A New Candidate... by Sr. Paz
Knocking on the door--Zentangle art by Candidate Hieu On April 10, we were happy to receive Hieu Pham Dang as a Candidate at St. Placid Priory. Our custom is to have a new candidate knock on the Priory door. When she comes in, the Prioress asks her, “What do you seek?” The candidate answers in her own words, and then we all go into chapel together to pray. I first met Hieu in November, 2024, at a vocation retreat.
Breaking Protocols for Love ...by Sr. Julian
After the conclusion of his Inaugural Mass for the public on May 18, 2025, Pope Leo XIV broke papal protocol in order to hug his brother Louis. Breaking protocols for love may well be one of the themes for this new pontiff. Pope Leo XIV and brother Louis embrace At this Mass Pope Leo exclaimed: “Brothers and sisters, this is the hour for love!” Pope Leo is setting aside some of the ornamentation of the papacy.
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Listening with the Spirit (LWS) ...by Sr. Monika
Listening to another person with your whole heart, mind and soul is about the most precious gift you can give. Every person longs to be heard, to be affirmed, to be seen. And when that longing is fulfilled a whole new world opens up: possibility, confidence, awareness, trust and honesty. Learning to listen The Listening With the Spirit (LWS) program at The Priory Spirituality Center trains people to become really good listeners in the context of spiritual direction.
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Still Being Amazed ...by Sr. Monika
At age seventy, you might think I've seen all there is to see on our monastic grounds. I know the trees and shrubs and most of the wildflowers. I know about birds, especially the ones who visit our grounds. So, can you imagine my surprise at finding a fallen, old branch covered in what looked like bright white feathers? "Who threw their duster into the rocks in front of our Spirituality Center?" I said to myself.
Helping Each Other ...by Sr. Monika
We have all heard about Alcoholics Anonymous, which began in 1935, and has helped countless people overcome addiction to alcohol. There are many spin-offs of that model, including Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and Emotions Anonymous, (EA) among many others. I was introduced to Emotions Anonymous during my time in treatment for depression. It is based on the Alcoholics Anonymous model of support from people who have similar struggles in life.
A Cat in the Monastery ...by Sr. Julian
A few years ago now, a lovely little cat appeared at our back door. She was thin but beautiful. We knew she was a tabby, but I had never heard of a brown mackerel tabby. Was this a fish cat or a cat fish (but not really a catfish)? With light-filled emerald eyes, she looked up at us from the bush she was hiding in and said “Feed me. ” We began to feed her.
A Mug for All Seasons ....by Sr. Julian
Our lives here at St Placid Priory have a daily rhythm which is guided by a liturgical calendar. Isn’t a calendar just a calendar? Well, no, not always. The liturgical calendar is both different and similar to a normal everyday calendar. Both the liturgical and secular calendars mark special seasons such as Christmas and Easter. But the liturgical calendar also reflects which days are Catholic solemnities and feasts and seasons such as Lent and Advent.
SMU Students Come Visiting ....by Sr. Paz
Last Tuesday, April 2, was a wonderful evening. Seven young women from Saint Martin’s University visited us along with Campus Minister Nick Hoffman. I welcomed them at the Priory’s entrance, where it was very nice to meet familiar faces--Reine, Nick, Bianca, and greet new faces--Lillian, Daniela, Carina, Carmelina and Delaney. I gave them a tour of the Spirituality Center, and the Stations of the Cross—created and donated to the Priory by artists Renata and Walter Siegl.
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Care of the sick—Again ....by Sr. Paz
St. Benedict, in Chapter 36 of The Rule, tells us “Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may be truly served as Christ, for [Jesus] said: “I was sick and you visited me” (Matt 25:36) “The music that arrived to stay” is the title of a radio station in Mexico City that my mother loves to listen to.
Wait ....by Sr. Monika
I was born in the front seat of our car. Dad made it to the hospital driveway. The doctor and nurses came outside on that early, snowy February morning to help Mom and me. One nurse took my 11 month old sister, one nurse took me, one nurse took Mom, and Dad went to the ER to have his broken thumb looked at.
