Europe
Italy
Contemplative Community of Blessed Mary Victoria of Fornari Strataa
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for the sanctification of seminarians and deacons.
In June 2015, a first community of Servant Sisters was started in this monastery, where there was already a community of nuns of the Institute of the Santissima Annunziata Celeste (Suore Turquine), a monastic congregation founded in 1600 by Blessed Maria Vittoria de Fornari Strata, the current patroness of the Monastery. Her incorrupt body is venerated in the convent church.
A painting of the Holy Family is also preserved, in which Our Lady miraculously spoke to Blessed Vittoria promising to take care of the Order as long as the sisters were faithful to her Divine Son. In 2019 the Contemplative Formation House was moved to this monastery.
In this house, the religious sisters who, having already completed their initial formation in the apostolic branch, feel the call to the contemplative vocation, complete a year of monastic formation. During this time they learn more deeply about the contemplative life and study spirituality, mainly following St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Jesus.
Contemplative Juniorate of St. Paul of the Poor Clares
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for the unity and holiness of families.
On February 22, 2017, the Contemplative House of Formation began in this former monastery belonging to the Order of the Poor Clares. The sisters had the grace of caring for one of the Poor Clare nuns named Sister Maria Rosa del Divino Amore, who passed away on January 3, 2021 at the age of 96. Since the transfer of the Contemplative Formation House to Genoa (2019), the monastery has been functioning as a Contemplative Juniorate (House of Studies). At the end of the novitiate year, the nuns continue their philosophical and theological formation in this house, along with specific formation in the contemplative life.
Novitiate of Contemplative Life Saint Gemma Galgani
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for all the novices of our Religious Family.
In the convent of Tuscania there is also the novitiate "St. Gemma Galgani". All the vocations from Europe who wish to enter the contemplative life, make their first formation in this house, beginning their journey in the religious and contemplative life.
The cell where St. Joseph appeared on March 8, 1871, now transformed into a chapel, and the chair on which he sat, are preserved in the monastery.
Contemplative Community of Blessed Mary Gabrielle of Unity
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for the unity of all Christians and in reparation for those who threaten the unity of the Church, praying for their conversion.
The Monastery was founded on June 21, 1996 in the town of Pontinia, Province of Latina (Italy); in the house donated to the Bishopric by the couple Annita and Luigino Castelli, after the unforeseen death of a daughter, Anna Castelli, to whom this property would have belonged.
The Monastery was placed under the patronage of Blessed Maria Gabriella dell'Unità Sagheddu, with the special prayer intention entrusted by our Founder to pray for the unity of Christians.
Blessed Mary Gabrielle of Unity was born in Dorgali (Nuoro) on March 17, 1914. She entered the Monastery of the Trappist nuns of Grottaferrata, now transferred to Vitorchiano (Viterbo), at the age of 20. She offered her life with simplicity for the unity of Christians and the Lord accepted her holocaust: her sacrifice was consummated when she was 25 years old on April 23, 1939, Good Shepherd Sunday, when the Gospel recalled the promise of Jesus Christ: "There will be one flock and one Shepherd" (Jn 1:16). She was beatified on January 25, 1983. Her remains are venerated in the chapel of Unity, annexed to the Monastery of Vitorchiano.
Contemplative Community of Our Lady of Grace
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for the increase, holiness and perseverance of priests.
Since Bishop Andrea Maria Erba arrived in the Diocese of Velletri-Segni, appreciating the importance of prayer, his great desire was to have a monastery of cloistered nuns who would pray in a special way for the sanctification of the priests of the Diocese.
In 1997 there was a meeting of religious from Lazio, in Latina, in which some of our sisters participated, among them Mother María de Fátima was present, who met Sister Annunziata, a religious from the Diocese of Velletri-Segni. The Mother told him that our Institute also has the contemplative branch, to which she enthusiastically commented that the Bishop of Velletri-Segni was looking for a contemplative community for his diocese and asked him for all the data to take to the Bishop. Bishop Erba immediately wrote to Mother Maria de la Providencia, then Superior General of the Institute, and then to her successor, Mother Maria de Anima Christi, to ask for a monastic community that under the title of "Maria Santissima delle Grazie" - patroness of the city and the diocese - would offer its prayers, sacrifices and hidden life for the sanctification of priests, mainly of the diocese, and of the whole world.
