Poor Clare Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy

300 North 60th Street, Belleville, Illinois U.S.A. 62223-3927

Bilingual Ceremony

- Lord, here I am!
  You have called me; be it done to me according to your word.
  ¡Aquí estoy, Señor! Tú me has llamado.Hágase en mi de ocuerdo a Tu palabra.
- Following in the Footsteps
  of our Mother St. Clare
  
  We are blessed to have Sisters
  of diverse cultures in our community. One novice recently
  professed her simple vows
  in a bilingual ceremony
  that celebrated her Hispanic heritage and the rich spirituality of her new Franciscan-Clarian family.
- Dear Sister, what do you ask of God and His Church? I ask for God's merciful love and a share in the life of
  this religious community of Poor Clares.
  Pido el amor misericordioso de Dios y formar parte de la vida de esta comunidad religiosa de Clarisas.
- Receive the Rule of your Mother St. Clare, the book of life, the marrow of the Gospel, the way of perfection,
  the key to Paradise: by observing it faithfully may it bring you to perfect charity.
  Recibe la Regla de tu Madre Santa Clara, el librode vida,lo essencial del Evangelio, el camino de perfection, la llave del Pariso: que por observandolo fielmente, te traiga a la caridad perfecta.
- I....vow to God before the witness of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Father St. Francis, our Mother St. Clare and all the saints.....
  Yo…en presencia de la Bienaventurada Virgen María, de nuestro Padre San Francisco, de nuestra Madre Santa Clara, y de todos los santos, hago voto a Dios….
- Receive the veil..... In imitation of our Mother St. Clare, may you be an image of the Church: a spouse holy given in humility of heart to Christ, who is loved above all others.
  Recibe este velo…. En imitación de tu Madre Santa Clara, que tu seas una imagen de la Iglesia: una esposa entregada totalmente en humildad de corazón a Cristo, quien es amado sobre todo.
- Lord, look upon this religious who,
  following in the way of St. Clare,
  wishes to imitate Your Son more closely....
  Señor, mira sobre esta religiosa
  que siguiendo el camino de Santa Clara, desea imitar a Tu Hijo más de cerca ….
- Jesus, Lord and Lover, ....grant that we may always abound in that sisterly love which is the mark and the seal of Francis and Clare.
  Jesús, Señor y Amante,…concede que el cariño entre nosotras, marca y sello de las hijas de Francisco y Clara, sea siempre abundante.