Solemn Profession of Sr. Marie Thomas

On October 9, the memorial of St. John Henry Newman, it was our great joy to celebrate the solemn profession of Sr. Marie Thomas of the Divine Word. Our Dominican Provincial of Canada fr. Yves Bériault celebrated the Eucharist, and fr. Don Goergen O.P. preached the homily. Many of sister’s friends and family came from across Western Canada, including her parents and siblings, her university chaplain Fr. Dean Henderson, and the abbot of our local Westminster Abbey, Fr. Alban Riley OSB. This day was also Canadian Thanksgiving, and there were certainly many reasons to give thanks!

Originally from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Sr. Marie Thomas attended high school just up the road from us in Whistler. She discovered our community during university when a Google search of “nuns, BC” brought her to our website. Captivated by pictures of our liturgy, the glaciers, and a nun skiing in full habit, she made contact with our community just a few months after our Squamish monastery was opened and blessed in August of 2012. Her profession marks a significant step in our foundation’s development, as she is the first solemn professed sister to complete the entire monastic formation program “in house.”

As St. John Henry Newman wrote, however, “Holiness is the great end. There must be a struggle and a trial here.” In this case, shortly after Sr. Marie Thomas went on retreat in our hermitage, six sisters and our monastery’s chaplain fell ill with COVID. Thankfully, no one was gravely ill, and our novice mistress and liturgist returned from quarantine just in time for a final choir practice and rehearsal! The quarantined sisters who were well enough donned parkas and participated in both the Mass and reception by staying outside behind glass (see the sisters on the roof in photo above). As one sister quipped, “The prayers of hermits and those who suffer are highly efficacious; quarantine combines both!” Well supported by these prayers and the joy of the Lord, we thank God and sister’s family for her gift of life. Ad multos annos!

“What’s solemn vows?” asked Dominic the monastic rabbit. “Are they tasty? Can I eat them? Are they like carrots?”
“True love is even better than carrots, Dominic,” replied the newly solemn professed. “God is just that good.”