Photos of Sr. Maria Mercedes’s First Profession
On Saturday, October 11 we had the joy of celebrating the first profession of one of our novices, Sr. Maria Mercedes of Jesus, O.P. The rite of profession takes place within the Mass, which was celebrated by our vicar, Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., who drove up from Washington, D.C. to be present. He was joined at the altar by several of our confessors and other priests who know the community or Sr. Maria Mercedes.
The sister who is making profession proclaims the first reading of the Mass. There are several options for readings for a Mass of Religious Profession; Sr. Maria Mercedes chose the reading from the Book of Isaiah:
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Hear then, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord who made you, your help, who formed you from the womb: Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, the darling whom I have chosen. I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry land; I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants. They shall spring up amid the verdure like poplars beside the flowing waters. One shall say, “I am the Lord’s,” another shall be named after Jacob, and this one shall write on his hand, “The Lord’s,” and Israel shall be his surname.
(Isaiah 44:1-5)
Following the proclamation of the Gospel, the sister making profession prostrates herself and is asked by the prioress, “What do you seek?” She answers, “God’s mercy and yours.”
Following the homily, Sr. Maria Mercedes knelt before our prioress, Sr. Joseph Maria, and made her profession of obedience for three years. While only the vow of obedience is explicitly mentioned in our profession formula, it is understood to contain all three traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
“I, Sister Maria Mercedes of Jesus, make profession and promise obedience to God and to Blessed Mary and to Blessed Dominic and to the Master of the Order of Friars Preachers and to you, Sister Joseph Maria of the Holy Family, Prioress of this Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary, Summit, New Jersey, and to your successors according to the Rule of Blessed Augustine and the Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers, that I will be obedient to you and to your successors for three years.”
After making her simple profession for three years, the newly-professed sister’s scapular is blessed, and she receives the black veil signifying her consecration with the words: “Accept the sacred veil by which you may be recognized as a house of prayer for your Lord and a temple of intercession for all people.”
After the Mass, Sr. Maria Mercedes signed the Book of Professions before greeting her family and friends who had attended the occasion. The beautiful cake was donated by Natales, a local bakery!
Please keep Sr. Maria Mercedes and all of our sisters in formation in your prayers!
