Christ! This month we together experience and pray within two holy liturgical seasons. Advent swells our hope, love, joy and peace. In Christmastide we rightly rejoice that these are wholly fulfilled in our Emmanuel. Further, the holy Year of St Joseph ends this month on the 8th, yet we remain happily mindful that graces will continue to flow in plenitude!
The wisdom of the Church gives its children entire seasons and periodic holy Years to linger and to live a gradual understanding and delight in the truths of the Faith. The psalmist proclaims it well: The unfolding of thy words gives light: it imparts understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130). One might imagine a quilt being unfolded and an ever-growing intricacy of design and color being appreciated. The quilt is complete, but only gradually revealed.
As we contemplate the incomparable Gift of the Incarnation of our Lord, an awareness arises of all that preceded for its fruition. Sacred writings have preserved myriads of related prophecies, extensive genealogies, testimonies of individuals cooperating with God’s plan and as Early Church Father, Ignatius, reminds, “He who forms all men in the womb, was Himself really in the womb, and made Himself a body of the seed of the Virgin…” All this has taken time. He Who is outside of time, uses time for His purposes. In Advent, then, a wakefulness is experienced as to what Divine Providence precisely deigned to precede the Incarnation. But then, in the midst, mother Church invites us to also gaze to the future, Christ’s second coming. Hence, all the while firmly rooted in these events of the past, these future marvels guide us in the present. What a plan!
Embracing the rich, rhythmic seasons of our apostolic life serves as a reminder of sorts that we can apply this to our individual, everyday lives. As Seven Sisters it merits our meditation to consider all that is set to be birthed through our fidelity to prayer, but also that which was set in motion – maybe even centuries before! – for this to come to fruition. All this takes time.
Over and again, your voices affirm that you have been called to this effort of prayer… in this time, in this place, for the sake of sanctity. This is eternal work! What a thrill of heart to consider all that preceded this call in the wisdom of God. Our reflection can literally take us back to the prophecies and genealogy of Christ Himself, the High Priest, who precedes and calls every priest and bishop for whom we commit to pray. We providentially exist in this spectacular Divine unfolding of history. Our hidden littleness in the Divine plan serves great import. All this takes time.
A wakefulness to the multi-dimensions of our offerings as intercessors imparts understanding. Our “yes” takes the baton of those preceding us in history with the same call upon their hearts. Eventually we will pass the baton to another, likewise predestined for this particular work of intercession. Today, with baton-in-hand, we have our unique and collective parts and places in history. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). There is a delicacy and a strength all at once to the work. What an immense entrustment given to us as we persistently call forth graces for the sanctity of another. This sanctity of another is set to affect generations of souls – our own included! All this takes time.
It has been said that a seed knows how to wait, but is alive while it waits. Knowing there is a seed can stir immense hope to expect marvels. At the same time, a freedom can grow within our hearts that we offer our part in cooperation with God’s over-arching providence, in and outside of time. It can become an abiding weekly lesson extraordinaire in humility to let go and let God. This discipline helps us to detach from any pridefulness linked to the labor and to allow a quietness and trust to become our strength (Isaiah 30:15). All this takes time.
While there is a certain joy of experiencing perceived answers to our supplications, it behooves us to be cognizant that the fruit of our prayers that we might experience is likewise interrelated to the fidelity of others. What unity in the body of Christ exists here! Most often, though, we are not aware of the outcome from our prayers. Accepting this reality helps us persevere and perhaps summons us to walk more deeply and surely in the heart of God’s design. French spiritual author, Fr Jean d’Elbee, heartens us: “Hold fast, always with the same tenacity, hold fast to an immense confidence. Often our Lord hides from the apostle the fruit of his work, of his fatigue, in order to keep him humble and to test his faith, by wholly divine wisdom. … Even if you do not see the result of your prayers, of your supplications, of your efforts, believe, believe!” All this takes time.
