Benedictine Blessings: Oblates of Mary, Queen of Apostles, PA

Even though the Oblates of Mary, Queen of Apostles in Pennsylvannia are not officially a part of Holy Mother Clare's Order, I know that the Seraphic Mother is very proud of this beautiful little community! It actually look me alot of "blog-hopping" to come across their website, but I am so glad that I sacrificed the time!

Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but although they follow the Rule of St. Benedict, the Oblates of Mary are not "officially" part of any Benedictine Congregation. If I am not mistaken, a Benedictine priest told me back in the Fall that they are in the process of appealing to be official members of the Order of St. Benedict.

Their website is very well maintained. It includes a lovely letter from their Prioress, and very lucid descriptions of each of the aspects of cloistered life.

It's very interesting to note that the lifestyle of these sisters mirrors the Poor Clare way of life very closely in terms of its strictness. For instance, they only eat one meal a day and have a fragmented sleep schedule because of Matins. Also, this community- as witnessed by its namesake- appears to have an especial devotion to Our Lady:

"It is our ideal to imitate Our Lady's retirement from the world in quiet seclusion, as well as her apostolic charity. Consecrated entirely to her and filled with her spirit, which is none other than the Holy Spirit of God, we aspire to be, to the successors of the Apostles in our times, what she was to them in the beginning: behind-the-scenes encouragement, assistance and support."

Also, by looking at the picture, the Oblates of Mary appears to be a very young community of nuns. For anyone who is interested in this beautiful community, here is the vocations page!