This was our trip to the Sacred Heart Cathedral. This was the most beautiful cathedral I have seen. It's Gothic architecture was incredible and was very elegant. Our tour guide told us that the building was designed so that everybody looks up when they enter. The cathedral had marvelous statues of saints and the stained glass was second best in the whole world. This place is one of a kind. I enjoyed the experience very much.

Our Last Trip

St. Patrick's Cathedral/Metropolitan Museum 

On the 28th of May we took our last field trip to NYC. We visited Saint Patrick's Cathedral on 5th ave, took some pictures and headed on over to The Metropolitan Museum  in Central Park. We had a really great experience bonding and exploring the Cathedral and the Museum .

 We took a small tour inside the cathedral, a nice woman by the name of Victoria showed us around and explained to us the Gothic architecture of the building.she had said that the Sacred heart cathedral in Newark could fit inside this one. Although it was under some construction (a new paint job) we really got to appreciate the building and its beauty. As we were taking the photo we were only able to get us in front of the door for the whole cathedral was too massive to fit in just a cellular camera.We had a real fun time the cathedral. we even found one of the sisters that we had previously visited in NYC . After we had walked to The metropolitan Museum and explore the different realms of art in different eras and places around the world. This had to be one of our funnest trips. We really got to know each other and really get along, as we adventured in the streets of New York, in the subways, and even trains.

Dominican Monastery Trip May

 DOMINICAN MONASTERY OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY

On May the 26  , we voyaged to Summit New Jersey to discover more about the lives and experiences  of Dominican nuns in a cloistered monastery. A cloister is a closed and secluded community which maintains a contemplative and spiritual life filled with prayer and penance. Although we were only able to get an account of two extern sisters we were able to relate to the livelihood of the Dominicans by praying a  decade  of the Holy Rosary in the chapel.

  

We were also able to view the shroud of Turin replica which was transformed from a ordinary mimic to a blood stained treasure which makes this monastery unique. This replica was commissioned in April 1624 by Maria Maddalena of Austria, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany and the wife of Cosimo de Medici.
The replica is treasured and venerated because of a mysterious occurrence when it came into contact with the original shroud, especially the wound on Christ’s side.
When the replica was removed from the shroud, the wound had become damp as though with blood. This effusion stained the copy.
In 1987, scientists from the Association of Scientists and Scholars International for the Shroud of Turin affirmed that the stain was from human blood of the same blood type as that on the shroud.
This encounter was especially entertaining because after seeing the monastery we hiked a couple blocks and visited the church called St. Theresa of Avila where afterward we sang songs and ate lunch together.

brother

He taught many of us the truth, he is a great man. He is a religious person of wisdom, courage have. We respect him and thank him. He is very people admire and appreciate, we treat him carries a grateful heart! His dreams and ideas worth every one of us to learn.

The Vision of St. Thomas Aquinas about Christ

Jesus why are you speaking to me through a crucifix? Am I not worthy to see you in the flesh like you were in the time of the twelve apostles? Well if you are here, then this must only mean that I am a very good Christian.  The thing that would make this moment majestic would be for me to tell you that I want to be with you because you are my life and salvation, so...

Visit with Sisters of Life

On Friday May 22nd,

 we went to New York City

 to volunteer at the 

Sisters of Life convent

Picture with the Sisters of Life at the end of our visit with them in front of their convent. 

What do the Sisters of Life do?

"The Sisters of Life is a contemplative / active religious community of women founded in 1991 by John Cardinal O’Connor for the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life. Like all religious communities, we take the three traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. We also are consecrated under a special, fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. Reverence and gratitude for the unique and unrepeatable gift of each human life made in the image and likeness of God fuels the prayer of each Sister, our first mission in building the Kingdom of God and the “Culture of Life.” It also provides the starting point for our interactions with others, especially relationships in community between our 80 Sisters (who come from across the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia and Spain), and in our apostolates" (http://www.sistersoflife.org). 

John Cardinal O'Connor

To get to their location in NYC, we took the Path and then the Subway and walked the rest of the way. Once at their convent, we helped them clean up a bit their gardens, which I could sincerely say was quite simple yet at the end of the day, was fulfilling. 

Wei and Hector on the subway on the way to the Sisters of Life convent.

After our work in the garden, we stepped inside to pray the rosary and daytime prayer with them. Once we finished praying we had lunch with them. During lunch, the sisters spoke to us about how they found their vocation. They mentioned how they opened a new convent in Denver, Colorado. Which by the way is where I'm from, well not necessarily, yet close enough. 

Picture with Archbishop Aquila of Denver in 2013 

While at lunch Wei stepped outside and went to go and buy flowers and steak to give to the sisters. They were very grateful for the small gift from Wei. 

This is our class with the Sister of Life in front of an image of our Lady of Guadalupe at the Sister of Life convent. The flowers that you can barely see are the ones Wei bought for them.

I could sincerely say that by the end of the day I was truly fulfilled, despite how small the work seemed to be. I was thinking about it and compared to the work I did and how I felt it was most definitely not proportional.

St. Thomas Aquinas-Jesus

Oh so beautiful...I have never seen such beauty...I fear...yet at the same time I am happy....Don't know what to think...