On Sunday December 4, 2016 our Monastery Sisters and Academy family gathered to bless our creche, dedicate a memorial to Mr. Larry Morrish, and celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy of the Second Week of Advent, with our children’s choir beautifully harmonizing carols.
The Brooklyn Tablet covered the event. You can read it here:
http://thetablet.org/bay-ridge-creche-lights-honor-festival-founder/
Pope Francis has granted the opportunity throughout the entire jubilee year.
For the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Pope Francis has decided to grant a plenary indulgence opportunity throughout the entire anniversary year, which began Nov. 27, 2016, and will end Nov. 26, 2017.
The rector of the Fatima Shrine in Portugal, André Pereira, explained to CNA that the plenary indulgence can be obtained during the entire jubilee year. There are three ways of obtaining the indulgence, detailed in a statement on the shrine’s website.
To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfill the ordinary conditions: Go to confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
The first way is for “the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin.”
In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke the Mother of God.
The second way applies to “the pious faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary.”
Regarding this second way, the rector of the Fatima Shrine told CNA that the visit to the statue of the Virgin “does not necessarily have to be only at Fatima or exclusively in Portugal,” but can be done anywhere in the world.
Those seeking an indulgence must also pray an Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima.
The third way to obtain a plenary indulgence applies to people who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around well.
These individuals can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017.
They also must “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.”
Our dear Sister Mary Antonia VHM went home to God Monday November 28, 2016.
Viewing was Friday Dec 2 in the afternoon and evening. Sister’s Funeral Liturgy was held Saturday December 3 at 945AM.
Thank you for your prayers.
Sr. Antonia was the 6th of 10 children born to Julia Marra and John Delucie. She was baptized Maria Donata Delucie but everyone called her Diana. She attended Girls Commercial High School in Brooklyn and studied costume design, winning many awards. Diana first worked as a seamstress and milliner in Manhattan where she became a specialist in creating contemporary fashion hats. She developed a keen eye for style and landed a prized position as a copyist working first for Sally Victor and later for Lilly Dache, both celebrated Madison Avenue designers.
Diana entered the Visitation Monastery July 9, 1955, was professed on March 24, 1957 and was given the name Sr. Mary Antonia. She was educated within the Cloister and taught primary grades in the Visitation Academy 1957-1972. During this time she also functioned as the Procuratrix and Bursar ( 1964-67). The Rule of the Cloister became more flexible after Vatican II which ultimately allowed the interested sisters to study outside the walls of the Cloister. Sr Antonia studied Theology in Manhattan College in the late 1960’s to early1970’s. She attended St Joseph’s College in Brooklyn graduating with a degree in Education (1974). She obtained an MA in Education from St Joseph’s College in Philadelphia (1980).
Sr. Antonia was the assistant principal and then principal of the Visitation Academy for over 16 years. She was the Superior of the Visitation Monastery for 6 years from 1987-1993. After this she returned to the Visitation school as principal ( 1993-1996). In these years she also became the lnfirmarian. As such, Sr. Antonia was responsible for all the health needs of the sisters and cared for the sick and dying. She was in charge of the infirmary for well over 20 years, relinquishing her duties to the infirmary as recently as 2013.
In addition to all other responsibilities, she delighted in teaching religion to Kindergarten and First Grade children (1996-2016). Teaching motivated her recovery from a heart valve replacement in the spring of 2015. She returned to teaching religion to the new Kindergarten class in September 2015 and taught her last religion class on October 27, 2016.
Sr Mary Antonia went home to God gently with grace and in peace on November 28, 2016.
The annual Nativity Mass and Tree Lighting will take place at Visitation Monastery on Sunday December 4th starting at 630PM. You are all welcome to attend.
Here is a video clip from last year’s event:
On Sunday, November 20, 2016, Mr. Daniel DiSilva came to Visitation Monastery, Brooklyn, to present the story and the documentary on the discovery, history and travels of the Original painting of the Divine Mercy picture.
No fictional detective story can match the journey of this holy and anointed painting,executed by artist Eugene Kazimirowski under the direction of St. Faustina herself.
