Update: Thank-you to all who prayed and were with us for Sr. Marie Étienne’s profession, whether via the live stream or simply in spirit. It was a beautiful day, and we’d like to share some of the pictures with you:

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And, because having in-person guests for a profession in 2020 is a bit difficult, the guest side of our chapel featured a slightly different presence than usual: camera, microphone and laptop! The sacristy’s cart got a liturgical facelift for the day to act as a live streaming station. It was an interesting adventure for us, with the final pieces of technology coming together the night before the ceremony. We were so happy to be able to “welcome” friends and family digitally, and we continue to pray for an end to the pandemic.

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If you missed the Mass, and would like to re-watch it, you can do so here:

God bless!

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Dear friends,

You are invited to join us for the livestream Mass as Sister Marie Étienne of the Most Holy Name of Jesus O.P. makes her First Profession of Vows this upcoming Saturday! It will be on Youtube, and you can find the event here.

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In our tests of the live stream, the audio is a good volume, but there are occasional glitches and visual blurriness. As best we can figure out, it is due to our wilderness internet connection—perhaps sometimes a bobcat wanders between receivers? Here is a printable program so that you can print and follow along even through any possible hiccups.

Please continue to pray for Sr. Marie Étienne as she is on retreat before the big day.

Dear friends,

Here is a musical surprise to celebrate the feast of the founder of our Order. This is what we sang at the Offeratory at Mass this morning:

Composed by Dominican friar André Gouzes, this song celebrates the founder of our Order. St. Dominic de Guzman, pray for us!

And, as a lovely surprise at the end of the day, the sun appeared over the mountains—just in time for our “Sister Barbecue specialist” to get to work for a feast day picnic!

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We continue to pray for you. St. Dominic, pray for us all!

Dear friends,

If there was any doubt that our monastery is built on the “Wet” Coast of Canada, June certainly put that doubt to rest! But while the garden vegetables are coming along a bit more slowly than usual (fortified by various methods of defense against slugs), our community continues to grow in ways both big and small.

Work on our micro-hydroelectricity project continues. While the big machinery began placing our final heavy pipes at the base of the mountain in mid-June, another sign of progress began to appear in front of our guesthouse: a moat (or, on less soggy days, a trench). It will contain the electricity cable that connects our turbine-powered generator to the electricity room up at the main monastery building. It also features a new stand pipe to supply extra water in the event of a wildfire. A week or so later, the turbine itself arrived, providing a bit of colour in the midst of the clouds.

On July 1, we celebrated Canada Day with an indoor picnic (see aforementioned remark about rain!). The novitiate decorated the community, sisters pitched in for the kitchen and the barbecue, and there was even a surprise appearance of a homemade Canadian treat: beavertails (100% dough and sugar; no beavers were harmed in the making of these doughnuts).

The beavertails were inspired by another growing presence around the monastery: our wildlife population. Although there are beavers in Pilchuk Creek, they are usually elusive and shy. It’s a rare treat for us to see one, and ordinarily only around dawn or dusk. During the recent rains, we were surprised and delighted to see a beaver paddling about in broad daylight! A family of chip”monks” has also taken up residence in our cloister garth. Originally, the babies confined themselves to investigating our outdoor chairs. Now, they can be spotted by the library, the nuns’ field, the chapel garden, nibbling the nasturtiums… And, finally, there are the birds, most of whom we hear but don’t see.

Last but not least, we are happy to announce that Sr. Marie Étienne (below right) and Sr. Diana Marie will make their simple profession of vows on the feasts of the Assumption (August 15) and the Queenship of Mary (August 22) respectively. Please pray for them as they prepare for this next joyful step in “seeking the face of God” (Pope Francis).