“One thing we owe completely to our Lord is never to be afraid

of anything.” Countless friends of Christ down to our present age have echoed this daring message of Blessed Charles de Foucauld. People like Bl. Charles, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Edith Stein and the host of others raised to the altar by Blessed John Paul are the living icons of the message he sought to convey in his pontificate. Perhaps more than any other century, ours needed his message of hope in the face of despair, of courage in the wake of previously unimaginable evil. Accordingly, Blessed John Paul traveled to nearly every continent on the globe exhorting the faithful to "be not afraid!"

Who better to preach a message of courage than a man formed

in his priesthood in the crucible of one of the darkest times in human history? Who could have been a more fitting example of hopeful defiance of fear than a man carved into the priestly image of the

Crucified One by the experience of living under two of the most oppressive tyrannies in history. Blessed John Paul preached a message he lived and asked nothing of us that he did not first require of himself. His rallying call to defeat the existential despair of our era roused us all to a battle in which he placed himself at the front line.

Blessed John Paul’s message did not end with his exhortation

against fear. “Be not afraid!” was followed by the Gospel antidote to fear, “Open wide the doors for Christ.” Humans have a primal need not to be overcome by the tyranny of fear. However, mankind can overcome his fear either by becoming a tyrant himself or, paradoxically, by entrusting himself to the One Who conquers all evil, surrendering his instinct to conquer fear by force.

Contemporary man tends to react to the despair of his age

by retreating inside himself. His futile cringing against the darkness only results in it overtaking him, enveloping him in the Hell of his own egoism. The Christian response to the shadows of doubt and dread in our world stands in bold contrast. Where the natural response is retreat, the Christian is called to go on the offensive. We are called to defy our natural reaction in the face of uncertainty and danger and assume a supernatural one. This is never possible on a purely human

level. It is only made possible by man being open to the tremendous grace continually offered by the Savior. In other words, closing one’s self off is counterproductive, and the only real solution to fear is to “open wide the doors for Christ” in a life rooted in prayer.

Blessed John Paul spent himself as priest and pope in a constant

effort to radically open himself to the grace of Christ. From the moment he embraced his vocation as alteri Christi, he began to live profoundly the call to be another sacrificial victim in union with Christ. Blessed John Paul entered seminary knowing the risks involved. He began studying for the priesthood in a country where priests were being murdered every day. His profound life of prayer was the conduit for the strength he needed. Prayer threw open the doors of his soul, thus initiating a lifelong pattern of response to the seemingly impossible. This he demonstrated perhaps most dramatically at the end of his life, when, in the words of George Wiegel, he was a "soul dragging a body", he nonetheless continued to pour himself out as a libation for his flock. When his vocation seemed to ask too much, he gave all the more. Where the human response dictated fear, he called on Christ and answered with the supernatural courage that would become his hallmark.

Op e n W i d e t h e D o o r s f o r C h r i s t : T h e S u p e r n a t u r a l R e s p o n s e t o F e a r

U p o n entering the

monastery as a young woman, the new sister anticipates with wonder what her life will be like… and then after twenty five years, this same sister can look back (and forward!) with a whole new wonder while giving thanks in the present moment!

In April, Sr. Mary Agnes of Jesus celebrated her silver jubilee of religious life amidst the most unexpected of circumstances. As a result of the horrific storms and tornadoes that tore through the nearby towns, we were still

without electricity when the day arrived for Sister Agnes’ anniversary Mass. Nonetheless, Sister’s family, the sisters, faithful priests and brothers and some honored guests, made the most of this opportunity to thank God for His faithfulness to our jubilarian and her fidelity to Him! In truly Providential fashion, Sister Agnes’ great day took place on the eve of Pope John Paul II’s beatification! This was most fitting since Sister has always had a very special love for our beloved late Holy Father. Early in her novitiate days, Sr. Agnes watched Bl. John Paul on

his papal visit to her home state and knew that he would have a special place in her prayers. It was truly inspiring to see God bring good – the joy of Sister's jubilee – in the midst of a crisis. Even the pitch-black parlor was transformed through some ingenuity (i.e. Christmas lights on generator!) into a beautiful reception hall. For these small, yet significant manifestations of God’s ever-present care we give THANKS! And thank you to all who have supported and prayed for Sister Mary Agnes these twenty-five years! Congratulations Sister!

