Monastic workshops & Publications
"Rejoicing that they can fulfill the design of the Creator and be associated with the work of the Redeemer,
the nuns should readily give themselves to work with all their powers of mind and heart as well as their gifts of nature and grace."
- Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers, number 104
A certain portion of each sister's day is given to work, some of which finds its form in manual labour. Much more than simply a way to help earn our monastery's daily bread, this work is an opportunity to work with God in a spirit of silent adoration and prayer, rejoicing that we can use our hands to create beauty alongside Him who is "Beauty, ever ancient, ever new" as St. Augustine wrote. Other sisters are talented at writing, and share the fruits of their contemplation by authoring books.
Our monastery's physical gift shop is home to an ever-increasing variety of handmade goods and books created by our sisters, a selection of which you can see below. From rosaries and handmade soap, to larger-scale sculptures and religious artwork, each piece is prayerfully handcrafted out of love for God.
If you have inquiries about Dominican Monastic Art, please click here
Pottery
Guided by a sister with many decades of practice in the craft, our first "sister apprentices" fired up their pottery wheels in January 2016. Alongside the slow process of learning an ancient art, we have also painstakingly developed a variety of homemade glazes whose bases consist of locally sourced natural materials—granite dust and wood ashes found on our own property.
Artisanal Soap
Prayerfully made from a variety of natural ingredients and essential oils, each batch of soap is handcrafted and cured for at least three weeks before being hand wrapped and set out for sale. Our natural and gentle soaps are inspired by the mountains and forests around our monastery.
candles
Hand-poured beeswax and paraffin candles in a variety of styles and sizes, from Advent wreath candles and pretty table decorations to full-size Paschal candles. Many of our candles are sustainably made from recycled wax donated by generous friends and benefactors.
Weaving &
Fibre Arts
Using floor looms and yarn donated by friends of our community, one of our sisters makes beautiful wraps and blankets available for purchase in our monastery’s gift shop. Other sisters enjoy a variety of fiber arts projects, both for sale and for practical use around the community.
Sculpture &
Icon Prints
Several of our sisters are sculptors in clay and wood, and we sell cast reproductions of their work in our gift shop. We also mount high-quality prints of icons and other sacred art for prayer and devotion.
Rosaries &
Chaplets
Our rosaries and chaplets are made from cord, wood, glass, Job’s tears or synthetic materials. From little Crown of Mary chaplets to large-sized display rosaries, each piece is hand-knotted with love and prayer.
Publications
THE QUEST FOR THE DIVINE: PHILOSOPHER, PROPHET AND MYSTIC
SR. JEAN MARIE DWYER, OP
Every human person has a fundamental call to peace and communion with all our brothers and sisters. However, we can often bemoan the situation of violence and hatred in our world, and feel impotent to do anything. In her third book, Sr. Jean-Marie Dwyer, OP says that we can do something. The book explores the importance of the individual’s encounter with God in the various periods of history, and the impact this encounter has in the movement of history. It is in these important moments of encounter that human history moves toward its end.
You can purchase The Quest for the Divine here, or in our gift shop.
Publication date: 2018-05-12
Number of Pages: 128
ISBM: 1977989705
THE UNFOLDING JOURNEY: THE GOD WITHIN: ETTY HILLESUM AND MEISTER ECKHART
SR. JEAN MARIE DWYER, OP
Bestselling author and spiritual writer Sr. Jean-Marie Dwyer, OP shows us the way to an intimate and powerful union with God, once again inviting us to delve more deeply into a life of prayer with The Unfolding Journey. Her reflections on the writings of Meister Eckhart and Etty Hillesum show us how to be in God in our prayer life, “from its inception to the deepest union with God that is possible in this life.” Profoundly insightful, yet simply written, Sr. Dwyer’s ponderings will help all those longing to cultivate and deepen their prayer life.
Publication date: 2014-09-01
Number of pages: 96
ISBN: 9782896880157
THE SACRED PLACE OF PRAYER
SR. JEAN MARIE DWYER, OP
This book considers the human person as the sacred place of prayer. The first three chapters lay philosophical, biblical and theological groundwork for the understanding of the human person as the sacred place of prayer. Subsequent chapters develop this truth more fully. The chapters on desert spirituality, illusions and finding our center give insight into how we find our true self and our place of home and belonging. A major premise is that everything flows from our creation in God’s image. Each of us is the privileged and sacred place of prayer.
Publication date: 2011-04-30
Number of pages: 164
ISBN: 9782896463183
MERCY POURED
SR. MARY REGINA FREDRICKSON O.P.
Mercy Poured offers over one hundred poems that go straight to the heart of our faith. Most of these explore the mystery of God’s never failing mercies in mystery and sacrament and in our every day lives here at Queen of Peace Monastery, where the beauty of nature and countryside enriches and inspires. The last chapter of the volume contains humorous poems that will lighten your spirit and cause surprising laughter. May each poem be a blessing to all who engage in them for prayer or for peaceful leisure.