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Summit Soap Sisters Send Salutations
As the Christmas buying season revs up, consider helping good communities of religious by buying their good stuff as gifts.
I would be willing to post about other communities too. I prefer to actually see things they sell so that I know they are good and can talk about them.
In any event, this is from the Dominican Sisters of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, NJ:
I was away last week at another of our monasteries working with other sisters to plan the ongoing theological formation for the 11 monasteries that belong to our Association www.dominicannuns.org. ... When I came home, the novices told me that we were awash in soap orders and that one person said that she found out about us through you. So, I went to your blog and lo, there it was! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Even if we didn’t get a single order the comments had me chuckling!Thank God for these good sisters.
While there is no way at this stage that our soap making venture could support us—nor do we intend to do that; ... —still every order we receive helps in paying our bills, etc. Through God’s Providence our monastery has always survived on the support of so many people! In fact, our monastery was built after the Depression by asking people to contribute 10 cents for a brick! Our monastery, like places like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and other Churches, was built on the pennies, dimes and nickels of so many people and in a way, our little soap business is in the same tradition.
The other benefit is that it makes people more aware of our monastery. So many people in the area find out about the soaps and come in and say, “Wow! I didn’t know you had a chapel and Adoration! Can I come pray here?” You might say it is a “slippery” way to get people into Church!
Father, you remain in our prayers. Thanks for the suggestion of praying for deceased priests on Thursday. I’ll post something on our blog.
Please continue to pray for us and bug the Lord to send a few more young women to our day of recollection on Saturday! We have 3 coming so far.
lol – “awash in soap orders”
Comment by Beau — 3 November 2009 @ 1:16 pmEveryone on my Christmas list is receiving a bar of the “good stuff” from these “good sisters.” They are also on my prayer list. Thanks, Fr. Z, for directing my attention to these holy women!
Comment by gmarie — 3 November 2009 @ 1:19 pm“I prefer to actually see things they sell so that I know they are good and can talk about them.”
Fr. Z shamelessly asking for free stuff? :p
I’m (of course) just kidding. Please do keep us posted on good stuff made by religious communities. I’m about to start ordering my coffee from a group of monks once my current supply runs out. It’s great when I can support the Church just by buying stuff I was already going to buy, anyway!
Comment by MikeM — 3 November 2009 @ 1:46 pmI got a sampler pack of the male-scented soap. So far I am still working on the bar of the Savonarola scent. I liked the name (and the historical figure). The scent is sort of… interesting. [Perhaps, smokey? And note the pun on “savon”.] It’s masculine enough but I probably would not get that particular scent again.
In any case, I am always happy to support good religious communities.
Comment by Father Ignotus — 3 November 2009 @ 1:52 pmYes, smokey… which makes sense… but I do not find it to be a pleasing smokey scent.
Comment by Father Ignotus — 3 November 2009 @ 2:17 pmFather Ignotus: I bet Savonarola didn’t either!
Comment by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf — 3 November 2009 @ 10:10 pmFr Z: very good point. I shall think of that as I use it. Memento mori!
Comment by Father Ignotus — 4 November 2009 @ 12:06 am