St. Joseph Novena

Novena: March 10 - 18

Solemn Feast Day: March 19

SAINT JOSEPH: PILGRIM OF HOPE

"May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators
of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform
from within both humanity
and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers
of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally."

The life and mission of St. Joseph seem to embody these words from the Prayer for the Jubilee of Hope. Only a man who believed in the promise of “a new heaven and a new earth” could set out, time and again, on his pilgrim way, despite the numerous obstacles that plagued his path. When he could find no civilized shelter in Bethlehem, he overcame the fatigue of the journey and kept searching. When he learned of King Herod’s murderous plot, he departed in the middle of the night to lead his family into Egypt. When his adolescent foster Son disappeared from the family ranks, he continued his tireless search for days (and, most likely, for nights).

How many seeds of hope the Lord forced St. Joseph to sow in the depths of night, in the soil of exhaustion, in the darkness of uncertainty!

And how blessed we are that St. Joseph “tirelessly” did so. Even though he would not live to see the full fruit of his labor, St. Joseph’s seeds of hope have blossomed into salvation for “humanity and the whole cosmos,” have vanquished the powers of Evil forever, and have enabled us to see the Face of God.

Novena Prayer

Heavenly Father,
You gave St. Joseph a share in Your fatherhood
and placed him as a father to Jesus on earth.
Help us to be obedient
to Your will as he was.
Teach us the way of prayer
that we may enjoy the friendship of Mary and Jesus
as did St. Joseph.
During life's hardships,
give us courage to walk with those who need us
that we may be enriched by their gifts.
Carry us through sufferings and trials
with Joseph at our side.
And may we look to him
at the final hour of death.
We ask this through Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Covington Chronicle: Winter 2024-2025

Exciting news kicked off these winter months: In December, Pope Francis canonized the 16 Carmelite Nuns martyred during the French Revolution! In the early 1900s, one of the Sisters of the New Orleans Carmel was healed of her cancer through the intercession of these “Martyrs of Compiègne. This Sister’s healing was then used as one of the miracles to bring about the Martyrs’ beatification in 1909. We rejoice with the whole Church and the Order of Carmel over these new saints, who teach us how beautiful and fruitful a united witness to faith can be.

In January, our monastery became like the “full inns” of the Gospel’s infancy narratives! To celebrate the vigil of the Baptism of the Lord, we hosted our Benedictine brothers, and as always, it was a delightful afternoon of sharing and fellowship. Then, later in the month, Mother Teresa, prioress of the Lafayette Carmel, spent a few days on retreat in our hermitage, as well as a couple of days with our community. As some of our Sisters are originally from the Lafayette Carmel, these days were a true blessing and filled us all with joyful expectation at how the relationship between our two communities will blossom in the months and years to come!

As Pilgrims of Hope, we continue to walk in prayer with all those affected by the terrorist attack in the French Quarter, by the wildfires in California, and by the deportations taking place in our country. We maintain with all of you our confidence in the love of God who has the power to bring light out of all these darknesses, and we wait with you to catch the first glimmers of Resurrection that will shine through the rubble and through the cracks of many broken hearts.

Finally, by the time you receive this, our Sr. Rose will have made her First Profession of Vows on February 2! Please keep her in your prayers, and stay tuned for pictures and stories from the special day in our next novena.

Prayer Requests

The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Covington, LA.

Covington CarmelEdith Turpin

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