Formerly known as Collette, Sister Maria Dolorosa of the Suffering Face of Jesus received the Passionist habit during her Vestition ceremony on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The celebration, held in the community’s new Chapter Room, offered a beautiful glimpse into the hidden life and spirituality of the Passionist Nuns.
The Passionist Nuns are the contemplative branch of the Passionist Family, founded by St. Paul of the Cross with Mother Mary Crucified Costantini in Italy in 1771. Their vocation centers on keeping alive the memory of the Passion of Jesus through a cloistered life of prayer, sacrifice and community. In a special way, they seek to stand spiritually with Mary at the foot of the Cross, offering their lives and prayers for the Church and the world.
Photos courtesy of the Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery
During the ceremony, Collette knelt before Mother Mary Veronica and formally requested entrance into the novitiate. After the Gospel was proclaimed by Sr. Maria Faustina, her Novice Directress, she received the pieces of the Passionist habit and emerged as Sr. Maria Dolorosa. She also received her religious name and a copy of the Rule and Constitutions of the Passionist Nuns, which she will study during the next two years of formation.
Sr. Maria Dolorosa’s religious name honors Our Lady of Sorrows, who remained faithfully with Jesus at the foot of the Cross, while “of the Suffering Face of Jesus” expresses her desire to contemplate Christ in His Passion and grow closer to Him through His suffering.
The ceremony concluded with the Sign of Peace as Sr. Maria Dolorosa was welcomed by her Sisters into this new chapter of religious life.
For Sr. Maria Dolorosa, the journey is only beginning. Her entrance into the novitiate is a reminder that the call to contemplative religious life continues to be heard and answered — and that, in the quiet of the monastery, a new generation is choosing to remain with Mary at the foot of the Cross.
