Six Day Retreat

Our six-day retreat was a peaceful, Spirit-filled time. We returned to the buzz of the daily life of novitiate, and it was a bit of a rude awakening! Both of us second-year novices had alot to do to get ready for moving, profession, and upcoming ministries. I cleaned out the room that I used there and packed for home, Lodi, and New Hampshire. This was strategic packing, as different items needed to go to different places. Of course, later on I found out that there were items that I needed that were not with me-- and those that were with me that I really didn't need! But overall, I accomplished what I needed to do. It was also the last week in novitiate, a time of closure and a gradual parting of ways. We had a lovely farewell prayer service for the two of us who were leaving, which Sr. Heather Marie, the first-year novice, planned. Afterwards, Sr. Dong Hong and I gave gifts to the convent. Dong gave a nice HOPE candle set, very appropriate for the Our Lady of Hope Province.


I gave the house a poem that I wrote about Blessed Mary Angela, our foundress, and how God's grace worked in her life. There were companionable moments with the various sisters in the house, where we gave individual presents and shared about what these sisters meant to us and our journey. I also spent that week doing a lot of lesson plans for the upcoming school year, as well as organizing procedures for daily classroom life and getting-to-know-you activities for the first few days of school. I gathered materials for these lessons and activities, too. This was all neccesary, as I will arrive in New Hampshire on August 20th, and the first day of school is August 24th! Fortunately, my bulletin boards are all set up already. I feel ready to start the school year; there are just a few more details to get ready.