Dear Friends, Family, Sisters and Brothers,

Blessings to all of you this month and Happy Mother’s Day on May 11. May is distinctive because life springs forth as dormant seeds bloom gloriously after the dark winter. During the month of May we continue to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, through Easter – our greatest feast. The Easter season lasts 50 days. It gives us time to reflect and anticipate the Ascension of Our Lord and Pentecost which is the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Another reason that May is special for the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon is because we celebrate May Crowning with the students, residents and staff at Valley Catholic and Maryville, placing a crown of flowers on statues of Mary all around campus.  

This year, we have a new statue in front of the Motherhouse in honor of Mary called, “Mary, the Mystical Rose.” St. John Henry Newman writes in his book, titled “The Mystical Rose,” “How did Mary become the Rosa Mystica, the choice, delicate, perfect flower of God’s spiritual creation?” St. John Henry Newman relates that our God has made all things, and all creation in turn speaks of the Maker. He shares that mountains speak of His eternity, the sun of His immensity, and the strong winds of His almightiness. All of the flowers and wildlife, birds of the air and beasts of the field praise the Name of the Lord. Mary is Immaculate from the beginning, perfect and beautiful, and as the angel Gabriel came to her, he found her “full of grace.” Mary is the queen of spiritual flowers and is therefore called “The Rose.” Mary is the mystical or hidden rose because the term “mystical” is derived from the Greek term mystikos meaning secret or concealed.