AMERICAN FOUNDATION
On December 12th 1891 the four set out from Calais. It was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe patron of America. The journey was not very smooth for a storm blew up which made sailing difficult. Nine days later they reached New York Harbor and waiting for them was Fr. Damien Marie with Sr. Juliana an extern sister from the monastery of Bronx. They welcomed them and led them to their new convent in West Hoboken now Union City. There the seed planted took root and stretched its branches far and wide .Within a quarter of a century six foundations were made from Union City: Milwaukee 1897; Baltimore 1899; Camden 1900; Buffalo 1905; La Cross 1909 and finally Summit, New Jersey 1919.
On October 1919 fourteen sisters left Union City enclosure for a new foundation at Summit an hour trip by vehicle. They soon started their normal life and on October 5th they resumed the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and on January 1st 1920 they also resumed Perpetual Rosary. Up until this time the nuns had been governed by Fr. Potton’s forty year old version of the nuns constitution which Mother Rose had requested in 1883. Once the community had taken root at Summit Mother Imelda the prioress asked bishop O’Connor for permission to follow the primitive constitution . On May 18th 1923 she received the approval.
One year later October 22nd 1924 Mother Imelda sought another favor from the bishop: the privilege of Perpetual exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Permission was granted. They began on February 11th 1926 feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. So from this day they had both Perpetual recitation of the Rosary and Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Vocations continued flowing in and it became clear that God wanted a new foundation made. On January 21st 1947 feast of St. Agnes fifteen sisters left Summit to make a foundation in Connecticut, Monastery of Our Lady of Grace at North Guilford. Among the foundresses of North Guilford was Sr. Mary Kathleen McGarry future foundress of Corpus Christi Monastery, Nairobi Kenya-Africa.
When they arrived in North Guilford there was no proper housing. They had to occupy a small home stead converting barns into living rooms and Chapel. By August of the same year they resumed Perpetual Adoration and Recitation of the Rosary as practiced in their cradle monastery. When the founding group left Summit for North Guilford they had only simple perpetual vows and were therefore under Episcopal jurisdiction. Bishop O’Brien had promised the nuns that once they were ready solemn vows would be considered. With vocations flowing in they out grew the small accommodation they had and they had to build a whole wing. Having met the requirements for papal enclosure they applied for solemn vows in 1950. The Holy Father Pope Pius the X11 granted the privileges and obligations for Solemn vows and with solemn vows came the enclosure. The ceremony for solemn vows took place on February 10th 1951.
The nuns lived happily together as the community continued to grow. They took good care of their building and it was beautifully ready for Christmas the night it burned on December 23rd. 1955. The fire claimed the lives of three nuns. The days that followed were hard but many people supported them. They were offered refuge in West Haven until April 7th 1958 when they were able to return to North Guilford. By this time the new monastery was almost complete through the help of benefactors. At the time of the fire the community numbered forty two so after the death of the three nuns in the fire there were thirty nine left. Even when they were in exile life still continued. On the feast of St. Joseph the following year after the fire 1956 four Postulants received the Dominican Habit.
With the number growing they began to think of a foundation in the missions. They had received three invitations to make a foundation: one by a bishop from Formosa, a second by a Dominican bishop from South Africa and a third from a native bishop of Kenya. Their first thought was to Formosa but God took care of the details by placing the Dominican friars of St. Joseph USA in charge of St. Thomas Aquinas major seminary in Nairobi. From then on the monastery was to be in Nairobi. They sought the permission from Archbishop O’Brien of Hartford who gladly gave the permission but required that the debt on Our Lady of Grace Monastery be paid first. A benefactor provided them with the funds and the debt was cleared. God knows the needs of His children and provides in the appropriate time. It also happened that the property adjoining the seminary was on sale so it was appropriate. The property was purchased and through a donation it was paid for- a fifty acre piece of land.
