Prior to Vespers, the community gathered for the Rite of Reception of the Habit. The postulants entered the chapel in procession while the commu-nity sang the O Lumen, a hymn in honor of our Holy Father St. Dominic.

Mother: Sisters, what do you desire? Postulants: The mercy of God and yours, and to be received to the holy habit of St. Dominic.

May the Lord grant you his help. Let us pray for these sisters of ours, who are asking to be received into our Order. May the Divine

Master grant them the abundance of his Spirit and the comfort of his peace.

In order to serve You more perfectly, they ask to be made part of our family. Grant that through their sharing in the common life our love for

all our brothers and sisters may increase. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Mother: Are you resolved, with a firm intention, to walk faithfully in newness of life?

Postulants: I am, with God’s help and yours.

The postulants come forward to receive a new name and the holy habit of St. Dominic from Mother.

Receive this white Robe, the emblem of innocence, and may you pReseRve it unsullied, that you may deseRve to be clothed in white in the kingdom of heaven.

Receive this belt, emblem of puRity with which the holy angels giRded the blessed st. thomas, “blessed aRe the clean of heaRt, foR they shall see god.”

Receive this RosaRy, pResented by the blessed viRgin to st. dominic, the emblem of pRayeR, by which youR soul will be united to god.

Receive this scapulaR, the most distinguished paRt of the dominican habit, the mateRnal pledge of the pRoection of the blessed motheR of god to the childRen of st. dominic.

Receive this black mantle, the emblem of penance and moRtification, by which you aRe to be cRucified to the woRld and the woRld to you.

Receive this veil, the emblem of humility, the coRneRstone of the spiRitual edifice.

Let us imitate and follow, to the best of our ability, the footsteps of our Holy Father St. Dominic, who has shown his servants such a guide on this path. Given a new birth into the clear light of the Gospel through Jesus Christ, let us entreat the Father of mercies: may we be directed by the Spirit Who leads God’s children to follow the path marked out by our predecessors. Never turning aside from the right way, may we attain that same goal of eternal happiness and everlasting bliss into which our Holy Father has already happily entered.

Lord, look with favor on your family and increase it with new offspring, so that it may lead its sons and daughters toward its holy plan of living, and may efficaciously procure the salvation of others. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Our help is in the name Of the lOrd.

WhO made heaven and earth.

Sister Magdalen Marie

Following the ceremony for the reception of the habit, the new novices are greeted by the community.

Sister Felicia Marie

Sister Chiara

Sister Monica Marie

Sister Cecilia Marie

Sister Mary Inez

Sister Krista Marie

Sister Krista Marie

Sister Mary Gemma

Sister Anna Ruth

Sister Daniela

Sister Mary Colette

Sister Francesca

Sister Marie de Lourdes

Sister Anna Margaret