The DVD is now being released for purchase. You will benefit incredibly by viewing it!
The Visitation Sisters are profoundly grateful to Mr. DiSilva for his visit, presentation and stay with us. May we remain united in the Divine Mercy!
Mother Susan explains to us the connection between the Sisters of the Visitation and the film The Image of the Divine Mercy. Thank you, Mother Susan, for speaking with us and helping us to see the hand of God in our rich Visitation history and in our present.
On behalf of Mother Susan and the Sisters of the Visitation, we cordially invite you to join us on November 20 to watch the film, meet the director, and ask him more questions about history, tradition and inspiration.
What prompted you to research the history of the original painting and its connection to the Sisters of the Visitation?
A young Lithuanian woman named Juste discovered our American Visitation and came to stay for 3 months with our Minneapolis community. While there Juste asked if we had a community in Lithuania. In researching this I discovered we had one in Vilnius, Lithuania until World War II. It was on this Visitation Monastery’s premises that the original picture of the Divine Mercy was painted.
What did you discover that furthers the connection between St. Faustina’s experiences and the global history of the Order of the Visitation?
St. Faustina used to come to the Visitation Monastery cottage where the artist was painting the Divine Mercy picture. After it was completed her spiritual director Fr. Sopocko showed it to the Visitation Sisters. I believe it was the delicacy of our Lord Himself who connected His revelations of the Sacred Heart to Visitation Sister St Margaret Mary to His contemporary revelation of the Heart of His Mercy to St Faustina.
Is there a connection between the way in which the Lord is depicted in the painting and the Sacred Heart, which is so important to the Visitation?
There is a similarity but the intent seems to be slightly different; He asked for reparation to the Sacred Heart from the Visitation Nuns but emphasizes Mercy to St Faustina. The two revelations can be seen as two sides to the same coin, so to speak.
As the head of the Visitation Sisters in Brooklyn, what is the main reason you want friends and neighbors to attend the film screening on November 20?
The Providence of God has led us to this screening and understanding of the history of this painting. This is the Year of Mercy and we wish to share that Mercy with our friends and neighbors as the Year draws to a close.
Born in Poland in 1905, Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska belonged to the Order of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.
Sr. Faustina received the Message of Divine Mercy from the Lord on multiple occasions during the period of 1931 – 1938. It was as a result of these encounters, at the urging of our Lord, that Sr. Faustina painted an image of the Lord and His divine mercy.
Image via http://mercyhour.org/st-faustina-kowalska/
The documentary film, The Real Image of Divine Mercy explores these events, the significance of the painting, and the ways in which divine mercy influences our individual prayer lives and our world.
We are honored to be hosting a screening of the documentary film that examines the impact of Sister Faustina – now Saint Faustina’s – faith on the global history of the Church and on our call to mercy as we wrap up the Year of Divine Mercy on November 20, 2016.
AN INVITATION
We have a VERY UNIQUE Opportunity and Event scheduled for Sunday November 20th 2016, the Feast of Christ the King and the last day of the Year of Divine Mercy. We would be so filled with joy if you would join us for All or PART of this day.
You will meet and learn from FILM DIRECTOR DANIEL DISILVA, view the film, The Original Image of Divine Mercy, dialogue with the Director, and reverence relics and view exhibits he will display.
A Day of Divine Mercy
Where: Sacred Heart Chapel of the Visitation Monastery/Academy AND Alumnae ROOM
Events of the Day: Attend ALL or in Part:
9 AM- Holy Mass
10:15AM Meet and Listen to a Talk by the Director Daniel DiSilva, of the film: The Original Image of Divine Mercy
11:15AM– View the Film
Followed by Brown Bag Lunch or other arrangements you make
1:15PM Dialogue with the Director
Spend time viewing Exhibits and Reverencing Relics of Blessed Michael Sopocko, St Faustina’s Spiritual DIRECTOR
SPECIAL: Learn of the CONNECTION between the Divine Mercy Image and our Visitation Monastery in Vilnius Lithuania where it was Painted
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Please e mail your response to VAMonastery@aol.com
Silver Jubilee!
