YES…We Have Moooooved In

Sr. Augustine Marie and Sr. Marie Andre standing inside the door of our new dwelling: Angelica House – named of course after our beloved Mother Mary Angelica

Well here we are in Tonopah Arizona!  We’ve been here about 2 weeks, which is hard to believe!  Time flies when you are unpacking boxes!!!  It seems like it has just been the blink of an eye.  We’ve adjusted quite well to life in the country.  As the title of this blog implies: we are very close to a dairy and the mooing of the cows reminds us of this…as well as the unique cattle smell that wafts across the desert! 🙂  I grew up in the country surrounded by corn fields!  So all the familiar sights and smells bring me back to my childhood!  Tonopah really is a lovely little spot on God’s beautiful earth.  It’s a very simple beauty, crowned with the surrounding mountains.  Kind of a like a desert shire…if such a thing could exist.

Our dear friend Rob bringing the last of our patio furniture from Black Canyon City 🙂

Fr. Fred Adamson came out to offer Mass for us yesterday.  He asked us the question: What has been the greatest surprise since moving here?  We certainly have had a few surprises – like a sidewinder on our patio.  But after some reflection, what came to my mind wasn’t that, but rather, it was SILENCE that came as the greatest surprise.  The kind of quietness that is so quiet you can hear it.  The kind of silence that makes you want to sing…

Statue of St. Joseph in Chapel Parking Lot

Fr. John Greb and the wonderful people of St. Joseph’s parish in Phoenix donated an organ to our Chapel.  Father drove it out here a few weeks back.  Sr. John-Mark, our musically talented novice, is teaching herself how to play.  She plugged the organ in and let her fingers do the walkin’.  As Sr. Marie Andre said, it sounded as majestic as St. Peter’s Basilica (perhaps we are just a little partial)!  I was outside walking the dogs when I heard the sound of the organ burst through the doors of the chapel.  Sr. Esther Marie was singing along to “O Come Divine Messiah” – it really was glorious.  This music in the midst of the great silence made me long for Heaven where song and jubilation weave with silent awe and adoration to make a symphony of praise!

I look forward to when all of you – blog readers both near and far – can come to experience a bit of the glory of the new Our Lady of Solitude Chapel yourselves!  And that day will come…soon…but not quite yet.  The Chapel will open until the Spring.  However in the meantime, if you would like to make a visit to see the Chapel, please email Sr. Andre ([email protected]) to arrange a time and to get a map. 

Sr. Marie St. Paul with a big smile on her face: “We made it!”

Since moving on October 28th, quite a few friends and family have visited – including Fr. Anthony Mary, our long time friend and MFVA Friar.  He was here when we actually moved in and was the first priest to stay in the new priest retreat house named: KAROL KOTTAGE (after Pope John Paul II)!  If you are a priest and interested in making a retreat, please contact us for more details!

Other visitors included local friends, Sr. Augustine’s father, Sr. John-Mark’s parents, Sr. Fidelis’ brother and his family, our dear friend Donna from IL, Kit from the Institute on Religious Life, Fr. Bob from Canada and others. It’s been wonderful to have our friends and family here with us as we take these first steps on Tonopah soil. 

More details and photos to come soon.  Thanks to so many of you who have prayed for this transition.  Rest assured that your prayers are bearing fruit in our lives…as we trust our prayers are bearing fruit in yours…

Fr. John Muir offered the first Mass in our private in-house Chapel on October 31st.

Singing hymns of thanksgiving that Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament came to dwell with us.  And so begins our life of Eucharistic Adoration in Tonopah, Arizona!