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By the grace of God, the foundation took place during the triduum of preparation for the Feast of the Madonna delle Grazie and on the vigil of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, a delicacy of Divine Providence. Thus, on Friday, April 30, 1999, the inauguration Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of San Clemente, which is also the Shrine where the miraculous icon of the Madonna is located. It was presided by Monsignor Andrea Maria Erba and concelebrated by priests of the IVE, Franciscans, Conceptionists and the diocesan clergy. Our Mothers and Sisters of the Generalate and of the monastery "Beata Maria Gabriella dell'Unità", various religious communities of the diocese, as well as benefactors from Sezze and Rome and a large number of local faithful participated.
Contemplative Community of Our Lady of Bonaria
They offer their prayers and sacrifices imploring God's mercy on humanity and on the evils that threaten it.
This monastery is located on the island of Sardinia, Italy, in the city of Oristano. It is under the protection of the Madonna di Bonaria, Patroness of the island, and of Blessed Antonia Mesina, martyr of purity and native of Orgosolo, who was martyred on May 17, 1935.
Albania
Contemplative Community of Saint Joseph
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for Holy Mother Church, in reparation for the sins committed by its members and asking for the sanctification of each one of them.
The mission of the sisters in this monastery is also to help Christians rediscover their faith, since for several years they had no spiritual assistance and there are many who, although they are Catholics, have not received the sacraments. In addition, in a country where the majority is Muslim, their witness of religious and contemplative life is very important. They are also visited at different times by volunteers from Spain, Italy, Holland, USA; many of them stay at the Monastery's guest house, participate in the Mass and pray with the sisters.
Spain
Contemplative Community of the Holy Patrons of Europe
They offer their prayers and sacrifices so that Europe rediscovers its Christian roots.
Nestled in the Albaida Valley, the town of L'Olleria connects with other places of religious and cultural interest (city of Valencia, Xátiva, Onteniente, Gandía, Alicante, etc.).
This convent also has facilities to accommodate those faithful who wish to spend a few days of solitude, prayer and silence, accompanying the sisters in the celebration of divine worship and liturgy, in order to contemplate the face of God.
The "House of Spirituality and Recollection" gives people the possibility to find the peace they have lost, in an atmosphere of silence which helps them to reflect and re-found their lives in God. It is also used as a place for meetings, retreats, spiritual exercises and retreats.
St. John of Ribera Contemplative Community
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for Catholic education at all levels, and in reparation for offenses committed against Jesus in the Eucharist.
The sisters live in this historic Monastery since 2017, the place where in 1568 the holy Bishop Juan de Ribera founded the Order of the Discalced Augustinian Nuns to repair the sacrilegious theft of a ciborium containing the consecrated forms, an event that happened in the Parish of Santa Maria in the city of Alcoy. In the church is preserved the miraculous image of the Child Jesus, which changed its original position to indicate the place where the thief had hidden the ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament. The place where it was found is marked by an image of the recumbent Christ, for which the church and the monastery take the name of "Holy Sepulcher".
A Perpetual Adoration chapel was inaugurated more than a year ago, and the number of adorers is increasing. They also assist the 40 hours devotion for consecrated vocations and a children’s adoration hour.
Contemplative community of St. John the Baptist of the Conception
They offer their prayers and sacrifices so that the congregations may be faithful to their charism and so that Spain may keep its faith.
The Monastery of "La Purísima Concepción" was founded in 1562 and until 2018 belonged to the Franciscan Conceptionist Sisters of St. Beatriz de Silva.
Monsignor Juan Antonio Reig Pla, Bishop of Alcala, requested the foundation of our contemplative sisters, who arrived in Torrelaguna in July 2020.
The monastery is located in the town's main square. Since the arrival of our sisters the Monastery Church is open all day long so that people can come to pray. On Thursdays there is ongoing adoration and on Sundays retreats are organized. We also welcome in the guest house those who wish to pray or make a few days of retreat.
Contemplative Community of the Immaculate Conception
They offer their prayers and sacrifices to make reparation for offenses against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The Immaculate Conception Contemplative Community is a recent foundation in Andalusia, Spain. The sisters who are part of it arrived on April 15, 2021 in the town of Alhama de Granada and the official foundation took place on June 13 of the same year. The monastery in which they live is an old convent, originally a convent of the Alcanterine friars and for four centuries occupied by the Poor Clares. Currently there are two of the last community that lived in Alhama, and the Servidoras carry on both the contemplative life in this convent and the care and attention of the elderly nuns.
