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SPRING 2006

Dear Friends,

What a wonderful spring we are having in Elmira! It is truly an appropriate season to celebrate our Lord’s resurrection, as we see the renewed beauty of life and growth taking place before our eyes. We are so accustomed to this burst of life after the dormant winter that we can fail to recognize its significance during the Easter season, and the many ways we experience resurrection in our daily life. We will soon celebrate the feast of Pentecost, and our hearts sing: “Come Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth.” The Spirit that Jesus breathed into his disciples is still at work in us and in our world seeking to bring good out of the darkness of evil. The Spirit is our advocate, the one whose impulse moves our hearts to live according to the Father’s will. Please send us any intentions you would like us to remember during our Pentecost novena of prayer.

A Time to Plant
This winter, even though it was unusually mild, a number of trees in our yard died, due to age, windstorms and road salt. Sr. Miriam and Tom Basal, our maintenance helper, have been cutting up the dead trees and replacing them with new seedlings. We have planted several different flowering varieties, and are trying one of the new American elm trees, which have been inoculated against the Dutch elm disease. At one time we had a large grove of the most beautiful elms, but all of them died in the late sixties when the beetles were infecting local trees. It will be wonderful to see that unique umbrella shape back in our yard again. We have added part of the front yard of the monastery to our enclosure, since it is already surrounded by tall yew bushes. Tom and Sr. Miriam have revitalized a “retreat garden” there with flowers, new grass and a shrine to Our Lady, transforming what was once the haunt of spiders, field mice and fallen leaves into a beautiful, beckoning spot for prayer.


Sister Miriam and Tom	ENJOYING A SPRING WALK – Sisters: Mary of the Trinity, Dominic, David Marie, Jude, Mary Agnes, Anna Marie

Celebration in Prayer In July, six of our sisters will travel to Adrian, MI, to attend a retreat which our Master General, Fr. Carlos Azpiros Costa, will give to the Dominican nuns in the United States. About 80 U.S. nuns plan to attend. The year 2007 marks the eight-hundredth anniversary of the first foundation of nuns made by St. Dominic in Prouille, France. There are now 14 Dominican monasteries in the U.S. and 250 worldwide. This retreat is one way we are commemorating our special anniversary. Fr. Carlos, a native of Argentina, comes from a very large family of brothers and sisters. So he is well accustomed to community living both in and out of the Order: his insights should be most helpful!

With Harp and Voice In April we were privileged to have a special presentation in our chapel, which many of our friends attended. Sue Amisano, our music director, and Maryalice Little, a harpist, combined their talents to provide us with some beautiful music. Four of the pieces Maryalice played on the harp were her own compositions. Hannah Little, who plays the viola, also accompanied her mother.

Sue is a Catholic, but for over twenty years she has been employed as the cantor for B’Nai Israel Synagogue. So she included in her performance several Jewish songs. Recently she directed a special interfaith choir composed of Jewish, Christian and Muslim singers. She used a broad spectrum of music from all three faiths, even including a genuine Jewish ram’s horn and a Muslim call to prayer from a balcony three stories above the audience.

Hannah, Sue and Maryalice

Called to Glory
	During Lent, Bernice Heffer, Sr. Mary Stephen’s mother, who has also been like a mother to our community, died suddenly. She had been released from the hospital that same day, but died alone in the night of congestive heart failure.
It was a terrible sorrow for sister’s father who resides at St. Ann’s nursing home in Rochester, NY. .Sr. Stephen’s mother was always involved in some sort of craft work, and was very generous in making clever items to sell in our gift shop.Every year since Sr. Stephen entered the monastery her mother gave her beautiful handmade Christmas tree ornaments It has become a community tradition to put up a Christmas tree at the end of our cloister, adorned with these unique beaded balls and decorations. We shall surely miss Mrs. Heffer. Please do pray for sister and her family We are again pressed with some needed maintenance to our monastery. For two years we have gotten repeated leaks in the chapel and library, which now indicates that we need to re-shingle the chapel roof. As many of you have noticed, our driveway and parking lot are overdue for repaving. Since the monastery is built into a hill of clay, water has been a continual problem over the years, both inside and outside the buildings. As you know we receive no financial aid from the diocese or the Dominican Order so we are dependent upon your help. We treasure your friendship, and always appreciate the generosity you show to our community. Be assured that you are continually remembered in our daily prayers.
Sincerely in Christ and His Blessed Mother Your Elmira Dominican Sisters