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The novitiate had a prayerful Triduum experience. Right beforehand, we attended a Stations of the Cross at a local parish. It was planned by the youth group there, who prepared powerpoint slides and performed the songs. The music was a nice mix of Polish and English, traditional and contempory, and those that are common to Catholic parishes and Christian praise and worship. It was reflective and lovely.

 

The Triduum days were spent with our sisters on the property here. Many from the novitiate sang in the choir for all the services. We also had an Agape meal on Holy Thursday, celebrating our connection as a community. The days were mostly quiet and prayerful, and ended with the celebration of Easter. We enjoyed the Polish refreshments of kielbasa, horse radish, and ham. On Easter Monday, the novitiate went to a local beach for a day. It was a relaxing time of reading, walking, and playing games.

 

Several activities ended recently. The CCD year closed with a show of presentations from the various classes. Sr. Grace's class did a game show that presented what they learned this year. Afterwards they received an Easter treat and their report cards. They were nice to work with and will be missed! Bible school also came to an end for the year. It was a challenging and interesting program.

 

The novices accompanied a sister who is an artist and who has a studio at the large convent here. She took us to several local art museums, where she gave us some insight into how to view paintings and encouraged us to appreciate them personally. We went to the Norman Rockwell Museum and then to a museum of impressionist art.

 

They had provincial visitation at the large convent here. It opened with a gathering of all the sisters from the surrounding convents, and included Sr. Grace's petitioning to make first vows. It was a simple ceremony that was positive and exciting for all. The sisters enjoyed remembering their petitioning when they were novices, and I was touched by the amount of sisters from Lodi, New Jersey who came for the ceremony. I entered there and it meant alot to see them there.

 

The novitiated hosted the leadership team of the province for a dinner before they left Connecticut. Everyone made something or prepared something for the night. It was a nice visit that included the dinner, time to talk and share, and some games. We gave the council a deck of Phase 10 cards and taught them how to play.

 

Sr. Grace celebrated her feast day on May 7th, Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces. We celebrated by going out to eat and then watching a movie at the house. The novices helped at the soup kitchen that same weekend.

 

The novitiate went away for a long weekend to Canada. The novices stayed in Canada while the sisters that we live with attended a meeting in Buffalo, New York. We enjoyed visiting with Sr. Dong Hong, a novice who is working on getting her visa to come back to America. We spent several days at the sisters' vacation condominium by Lake Ontario, which was lovely and peaceful.We got great news recently that she was approved to return. We returned from Canada with another sister who has been working on her visa to return to Connecticut. She has hers and we're happy to have Sr. Peggy with us. She is helping to teach the novices. We returned in time to celebrate St. Felix Day with the sisters next door and as a house.

 

I continue to prepare to leave the novitiate and to be ready for the next step. I am studying the vows and making my invitations, with help from a sister here. I look forward to finding out what my ministry will be!