United in prayer and mission…that our prayers may find the heart of every bishop and priest…… eternal gratitude continues as you each remember to offer a wee Hail Mary for me every day…. “One Ave Maria makes hell tremble” (St John Vianney). Pray that I will not ‘spoil the beautiful work that God has entrusted…’ (St Teresa of Calcutta) … your kind emails and notes and phone calls and generous support always arrive to my heart door at the right moment! Your financial sacrifices are for 100% furtherance of Apostolate. THANK YOU! The letters of testimony are so beautiful and edifying! What glory is given to God through your writing! Eternal gratitude is mine for YOU! Be assured of my continued daily prayers for you at the altar.
During this Year of St Joseph (12/08/20 to 12/08-21) every Seven Sister is asked to offer DAILY the Act of Confidence:
++Heart of Jesus, I adore Thee. Heart of Mary, I implore thee. Heart of Joseph, meek and just. In these three Hearts I place my trust.++
10th Anniversary Year of our Founding Graces (03/24/11 – 03/24/21)
In celebration: Send me a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) to receive the newest Apostolate Holy Card. The striking image was rendered by Annie W, Seven Sister in MN. The prayer meditation regards the merciful merits of the wounds of Christ for a priest/bishop.
SEVEN SISTERS – in and out and about:
Heartfelt welcome: New groups registered in NOVEMBER to cover more priests in daily prayer: Additional groups in Washington, DC, and these USA states: Alaska, California, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Virginia. We pray daily for priests and bishops on 6 continents, 25 countries, all 50 USA states, nearly every Province in Canada and in the context of 2600 groups (many groups have more than 7)!
RECENT… and AHEAD on the calendar:
> Gratitude to Andrea and Beth for organizing the 11/06/21 Day of Recollection for the Diocese of Arlington, VA. Graces in abundance!
> Gratitude to Doreen and team for organizing the 11/06/21 annual Morning of Reflection and Renewal for the Archdiocese of St Paul-Mpls, MN. The attendees brought flowers to honor Mary and were dressed as a beautiful sea of every shade of blue. Mary, we love you!
> Gratitude to Laurie for an invitation to Janette to share her testimony on 11/16/21 to the Women at the Well group at St Elizabeth Anne Seton parish, Hastings, MN. Our lives boast of Him!
> Gratitude to Lee for hosting a prayerful informational 11/20/21 in Brooks, MN. Crookston Diocese welcomes their new Bishop Andrew Cozzens on 12/06/21, and his new group is already praying!
> Appreciated and Loved Quilt Project, spearheaded by Deb T, was featured in the St Paul-Mpls Archdiocesan paper on 11/02/21: Wrapping retired priests in quilts and prayers – TheCatholicSpirit.com
> 01/21-22/22: St Felix Retreat Center, Huntington, IN. Real Women Wear Armor (Eph 6:10-18)
>05/6-7/22: Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly, NE. Janette will conduct the retreat on this topic… Inseparable: Our Eucharistic Lord and Our Lady. Registration through Retreat Web.
MATTERS of the HEART:
“Our priest has so many responsibilities. We are very concerned about him. The Holy Spirit brought this apostolate to our attention and we had no problem finding seven.” (Rose, Nebraska)
“I was at daily Mass and felt a tap on the shoulder after Mass. It was a Seven Sister and she asked me if I might want to offer Holy Hours for our new priest. I said yes! Since then, I have been learning more about the Seven Sisters and I am so happy to be part of this holy ministry. I love to pray!” (Liliana, Virginia)
“I was a member of the Seven Sisters in my old parish and realized how important this apostolate is for our priests and bishops! It also taught me how to pray so fervently for one person for one hour that I started a Holy Hour for my husband on another day!! Many blessings have occurred! Our pastor has been such a great leader during these crazy times. I easily found 7 women to pray for him. He always points us to the Blessed Sacrament and the Cross!! He has a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother and we all feel the need to protect him through prayer all week! Thank you for starting this wonderful Apostolate!!!” (Catherine, N Carolina)
“I have been praying for Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians for over 25 years. A priest friend who is benefiting from the Seven Sisters Apostolate told me to look into it. I love it. Praise God.” (Eileen, New Jersey)
“I have a love for adoration and the Blessed Sacrament. I am a daily communicant and through that have established wonderful relationships with others, which led to a Seven Sister asking me if I would become an Anchoress. I am happy and blessed to be asked to serve in this way.” (Leandra, New Mexico)
