On Sunday, August 1, 2010, six of our friars professed final vows.(Click here to see the whole album)
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| (left to right) Br. Nicholas Joseph White, Br. Justin Jesúsmarie Alarcón, Br. Felice Maria Gavazzi, Br. Gabriel Joseph Kyte, Br. Ignatius Mary Shin and Br. Dismas Marie Kline radiate joy on the big day. |
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| "The first has to do with the stained glass windows, which flood the interior with mystic light. From the outside, those windows are dark, heavy, even dreary. But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendor. Many writers – here in America we can think of Nathaniel Hawthorne – have used the image of stained glass to illustrate the mystery of the Church herself. It is only from the inside, from the experience of faith and ecclesial life, that we see the Church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit. It follows that we, who live the life of grace within the Church’s communion, are called to draw all people into this mystery of light" Pope Benedict XVI, New York City, 19 April 2008. |
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| In a gesture of surrender and humility, the brothers lie prostrate before the altar as the congregation invokes the intercession of the saints. |
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| After professing final vows, the friars sign the official documents upon the altar. The life of religious consecration is an intimate sharing in the one sacrifice of Jesus which is renewed daily at Mass upon the altar. |
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| Imitating Jesus who prayed from the cross, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit", the friars symbolically place their hands into the hands of our Community Servant as they profess their vows. |
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| A theologian once wrote, "Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God." There is great joy in serving the Lord. Jesus said, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt 10:39). Commenting on this passage, Vatican II taught, "Man can not fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself." |