The intention for which they pray is to make reparation for the offenses against the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin. A fact worth mentioning is that the date of the official foundation (June 13) coincides with the day on which Our Lady spoke for the first time in Fatima of her Immaculate Heart, of the need to console it and to take refuge in it. The monastery houses a very great treasure, making it particularly special: a particle of consecrated Host that for 296 years has remained incorrupt after the theft and the discovery of the ciborium of the church of the Carmelites in Alhama in 1725. The community performs hours of Adoration in front of the Eucharistic miracle daily. The influx of pilgrims, friends and souls thirsty for God in this house is remarkable and the apostolate of preparation for the consecration to Mary for children has also begun.
Portugal
Contemplative Community
Irmã Lúcia de Fátima
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for persecuted Christians and for all Christians to have the spirit of martyrdom.
It is an old Charterhouse, founded in the 16th century. It was abandoned at the end of the 19th century, when all the religious were expelled from the country.
After having had several secular functions, it was recovered for Carthusian life in the middle of the 20th century. In addition to continuing the contemplative life of the Monastery, the mission of our religious will be, as the Archbishop of the place said, to be a "spiritual lung" for the diocese and for the entire country. Many people have already asked for prayers and even lodging in the monastery inn when available, showing great appreciation for the contemplative life and a great conviction of the power of prayer.
We thank God that we can bear witness to the primacy of God in this “land of Mary”!
Ukraine
Contemplative Community
santa Sophia, Divine Wisdom
They offer their prayers and sacrifices so that Catholics learn to breathe with both lungs: the eastern and western lungs of the Church.
This community began in a former convent of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, offered by the Bishop. On August 23, 2008, during a solemn Mass celebrated by Monsignor Volodymyr Vyytyshyn, the first part of the building was inaugurated and the first sisters of the apostolic community began to live there. One of the main apostolates is the preaching of Spiritual Exercises in the Retreat House. These sisters belong to the Byzantine Rite.
The monastery bears the name of "Divine Wisdom", which was proposed by Father Buela with the desire that it would recall the mystery of the Incarnation, the principal mystery of our Congregation. "Sophia" in Greek means "Wisdom of God", and indicates the person of Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God Incarnate.
In the years 1036-1037 King Yaroslav Mudryy built in Kiev a temple of the same size as that of St. Sophia in Constantinople and consecrated it in honor of the Holy Sophia, Divine Wisdom. There is an icon called "Of the Wisdom of God Sophia". On this icon is depicted the Mother of God with her Son, Divine Wisdom, in Her incarnate. The book of Proverbs 9, 1 speaks of Him: "Wisdom built her house, she carved her seven pillars". The house points to the Virgin Mary, who became the dwelling place of the Son of God.
This name, is also connected with the testament of Patriarch Joseph Slipyy, who referred to the Basilica of St. Sophia in Rome in this way: "I leave you this Basilica as a sign and symbol of the destroyed and dishonored Ukrainian temples, among them our most important witnesses - temples witnesses of the Christian faith of our ancestors - the Basilica of St. Sophia in Kiev and the Basilica of St. George in Lviv. May this Basilica of St. Sophia be for you a sign of rebirth and construction of new temples in our homeland and a spur to the building of temples to God in the places where you live!" . They offer their prayers and sacrifices so that Catholics learn to breathe with both lungs: the eastern and western lungs.
France
Contemplative Community of St. Joan of Arc
With the motto "Rege o Maria" (Rule over us O Mary), they offer their prayers and sacrifices so that the Virgin Mary may reign in all hearts.
The Contemplative community is located in the diocese of La Rochelle, France. It was founded on October 8, 2021.
The intention for which they pray was chosen taking into account the proximity to the places where St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort missioned, where he wrote the Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin and where his remains rest.
We also add the intention of the Bishop of the diocese, Monsignor Colomb, to pray for French vocations and for the diocese.
We hope that this Saint, who is so important for France and for the whole Church, will be a model of strength and fidelity to the Church for the sisters who will live in this monastery, and of help and example for the French people.