25 Years

A S ilver Celebration toRemember! Colorful

"The designs of The Lord, shaLL sTand forever, The ThoughTs of his hearT from age To age..." (PsaLm 33:11) sisTer mary agnes of Jesus reaLized This TruTh in a Profound, and one mighT say unexPecTed, way as The Lord definiTeLy had his way crafTing The deTaiLs of sisTer's sPeciaL day... iT was a siLver ceLebraTion To remember, fLanked by Two very significanT (and hisToricaL!) evenTs: The ePic sTorms ThaT Tore Through The souTh and John PauL ii's beaTificaTion. one mighT say This aPTLy describes The drama of sorrow and Joy ThaT comPLemenTs The chrisTian Life. beLow: sisTer's famiLy is seen enJoying The fesTiviTies of The day. sisTer agnes is The eLdesT of

eLeven chiLdren. These PicTures disPLay onLy a fracTion of The haPPy acTion in The ParLor! LefT: fr. JosePh mary, mfva, wiTnesses sisTer's renewaL of vows. above: sisTer enJoys The day.

Meet: Sister Maria Maris Stella of the Holy Spirit.

Where do you hail from? You obviously don’t have a southern accent! St. Louis, Missouri.

What did you do before you became a nun? God has blessed me abundantly with a mother who has laid down her life in service to the poor and elderly who are alone and dying. Through her guidance and wholehearted sacrifices God gave me the grace to serve urban street youth and dying AIDS patients

in Paraguay, South America on a three-year Peace Corps assignment.

You have a missionary spirit in you, which is appropriate since cloistered nuns must have hearts big enough to embrace the entire world. Are there specific intentions you feel especially called to pray for during your hours of Eucharistic adoration? I unite my prayers to the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and pray especially that the missionary efforts of EWTN will reach those suffering and those in need of the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Can you share with us a funny story about your early days here? During my visit to the monastery I was sitting before the Lord in prayer in the main church when Deacon Bill came over to me, smiled and placed a small prayer meditation booklet beside me. It was entitled, “Holiness in a Nutshell.” Later that day, I was given a tour of the monastery and led to the canning room to begin contemplative work. On the long table before my eyes was a large bushel of pecans that I was to

“de-shell.” I couldn’t help but laugh to myself thinking of my hour of adoration and my prayer meditation, “Holiness in a Nutshell.” God is not without a sense of humor in the activity of cloistered life!

Is there a scripture quote or a particular quote from one of the saints that inspires you to give your all to Jesus? Ever since I was a small child I remember my father kneeling before the elevated host during the consecration when Jesus become truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, and devoutly placing his hand on his heart he would solemnly say: “My Lord, My God, My All” (St. Francis of Assisi). This too gives me the strength to give my all for Jesus!

"Regina Angelorum" presents a new feature that provides our readers with a more personal encounter with the sisters of Our Lady of the Angels

Monastery.

"Behind the Wall"

Meet: Sr. Maria Isabella of Christ the Merciful King.

Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Oxnard, southern California. At the age of 14 however, our family moved to southeast Michigan where I lived up until I entered the monastery at the age of 24.

What attracted you to this order? There were several things that attracted me to this community. Among them were the beautiful traditional habits. Complete fidelity to the Pope and the Church was also something that was important to me. Perpetual adoration of the Holy Eucharist was another aspect I felt drawn to as well, particularly in the way that we do so, that is, in the spirit of thanksgiving.

You are our beloved extern sister. Our Constitutions speak glowingly about the extern life:

They represent the community to those with who they come in contact, welcoming visitors

with Franciscan warmth and hospitality. It is their special mission to offer peace and love to all who come to the monastery seeking spiritual strength, and to draw people to Eucharistic worship.

How do you live this? It is a joy and privilege to be able to greet people when they come to visit the Shrine. So many come on pilgrimage to implore Jesus for some special intention. Many times they will open their hearts and share with me their own personal journey to the Lord and tell me how much EWTN and Mother Angelica have impacted them to live better lives. It really is amazing to witness how God works in the lives of so many by drawing them back to Himself in the Eucharist.

Since you have more contact with the public, (i.e. you hear firsthand the troubles of others) how does this deepen your faith and your commitment to prayer and adoration? Being able to listen to people with their many prayer intentions and

heartaches allows me to begin to grasp the awesome responsibility I have as a consecrated religious to implore God on their behalf. After all, what is a nun’s life mainly about if not to pray! I bring the many prayer requests we receive to our Blessed Mother Mary to present to her Son Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, knowing full well that He knows the needs of all His children. I simply offer them up to His Mercy that He may grant us all the ability to accept His most holy Will.

Above: Sr. MAriA iSAbellA delightS in the coMpAny of the

Swope children.

Above: Sr. MAriA MAriS StellA Still enjoyS crAcking nutS. the

SiMple (often huMorouS) leSSonS in life keep uS in hiS preSence.

