Well I thought maybe I would get away with writing only every couple of days but the last 24 hours have been pretty packed so I knew I should write again tonight.
Last night we had prayer, supper, and good conversation with a little smaller group. It was a nice example of greater Dominican family with inter-congregational living.
 |
| We attempted a selfie |
This morning (Monday) we headed over to Sparkill, a four and a half minute drive from Blauvelt. Again we noticed the college (must be a Dominican thing) before the convent which sits back from the road. After meeting a few sisters we went to the Heritage room and learned about the Sparkill history, saw artifacts and pictures, and got a feel for the lay of the land. We then took a tour outside which included the old chapel and came back inside for a tour of the convent. The tour ended in the new chapel where we joined the sisters for Mass. Then we met more of the sisters in the dining room for lunch. Sr. Margaret stayed true to her word and got us out the door by 1:00 so we could be on the road again.
 |
| The full property |
 |
| The new chapel |
 |
| Mosaic in the old chapel that was repeated in the new chapel |
 |
| The choir stalls for the sisters and the pews for the hundreds of children once cared for by the sisters |
 |
| Outside the front of the convent |
Our next Motherhouse today was out on Long Island in Amityville. Another whirlwind tour. First stop was the new chapel and a little history of the buildings and renovations then we met some sisters and employees. We spent time in their heritage room (it was neat to see it as is but we were also able to envision what it will be like when it finishes transitioning). We toured the original cloister and the old chapel. Both were beautiful, I really liked the cloister, Quincy better keep an eye on me when we go to Summit on Thursday. Then we took a tour of the grounds and learned all about the farm. We joined the sisters for supper as did a couple of Dominican Volunteers. We ended the evening by seeing their care floors before saying goodbye.
 |
| The "new" chapel |
 |
| One of the many artifacts in the transitioning heritage room |
 |
| The inner courtyard |
 |
| The old chapel |
 |
| One side of the farm |
 |
| The front door |
In case you haven't noticed, I've decided to capture our trip with, among others, pictures of the front doors. Quincy has decided to take pictures of herself with statues. I'm not sure if there is anything significant there or not; if someone wants to analyze that feel free.
This was a long but wonderful day. Now to bed for a little sleep before a very early rise to get us to the UN in the morning.
Great update, Nicole! You two are amazing. Love the pictures! And, Quincy, keep posing with those statues - a sign of GREATER things to come!!!!
ReplyDeletePrayers for safe and happy travels to you both! Have fun!
Michelle and Chris - Watertown, MA
The pictures are great. You can really get a sense of these wonderful Motherhouses and the sisters who built and live in them today.
ReplyDeletePictures with the "Holy Doors" are certainly appropriate for this Year of Mercy.
So, are you keeping track of how many miles you've driven? ;)
We had planned on keeping track of the miles, we reset the odometer as we left St. Louis but unfortunately somewhere along the way the car reset it again. We were disappointed.
Delete