Book About Rockford Poor Clares

[PrayerSupporter]

Oxford University Press is publishing a book about the Rockford Poor Clares in December 2013.  It is called Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns. 

 

The description given on Oxford University Press (OUP) and Amazon is: "In the second decade of the twenty-first century, Catholicism appears under siege. Reporters fixate on drama-accusations, investigations, the selection of a new pope. They ignore the inner story, the very reason why the church has survived from the Roman Empire's persecution through Renaissance splendor to the present day. This is the story of a search for truth, peace, and salvation, a story of selfless dedication that continues behind monastic walls even in our time.

"In Dedicated to God, Abbie Reese opens a window onto the Corpus Christi Monastery of the Poor Clare Colettine Order, a community of cloistered monastic nuns living within a 25,000-square foot enclosure near Rockford, Illinois. It is a world apart from our noisy, digital, hyper-connected world, a world of poverty, simplicity, and prayer. These women have surrendered everything-their names, shoes, even their families. They disappear from the larger world; when one dies, the order marks her grave with a simple stone indicating her religious name and death date, nothing more. While they live, they pray five times a day at the Liturgy of the Hours for the victims of catastrophes and personal tragedies around the globe. The author spent six years learning their individual stories and the ancient rules they have chosen to live by. Reese makes that choice understandable, showing how each nun's values led her there, even if families were sometimes befuddled (one great-niece calls the monastery "the Jesus cage"). With an eye for complexity, Reese ranges from the challenges individuals face (she calls one "the claustrophobic nun") to the uncomprehending society that threatens this place with extinction."

 

 

In addition, OUP says:

• There has never before been an oral history project with cloistered monastic nuns who observe monastic silence and take vows of enclosure; the author was granted rare access into the enclosure
• The author was allowed to conduct oral history interviews with about a dozen nuns and take photographs within the enclosure, and developed close relationships with her subjects over the course of the 6-year project
• Author is a professional photographer

 

And the table of contents is: 

Preface
Introduction

PART I: THE CALL
In Her Own Words: Sister Mary Monica
Chapter 1: Community Life
In Her Own Words: Sister Maria Deo Gratias
Chapter 2: The Claustrophobic Nun
In Her Own Words: Sister Mary Michael

PART II: THE LIFE
Chapter 3: Monastic Living in a Throwaway Culture
In Her Own Words: Sister Mary Joseph
Chapter 4: Little House, Big Heart
In Her Own Words: Sister Mary Clara
Chapter 5: Responsibility for the World
In Her Own Words: Sister Joan Marie
Chapter 6: The Suffering Servants
In Her Own Words: Anonymous

PART III: THE THREATS
Chapter 7: Idealism and Reality
In Her Own Words: Sister Ann Marie
Chapter 8: Erased from the Landscape

 

 

I don't know anything else about the book, but thought I'd mention it for those who might be interested.

[graciandelamadrededios]

Wow! Thanks for the info!

 

God Bless you!

[OnlySunshine]

Nice! We had a PMer enter there 2 years ago. She is now a 1st year novice. :)

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

This woman did a photo essay about them. If you do a google search you can find it. How lovely!

SMC

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

http://www.erasedfromthelandscape.com/

 

[Chiquitunga]

I met her at Sr. Mary Agnes' clothing - http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/123822-little-birthday-gift-to-our-blessed-mother-sr-mary/  Her new book is coming out in December, http://www.amazon.com/Dedicated-God-History-Cloistered-Oxford/dp/0199947937  :like:

 

[FutureSister2009]

Cool! I'm reading A Right to be Merry right now. It was sent to me from the Poor Clares in Barhamsville

[Guest Allie]

Cool! I'm reading A Right to be Merry right now. It was sent to me from the Poor Clares in Barhamsville

   My Dad emailed me this morning that he had finished reading it and found it helpful. I just love that book. It was given to me by my S.D. when I first started discerning. I especialy love the part... never mind.  No spoiler here. :saint2:

[graciandelamadrededios]

Rockford Poor Clare Colettine was actually one of the charter member of the Federation of Mary Immaculate but they withdraw their membership later on. 

 

Federation of Mary Immaculate website: http://web.inter.nl.net/users/clarissenklooster/federation/

 

 

 

 

 

[Pia Jesu]

I had two dear friends in the Rockford monastery...one died there...the other left.  I was also fortunate to be able to

spend several days a year visiting them.  Mother Dorothy was the abbess then...but now heads the new Minooka

IL foundation.  It is a place of peace, stillness & quiet in a declining neighborhood.  Thank you for letting us know

about the upcoming book release!

[Chiquitunga]

new site ~ http://www.abbiereese.com/ & trailor for this, great to see Piccoli Fiori :)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5hVCCmML7g

 

also a talk she gave at Columbia

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQQZGq1Kvjk

Edited May 28, 2014 by Chiquitunga

[maximillion]

It's a good book. Honest and well written.

[Chiquitunga]

http://chosenthefilm.com/

[maximillion]

Wow! I hope we can eventually get it in the UK. I still can't get 'Beloved'.

[Carmelshrimp]

It's available in the UK now.  I've had my copy for a while - got it from Amazon if that's any help.

[brandelynmarie]

I hope to get it next week :bible: :love: . Thanks for letting us know it's on Amazon!

Edited July 15, 2014 by brandelynmarie

[Chiquitunga]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSCN8rzlR3g

[graciandelamadrededios]

Thanks Chiqui!  Nice video...

[Feankie]

Sister Amata has such child-like simplicity. It almost frightens me.......

[SNJM]

I just got the book & I am LOVING it! Thoroughly recommend!