The History of the Corpus Christi Monastery
Nuns From USA set off for Kenya 1st African Nun, Sr.Joyce Rita O.P
The Dominican Nuns in Nairobi Kenya
In the year 1965 twelve nuns from Our lady of Grace Monastery, North-Guilford CT, USA, sailed to Africa to found a Dominican monastery in Nairobi – Kenya. They were invited by, then, Archbishop John Mc Marthy C.S.S.P of Nairobi diocese.
His intention was to bring to Nairobi – Kenya a complete cloistered nun who would perpetuate the divine grace to assists East Africa develop to mutuality, sanctity, and peace which is based on love of God expressed in love of neighbor, by perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the recitation of the holy rosary.
This band of twelve nuns left New York on the Farrell Lines SS African Neptune for a 28-day voyage across the Indian Ocean to Mombasa port; they had two stops in Cape Town in South Africa and Durban. Finally, on 30th April 1965 the ship successfully completed its voyage and safely arrived its destination, in Mombasa – Kenya.
Then, by rail, they traveled to their Corpus Christi monastery soon to be under construction in Nairobi. The names of these are:
• Mother Mary Katheleen of the cross – Prioress
• Sr. Mary Augustine of the passion
• Sr. Mary Paul Thomas of the Holy Spirit
• Sr. Mary
• Sr. Mary Dolores of Jesus crucified
• Sr. Elizabeth of the sacred heart
• Sr. Mary Blanche of the sorrowful mother
• Sr. Mary of the Immaculate heart
• Sr. Mary Constance of the cross
• Sr. Mary Dominic of the crown of thorns
• Sr. Mary Francis Therese of the child Jesus
• Sr. Mary John of Jesus crucified
These courageous nuns who volunteered themselves to take as their primary function to sanctify Kenya and indeed the whole of East Africa by their adoration, reparation, petition and thanks giving, were officially welcomed by then, president Kenyatta. After two weeks of getting acquainted with the people, the twelve nuns were cloistered in the separate wing of St. Thomas Regional seminary which will serve as their temporary quarters until their new monastery is completed.
The new monastery was built on the land bought by North Guilford community which adjoined the seminary property. With the growth of the seminary and the surrounding, the nuns felt the need to move to another quiet place which will favor contemplative ideals.
So, in 1972 they sold their property to the Apostles of
Jesus and moved to Karen; where we are located to date.
God blessed them with African vocations, whom they formed
diligently. When the community was settled, they entrusted it
to the African nuns and started going back to USA one after
another.
Most of these nuns have already gone home to the father only two are still on this side of the sun: Sr. Mary Augustine of the passion and Sr. Mary Francis Therese of the child Jesus.
We hold our Lady of Grace monastery in fondest of memories. Thanks for their continuous generosity to us.
The Corpus Christi community has kept the fire burning and extended her generosity to Zambia by opening another monastery there in Kabwe Diocese: Divine Mercy Monastery.
The community is flourishing and growing steadily in every aspect. We have expanded our community from the original small building, improved our celebration of the liturgy, renovated our guest-house and improved our projects to face the needs of our time.
WHO IS A NUN?
By their hidden life they proclaim prophetically that in Christ alone is true happiness to be found, here by grace and afterwards in glory. (Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers) For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord….For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:5-6)
Hosea 2:14 “Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.”
A nun is a woman who belongs to a religious order and takes the vows of poverty, chastity, and
obedience.
general, solemn vows are professed by members of religious orders after a period of temporary, simple vows.
They recite the Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office in common, and engage in some work to help support themselves. Nuns live a contemplative cloistered life in a monastery.
“Cloistered” refers to living within the confines of the monastery walls. Their lives are hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
They have removed themselves from the distractions of a worldly life to the cloister, devoting their lives to the search for God through prayer. It is not a self-centered meditation.
We believe that our union with God contributes to the salvation of all people, and that our prayers for humanity touch the lives of the suffering everywhere.
