Happy Easter!
 

The sharing of light at the Easter Vigil

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness shall never overcome it”
— John 1:5
 

Dear friends,

As we celebrate this beautiful feast of Christ's Resurrection, we would like to wish you a very happy Easter! As the 50 days of this Paschal season unfold, each new day brings reason to search for the holy joy and peace we are promised in Christ. Jesus's presence and victory over death might not always be immediately obvious in our lives or in our world: St. Mary Magdalen mistook the risen Lord for the cemetery's gardener (Jn 20:5), other disciples thought Him rather clueless pilgrim (Lk 24:18), and St. Paul had to reassure the early Christians that their hope in Christ was for more than "this life only" (1 Cor 15:19). Yet, as the Prologue of John proclaims, "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness shall never overcome it" (Jn 1:5). In the monastery, we place our lives on this hope and faith. As we live out the Paschal mystery through our baptism and vows, we are then able to witness to this hope for others, most particularly through our community's public celebration of the liturgy.

Our Easter Vigil this year was graced with clear and star-filled skies, and we were happy to welcome many guests for our liturgies throughout the Triduum. One young woman from the city actually camped further up the Valley in order to be near and participate more fully in our monastery's celebration of the Triduum. Such dedication, and testimonies of guests' encounters with the Lord in our chapel, offers us encouragement and hope as we continue to pray for suitable land on which to build a new guesthouse for monastic hospitality and retreatants. We hope to be able to share more on this in our upcoming summer newsletter, and ask your continued prayers for this intention.

Please be assured of our daily prayers for you and your loved ones, and for all the beautiful prayer intentions that you send to us. May the Risen Lord grant us peace in our days, and increase our confidence that His "love is stronger than death" (Song 8:6-7).  

God bless,
your sisters of Queen of Peace Monastery

 
 
Sr. Marie Thomas Lawrie
Vestition of Sr. Dominica Maria
 
 

As Jesus was “driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit” on the First Sunday of Lent, it was our great joy to celebrate the “entrance into the desert” of postulant Khuyen as she received the Dominican habit and the religious name Sr. Dominica Maria of the Lamb of God. The ceremony took place in our monastery’s Chapter hall shortly before the Sunday Eucharist. In Dominican tradition, the reception of the habit marks the formal entrance of a sister into her time as a novice, which lasts two years.

During the ceremony, the sister is clothed piece by piece in habit by the hands of her sisters, without herself trying to help. This physical sign of trust shows both that the contemplative life is a gift which can’t be grasped, and that the monastic community will provide the care and guidance necessary to support the young sister along her walk with God.

 
 
 
 
 
 

At the end of the clothing, the moment everyone has been waiting for: what will the sister’s religious name and mystery be? Each candidate prays and discerns with the novice mistress in the months leading up to the ceremony (while the rest of the community tries very hard to guess!). Some receive a completely new name, while others are called to receive their Confirmation or baptismal names (or variations thereof). To our great joy, Sr. Dominica Maria received a “new-old” name, remembering both our founder St. Dominic and our dear Sr. Maria Dominica, one of our first foundresses who passed away while the monastery in Squamish was under construction.

 

Sr. Dominica Maria with a photo of Sr. Maria Dominica.

 

Please pray for Sr. Dominica Maria as she continues to “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev 14:4) in the footsteps of St. Dominic!


Sr. Marie Thomas Lawrie
Blessed Advent
 
 

Dear friends,

A blessed First Sunday of Advent to you all! The prologue of St. John’s Gospel includes the encouraging message, "The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall never overcome it” (Jn 1:5). This verse comes easily to mind this time of year, as the days grow shorter and snow begins to fall. As we enter into this beautiful season, we want to share with you a bit of the news from around our monastery.

After a few weeks of hard frost (below), we received our first bit of snow on the feast of St. Andrew. This means that the garden is officially put to bed for the winter, with the last harvest of kale coming up to the kitchen on December 1.

 
 
 
 

Our winter newsletter will be heading out to friends near and far beginning this week. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can sign up for a print or digital edition here. In the meantime, you can read it online in both French and English. This has meant a lot of recreations of sticking, folding and sealing—and, as ever, our monastery’s rabbit Dominic tries his very best to help.

 
 

Construction continues on our new workshop building. The candle shop was completed in mid-September, the paper making and packing rooms are almost finished, and work continues on the soap department. The increased space, light and ventilation are very much appreciated by all the sisters in the work areas, and we are very grateful for your support for this project. The new shops are safer, quieter and much more conducive to prayer and recollection. Thank-you!

 

Candle shop, and some finished altar candles.

Construction on the soap shop.

Drying racks for curing soap.

 

As they await their new workspace, the soap sisters have been busy creating a new “Winter Collection” inspired by the snow and forest around our monastery. Containing a bar each of our Mint Swirl, Log Cabin, Pumpkin Spice and Mint & Eucalyptus blends, each box is $25 (and shipping is free on Canadian orders of $100+). You can find out more and place an order through our online store, or pick up a box in our monastery’s gift shop.

 

During what can be a busy season for many, we just want to remind you that our chapel is open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. most days of the week (Sunday opening 7:00 a.m., Mondays closing 7:30 p.m.). You are welcome to join us for the liturgy at the scheduled hours, or simply to enjoy the atmosphere of silence and recollection. Mondays this Advent will be hermit days of solitude for our community, with no public liturgy apart from Mass.

May God bless you and those you love as we prepare to celebrate our dear Saviour’s birth!

 
Sr. Marie Thomas Lawrie