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Monastery Immaculate Conception
Dedication: August 21, 2005
The long-awaited dedication of our
monastery church today was
a beautiful and most
memorable occasion. The
Mass and the Rite of
Dedication took on special
meaning with the
participation of the
sisters, their special
guests and brother
Benedictines from Saint
Meinrad Archabbey, and
diocesan clergy.
| Hardly able to contain
their joy before the
dedication ceremony, the
sisters gather in the
Blessed Virgin Room across
from the church entrance
waiting to process into
their newly restored
church. |
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Monastery liturgist and
musician Sister Michelle
Mohr directs the sisters
in the opening hymn, "All
Are Welcome," with a
refrain, "All are
welcome...in this place." |
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Sister Kristine Anne
Harpenau blesses the
community with holy water
at the beginning of the
Mass. After she, Sister
Joan Scheller, and
Archabbot Justin DuVall
sprinkled the people,
altar, and other areas of
the church, ministers of
ritual Sisters Ann Francis
Hillenbrand, Betty Drewes
(center), and Michelle
Catherine Sinkhorn poured
the remainder of blessed
water into the new holy
water font located at the
entrance of the church.
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Archabbot Justin
presents a new lectionary
to readers Sister Rose
Mary Rexing and Nancy
Habig and charges them to
proclaim God's word. Rev.
Julian Peters serves as
master of ceremonies. |
| Archabbot Justin
anoints the altar with
sacred chrism. With this
anointing, the altar
becomes a symbol of
Christ, "the Anointed
One." He then anointed
walls and doors
representing the North,
South, East, and West. |
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| Assisted by Father Julian,
Archabbot Justin prepares
for the incensation of the
altar and the church.
Sisters Betty Drewes, Kate
Willegal, Ann Francis
Hillenbrand, and Michelle
Catherine Sinkhorn hold
bowls for the incense.
Incense is burned on the
altar to signify the
sacrifice of Christ.
Sister Kristine Anne and
the past prioresses,
Sisters Kathryn Huber,
Joella Kidwell, and Carlita Koch, incensed all
areas of the church as
well as the assembly, the
living temples of God.
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| A
less solemn moment
occurred when heavy smoke
from the incense in the
sanctuary area activated
the smoke detectors.
Following the ritual of
incensation, ministers
placed the bowls of
burning incense on the
colonnade outside the
church.
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