Wow, congrats! It's on the Feast of St Paul Conversion--my favorite father saint Paul . I'm rejoicing with you & your whole community. Have a blessed & joy-filled & peaceful retreat with JESUS, your beloved spouse!

Be assured my prayers for you.

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Thanks to you all for your congrat's, no I don't know the Daughters of St Paul though

I think they are fairly near here - we do have a website and a blog - our blog is

http://colwichnov.wordpress.com and our main site is http://www.colwichabbey.

the pictures will be on the blog. I have chosen my new name and will be given it when

I return to the Chapter room ( where it all takes place ) after putting the habit on,

at the moment only myself, Mother Abbess and Mother Prioress know - so it is exciting,

only 23 days to goooo - and i still can't quiet believe it !!! Adele.

how exciting! congratulations and prayers to you! i remember when my brother received his new name...it was funny because in the Community of St. John I think he was allowed to submit up to 3 names (i think...ejames would probably know) and then the superiors would pray and pick the name which would be given him when he received the habit and would be called by name for the first time. however, the name he was given was not the one they had talked about and so it was awesome/hard at the same time....just very unexpected. but it was cool to see God intervene like that and make sure he received the name He chose for him and not just the name my brother thought sounded cool. Lil

Congrats and great Blessings Sister.
yes Corban, you submit 3 desired names, #1 most desired, #2 second, etc.
and Usually the Superior picks your #1 choice. but is not obliged to pick any at all.
so it is sometimes surprising during the investiture.
i notice they did pick allot of, well, saints who seem quite opposite to the 'Bro or Sis. personality....someth9ng to strive for i guess.
eg.. the picked St Bruno (BR. Bruno), for one of the most chatty Brothers i had ever met

pax

The order I had been with did precisely what you just said EJames2 ... the sister submitted 3 choices, and the council (together with the Superior, who had the final say) picked the name.

I remember one sister whose new name was not one she had picked. She was initially upset -- until we decided to look in a very old saint book (by date) and found out that coincidencially the saint that she was named after coincided with the date (it was no longer the saint assigned to that day). We had a hoot when we spoke to the superior and she said she didn't know. At that point -- it was a confirmation that indeed God wanted that name for her -- and she's lived up to her name ever since.

Here at Colwich we just submit one name now though in the past they were just given a name on the day and didn't know it beforehand.

I do feel that God had a hand in the choice of my name though as it is not one I would naturally have chosen. For some reason for a while before I applied to enter a particular name kept popping into my head and I just kept brushing it aside as was not very comfortable with the Saint herself and didn't want to consider it.
However on her feast day I decided I would read some more about her and found a book that came from a totally different stance, it explained her in a much stronger way that i could identify with. Later when i was asked to give a definite choice this name was there again so I thought I shoud go with it.
My novice mistress was very surprised at first but when i explained how I now saw the saint she agreed that this was the right one for me. I underwent such a complete change in my thinking and now see this particular saint as someone I can grow with who will always be able to teach me something and I value her intercession.

One of my closest friends was totally shocked and yet also saw that this name is totally right for me - she'd heard many thoughts on her before.

It's quite amazing how things work out isn't it? I wish you all the same joy.

Pax Adele.
-- Carmen

Rejoice with me, i am currently a postulant at Colwich Abbey, England - Benedictine, enclosed,
and i have been accepted into the novitiate!!! I am being Clothed on 25th January at around 8.15am,
i am sooooo excited, my habit etc are being made and i go into retreat in about 2 weeks,
Adele ( stacey)

oops! Sorry Carmen, i seem to have mixed up both of our posts here,

no idea how and i'm sure i couldn't do it again - amazing creatures these

computers, just wish i was more au fait with them Pax Adele.