"Father, we ask your blessing upon Our Lady of the Mountains Convent"

Sunday, July 29th-history was made. The first convent in Sierra Vista, Arizona was blessed. Our Lady of the Mountains Convent received a beautiful and thorough house blessing that was witnessed by over 80 people-inside the convent!!

After the 9:30am Mass all parishioners were invited to the Sisters home-convent-to witness the house blessing by Fr. Ariel Lustan and Deacon Bill Merritt. Fr. Ariel led the procession of cars from the church parking lot to our home, only taking one wrong turn and turning around only to have all the cars following him do the same.

About 80 parishioners came for the house blessing and fit inside. They felt very honored to be asked to attend such a beautiful ceremoney.

Fr. Ariel began the house blessing in the dining room with prayers said by him, Deacon Bill and each of the Sisters-Sr. Mary Ann, Sr. Anna and Sr. Carol.

From there Fr. Ariel went to the four corners of the house to bless it beginning with outside the front door.

 He went to each room and parishioners were invited to follow him. The blessing ended back in the dining room where all were invited to enjoy some delicious bakery and lemonade and to tour the house.


You could hear from many parishioners-oh those chairs in the chapel came from my house. Please say a prayer for me every time you go in there to sit and pray. And also,  that is the picture of the Madonna and Child I made for your convent. I am so pleased that you have it in such a place of honor.

And I also heard - I recognize this table and those lamps and my lazy boy chair looks great in your bedroom. The people who donatetd furniture, dishes, towels, pictures, lamps, crucifixes, statues were thrilled to see them in a real convent. They felt honored and people still gave from their hearts at the house blessing. We received lots of food, a nativity set and gifts of money to purchase other items. A more generous and thoughtful parish one can not find.

 

Two of our students admiring the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima that was purchased at a yard sale!

One especially touching story was one parishioner who came up to me and asked me if this was a REAL CONVENT. I said, yes it is because it has a chapel. If there would be no chapel in this house it would not be a convent, but this year we now have a chapel so it is officially Our Lady of the Mountains Convent. He said, in all my years I have never been in a convent but always wanted to see one. To see what is actually inside a convent. I went to a Catholic Grade School in Jersey City and we never got past the front door of the convent. We got to see the Sisters go in and come out but we never got to go in. I always wondered what a convent looked like on the inside. Thank you for inviting me today.

Last Thursday we were honored to have Fr. Ariel, our pastor, come and say the first Mass in our chapel. He blessed all the sacred vessels, "May those who celebrate Mass with these sacred vessels, be it a priest or bishop......" 

On a different side note, as you know we are in the monsoon season from June through the end of September and this year the monsoon has brought us rain almost every other day and downpours! And I mean downpours. Friday I was able to capture the beautiful sunset as the monsoon storm moved in and the black clouds pushed aside the colorful red, orange and yellow clouds. Just watch the progression in the following pictures.

And then it poured, thundered and streaks of lightning cut through the black clouds.