Where were you born and raised? The beginning of my vocation story starts when I was seven years old at my first Holy Communion even before I knew Mother Angelica. Jesus speaks to First Holy Communicants, I always think, because that’s when you’re the most innocent and in awe of God’s graces. My first Holy Communion-- that’s when my vocation began developing in me.

I went ahead in my youth, but never lost sight of the day I received my first Holy Communion, because that was truly Jesus giving His Body and Blood and His whole divinity to me.

My family was not devoted to going to Church, but I always would make sure I could get to Mass and get to the Blessed Sacrament not realizing I was being drawn. I would walk and would sit on the doorstep waiting for the Church to open, so I could see Jesus. I tried to live a normal life, a teenage life coming from a family that was one hundred percent Italian. Let’s just say I worked hard like most people do that are not into book work. I think the Lord wanted me in simplicity.

I did not like dating. I dated a little bit in the sense where Italians date Italians. You never really left your nationality in my days. But I wanted more than just that. I wanted the union that you have with Jesus in the soul. And nobody can experience that except when God puts that print on a soul and there it begins growing like a flower.

Was there anyone in particular that helped you in your vocational journey? My dear, dear friend, Frances Shellingberg, kind of nurtured me like a mother. I guess she saw something in me that I didn’t see - the working of a vocation in the soul. She handed me the Story of a Soul of St. Theresa. I remember reading in the back room the story of St. Theresa and her Carmelite vocation. I fell in love with her.

She kind of opened up to me the contemplative life. The solitude, not that you walk around looking smush-face, it means that you walk around contemplating Jesus. And you are aware of people around you, of God’s

creation; you’re aware of all that in a deeper, more beautiful way. And that’s what I fell in love with. A second love. Jesus was my first love, as my vocation was beginning to grow, and then the contemplative life.

So my vocation was being very strongly developed and nurtured by God, and my family wanted me to get serious and meet somebody if I was going to get married and have children. Or I could stay home and not get married and take care of them. Those were my choices. That was my life really up until I was 18 going on 19.

I didn’t go to college. Girls were going to college in my time, but I didn’t feel called to that. I was offered marriage at that time, but my heart was at that monastery when I went down that hill [in Irondale].

Share with us one of your favorite memories of Mother Angelica, especially when you were a young timid sister, new to religious life. What did she do to make you feel at home and how did she show you that this new religious community was your new family? I left home with tears, secretly. I got my little black outfit and everything ready through a friend of mine. I had nothing to bring to the monastery. Mother Angelica said just bring yourself. And that’s what I did. And that was the beginning of my life with Mother Angelica. The first thing Mother gave me was example. Unless you have example, you will never know the end of anything. And she nurtured me like a daughter. Homesickness; I had that, big time. My grandmother died when I was a postulant and that was very hard for me. Mother Angelica let me call home, and that was helpful. And she talked to my family quite often. Her compassion for my family made it easier for me to persevere. Even though I was separated from them she made it easy because she would call my dad, and say, ‘Joe, Rose it’s gonna be alright,’ and she’d talk to them.I learned from Mother what a contemplative is. A contemplative is heart.

Much of your religious life

you’ve had the great privilege of managing the cloister gardens. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned working so close to nature? We had a small-scale yard and garden [at the monastery in Irondale] and chickens, and a pig. We were at lesson one day, and Mother said, "Sister Regina, I want you to take care of the garden, outside the monastery and inside." I remember just sitting there, my hands folded. I was thinking to myself, ‘I’m not believing this. I don’t know nothing about a yard!’ I’d never been in the yard all my life. And she just looked at me straight, telling me "you’re it." So that’s the beginning of the unfolding of my work in nature. Talk about ‘in the beginning God created.’ When I was younger I just didn’t like any dirt at all, kind of particular as all that. When I was in the yard, boy I couldn’t get rid of the dirt on the ground, but I could make things look a little neater and take the weeds out.

What does that tell you about your own spiritual life? You take weeds out, you clean house and you begin to see paradise like where Adam and Eve lived. I guess I was trying to make a little paradise. So you learn to weed out things, weed out your own faults, not that you get rid of them, they’ll always be there but you try, persevere in that.

Your religious name is very Marian – do you have any favorite prayers you like to say to her while working? How can you bypass the Hail Mary? When you approach your mother, she embraces you, embraces you with her heart and Jesus’ heart and I love Our Blessed Mother. Immaculate Heart of Mary, I love that.

"Behind the Wall" Continued: A Talk In the Garden with Sr. Mary Regina of the Holy Angels