“I’m a Catholic wife and mother of seven and I’m very grateful for Fr B‘s example and conversations that he has with his students. He really made an impact on my oldest who just graduated. I see the importance of good, holy priests and I want to support them through prayer!” (Anne, Kansas)
“I attended a Conference where a priest spoke of how both Religious and Laity are being spiritually attacked and some even receiving hate letters. His parish has the Seven Sister Apostolate active and has felt the much-needed prayers. The Holy Spirit moved me to visit the Apostolate Table that day. I felt the call immediately to respond and commit to weekly Holy Hours.” (Tammy, Iowa)
APPRECIATED and LOVED quilt project:
A double cloaking for RETIRED PRIESTS: Seven Sisters prayer and a quilt! The priests love both! To learn more regarding a single quilt for a retired priest or on how to get this started in your Diocese, contact QuiltsBySevenSisters@gmail.com
FASTING BROTHERS is growing
Groups of men offering various forms of fasting to augment the prayer efforts of a Seven Sisters group. Each man prayerfully discerns the type of fasting he will offer and commits to fast a designated day of the week (excepting Sunday/Solemnities). Our Chaplain, strongly urges formation of these groups. Anchoresses: let us know the Seven Sisters group to which the Fasting Brothers are linked, name of lead Brother, his contact info and the start date.
LAMP-BEARERS:
In January 2020, Lamp-Bearers, so-named for their action of continually ‘filling of their lamps with the oil of prayer’, was launched to pray for the Apostolate at large. Each intercessor prays a minimum of once per week, but many are offering prayers every day. Intentions are gleaned from topics and calendar points in the monthly Communique and also sent to members on the second or third Sunday of the month. Additional intercessors welcomed. Those desiring to learn more, send an email of interest/inquiry through the Website.
SEVEN SISTERS Guideline BOOKLETS:
Available as free download from Web site. Hard copies passed on for printing cost of $2 each + P/H. Order thru Web email with amount desired/address
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold LITANY for PRIESTS:
Beautifully printed on 100# silk (a bit thicker than brochures). Original artwork (inspired by the Diary of St Faustina) by Seven Sister in Minnesota, Litany by Richard Cardinal Cushing. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
SEVEN SISTERS Guideline BOOKLETS:
Available as free download from Web site. Hard copies passed on for printing cost of $2 each + P/H. Order thru Web email with amount desired/address
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold LITANY for PRIESTS:
Beautifully printed on 100# silk (a bit thicker than brochures). Original artwork (inspired by the Diary of St Faustina) by Seven Sister in Minnesota, Litany by Richard Cardinal Cushing. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
SEVEN SISTERS Tri-fold BROCHURE:
Effectively used in parish pamphlet stands (ask pastor’s approval prior), Adoration Chapels, Retreat Centers, Bags/Packets for Women’s Conferences/Retreats, Women’s clubs, Serra clubs – or simply handing out! Available on Web as free download. Recommend 80# silk for best printing results. May also order through Web site. Indicate address/quantity. 25 for $10 + P/H. Available in ENGLISH and SPANISH.
REMEMBRANCE of those SEVEN SISTERS who have PASSED:
We want to remember those Seven Sisters in name and in prayer, who have gone before us to their eternal rest. Visit the Web site. Click on ABOUT folder and scroll to bottom, choose: IN REMEMBRANCE. Follow prompts… OR you may submit info via the Website email. Please check site monthly for additions!
PRIEST who has PASSED to ETERNAL REST:
If the priest for whom you pray has entered eternal life, the group may be led to continue to pray for a length of time for the soul of that priest. Perhaps a novena of Holy Hours or the offering of holy Mass(es) for the priest. You will know. Some groups have/are offering Holy Hours for an entire year for their beloved deceased priest. Groups may be started following the death of a priest that did not have a group prior. This is commendable and welcomed. Please register these special groups through the website.
SPANISH translation of Communique:
This is generously done every month by Zahyra B, Anchoress for a Seven Sisters group in Venezuela. They are then posted (and archived) on the Website. If it is easier to receive through an email account, please let me know. Expect a few days for translation. Commitment Prayer/Guidelines Booklet in Spanish (on the Web – free download).
