Photos of Sr. Maria Rose’s Solemn Profession
Sr. Maria Rose of the Crown of Thorns, O.P. made her solemn profession on August 22, the feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sr. Maria Rose was born in South Africa but lived for many years in Australia before entering the monastery. Friends and family from both countries traveled halfway around the world to be present for the Mass of Religious Profession, along with many friends of the monastery, Dominican friars, priests of our local diocese, and religious sisters. Several of the Apostolic Sisters of St. John from nearby East Orange attended the Mass, as well as the entire novitiate of the Sisters of Life.
A Solemn Profession is the consecration of the entirety of one’s live and self to God according to the way of life of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers. In our Dominican tradition as well as that of many older monastic orders, only obedience is explicitly mentioned in the formula of profession. But this profession of obedience is according to the way of life which encompasses the evangelical vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In the Rite of Solemn Profession, before a Sister makes this profession of the vow of obedience until death she prostrates before the altar while the entire congregation chants the litany of saints, invoking their intercession to obtain the graces necessary to make this self-oblation worthily.
Strengthened by the prayers of the congregation and the saints in heaven, Sr. Maria Rose then knelt and, with her hands placed in the hands of our prioress, professed:
“I, Sister Maria Rose of the Crown of Thorns, 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 until death.”
Sr. Maria Rose then received the blessed veil and ring of a solemnly professed nun, which serves as a perpetual reminder to the sister as well as to the world that Jesus has espoused her to himself. After a sign of peace exchanged with all the sisters of the community welcoming her as a permanent member, the Mass continued with the choral hymn Ave Regina Caelorum (Grassi) in honor of Our Lady’s Queenship at the Offertory.
Following the Mass, Sister Maria Rose went down to the parlor to greet her guests. It was a beautiful day of joy for Sister Maria Rose as well as for the rest of the community. A Solemn Profession is an opportunity to step back and give thanks for the gift which that sister is to our community, as well as a moment to reflect on what a beautiful gift the vocation to this way of life is to each and every one of us within the community. As we say at the beginning of recreation, “Praised be Jesus Christ!” — to which everyone responds, “Forever and ever, amen!”
All photos by Jeffrey Bruno