But what about ourselves? What fruit has this year reaped? It has become a time of renewal, of reexamining our life, and of trying to be ever more faithful to our call as Dominican Nuns. Some concrete steps already taken include using more Latin at our Liturgy, and keeping the curtains at our Choir windows closed during our singing of the Divine Office, in order to better preserve our prayerfulness and recollection. But the biggest change so far is in the way we look! For on December 18, 2007, the feast of Our Lady’s Expectation in the old liturgical calendar, a feast especially dear to our foundress, Mother Mary Hyacinth, we went from a modified veil back to a traditional one. It was a day of joy and excitement, and of learning how to tie and tug things here and there!

As we continue to prayerfully discern where the Lord is leading our community at present, we look to the future with hope that our desire for renewal will be matched with new and fervent vocations. At the same time we look back with gratitude to the past, to the many wonderful women we knew as our “Mothers” and “Sisters”, beginning with our Foundress, Mother Mary Hyacinth of Jesus . . .

She was born in New York City on January 21, 1893 as Sarah Agnes Fitzgerald and entered the Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary in Union City, New Jersey, at the age of fifteen. It was the Feast of the Birth of Mary, September 8, 1908. Exactly a year later Sarah was clothed in the Dominican habit and received her religious name, Sister Mary Hyacinth of Jesus. Nine years later she was sent to the monastery in Catonsville, Maryland to be novice mistress. Because the exercises and prayers were in French, Sister Mary Hyacinth was needed for the English speaking girls who were pursuing their vocation. Eventually they knew an English speaking foundation was needed.

On September 8, 1922 Mother Mary of the Crown came to Springfield, Massachusetts, accompanied by Sister Mary Hyacinth. They petitioned the Ordinary of the diocese, Most Reverend Thomas Mary O’Leary, to accept them in his diocese. He responded, “Come, come to Springfield in the name of God and Mary. This will be our gift to Our Lady on the feast of her birth.” Bishop O’Leary appointed Sister Mary Hyacinth as the prioress of the new community. She was then twenty-nine years old. Mother Mary of the Crown later returned to Catonsville.

On October 22nd, in a torrential rain, five sisters joined Mother Mary Hyacinth. They were Mother Mary Magdalen, Sister Mary Lucie, Sister Mary Hyacinth of the Blessed Sacrament, Sister Mary of the Assumption, and Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart. There was also one postulant, Sister Hazel Shaw, who would later become Sister Mary of the Rosary. They were received with great charity at the House of the Good Shepherd where Mother Mary Hyacinth awaited their arrival with hope and joy in this new venture. During the weeks that followed Mother Mary Hyacinth made preparations for the new foundation. After much searching they found a house at 80 Ingersoll Grove in Springfield. On November 9, 1922 the Monastery of the Mother of God became a reality. As the sisters took up their new residence, their first official act was the singing of Vespers in praise of God and His holy Mother.

Over the next three years, the community started to grow and flourish. And Mother Mary Hyacinth started looking for a more suitable spot where the sisters would be close to the people of the diocese and yet set apart for enclosure, in an atmosphere of silence and solitude. One day she approached the door of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Nye, asking if they would be interested in selling their property because it was situated on a lovely hill in West Springfield. Of course, they were not. But within a very short time Mr. Nye suddenly died, and Mrs. Nye did not feel that she could remain in the large estate. There were two parties interested in the sale: the Springfield Country Club, who could pay cash, and the Dominican Nuns, who only had promises. Bishop O’Leary was hesitant at first to give his approval since the nuns were so poor. The nuns continued to pray and to hope. Suddenly the Bishop had a change of mind and, with his backing, the property was purchased. The Sisters moved into the Nye mansion on October 23, 1925. Renovations followed. Five years later another milestone was reached. With the approval of Rome, the community took on the Constitutions of the Second Order, with full Divine Office, including Matins at midnight, the monastic fast, papal enclosure and solemn vows. Twenty years later it became apparent that a proper monastic building was needed. The old Nye mansion was both too small for the number of sisters and physically deteriorating. Plans for a new monastery, a “real” monastic building, were drawn up and a building project was begun.

Thus our present building was erected, with the community taking residence in 1956. Thanks to the many sacrifices and prayers by our first sisters, and the generosity of so many friends of our community, our monastic life continues, even to this day, “under the mantle of Our Lady”.