A Heart Given, A Heart Received –
June 2026 – Our life here at Mississippi Abbey is ordinary, but every once in a while something extraordinary happens, and the recent feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saturday June 13, was one of those times. On that day, our community celebrated a moment of great grace and great joy – the Solemn Profession of our Sr. Marie Madeleine. Following the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in fact springing from it, Sr. Madeleine offered her heart to him in return.

Our monastic community, along with her family and friends, and the angels and saints, gathered in the Abbey Church to witness Sr. Madeleine profess her solemn vows and to receive her monastic consecration. As is our custom, we celebrated the Rite within the context of the Mass, and it overflowed with beautiful liturgical elements that pointed to the deeper spiritual reality taking place. There are too many to recall here but a few highlights include:

The Scriptural Guests
In the choice of her readings, Sr. Madeleine added the following to her guest list: Ruth – a woman of faithfulness, Mary – at the foot of the Cross, along with the Beloved Disciple, and Mary Magdalene.

The Suscipe

After the pronunciation of her vows, Sr. Madeleine herself stood at the foot of the Cross in our sanctuary and three times sang the verse: “Receive me, O Lord, as you have promised, that I may live. Do not disappoint me in my hope.”
-Psalm 118 (119)

Reception of the Black Veil and Cowl
Sr. Madeleine received two new pieces of clothing – a black veil and the Cistercian cowl.

The Embrace and Promise of Prayer

Finally, as a newly solemnly professed sister, Sr. Madeleine knelt before each of her solemnly professed sisters and asked for their prayer, while the rest of the community sang Psalm 50 (51). It was a moment of shared sisterly joy.

Sr. Madeleine’s Solemn Profession is a testament to the faithfulness of God in bringing about the plan he has for us. A seed planted in the heart, watered by baptism, nourished by the Eucharist, trellised by the cross, and nurtured by those the Good Gardener has sent us has now come into bloom. And just as Mary pondered all these things in her heart, so do we.

Please pray for Sister Madeleine and all those responding to God’s call.

For those interested in exploring joining our way of life, we invite you to visit our page Becoming a Trappist