1947 Chronicles (12): Rosaries & Renovations
The month of May proved to be a busy time. The community continued to grow with the entrance of another postulant, and the all the sisters were involved with the monastery’s first pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady. Amidst preparations for the pilgrimage, the sisters also realized the pressing need to renovate the new chapel as soon as possible.
Early Marian pilgrimages at the Monastery
“On the twenty-fifth, the last Sunday of May, the first public pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady was held. The rain came down in torrents, but it did not prevent five buses of pilgrims and many other persons in private cars from paying homage to Our Lady of Grace. About six hundred people attended in spite of the inclement weather. Three traffic policemen were kept busy directing the traffic on Hoop Pole and Race Hill Roads, leading the cars into the monastery grounds which were not yet cloistered.
“The services were to have been held out-of-doors with a beautiful procession in honor of the Mother of God. However, the rain made this impossible, so the pilgrims crowded into the unfinished barn chapel and choir, while some stayed in their cars and buses, listening to the services by means of a loud-speaker system. Space was extremely limited, but the procession into the future sanctuary by the Rosary Society of St. Mary’s, New Haven, was still managed somehow. During the procession, Our Lady was becomingly crowned under her beautiful baldachin of roses which had been proudly carried into the sanctuary by four tall business and professional men, devout clients of Our Lady and our staunch friends and benefactors.
“As part of the pilgrimage, the rosary was said and hymns were sung by the pilgrims and also by us Sisters. We were participating and listening in with the help of a microphone placed in the community room. The sermon was given by the Reverend Timothy Quinlan, O.P., of St. Mary’s, and was followed by solemn benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Reverend Father Rice, pastor of St. Catharine’s, Broad Brook, Connecticut also officiated.
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine
“Yet, even amidst the beauty of the celebration, the many inconveniences occasioned by this first pilgrimage made it quite apparent to all that the chapel must be completed as soon as possible. Therefore, carpenters began working from early morning until sunset; the buzz of the electric saw and the pounding of hammers broke the monastic silence of the little cloister, but no one minded, for the Sisters on the inside were as busy as the workmen on the outside.
“All Sisters embraced their roles in the community: Sister Mary Joseph did the cooking, washing, and pressing. Mother Mary Monica ran the printing press. Sister Rose of St. Mary had charge of the mail and the turn. Sister Mary Damien began to make the vestments and altar linens which were sorely needed. Sister Mary Constance painted Sacred Hearts, colored certificates and helped with the turn.
“Sister Mary Kathleen, also the Infirmarian, developed certificates and hand-printed the names of those enrolled in our Perpetual Prayer Societies. Sister Mary Amata helped with the mail and the cleaning. Sister Martin and Sister Theresa were always on hand for all the odd jobs that needed to be done, including typing and other work connected with the novenas. Sister Mary Emmanuel was almost continually ill during those first months of the foundation, but the Sisters consoled her by saying that she must be the victim soul for the foundation; she must suffer while they worked.”
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