BY PRISCILLA GREEAR

Staff Writer

SNELLVILLE--Sisters of the Monastery of the Visitation quietly rejoiced over the consecration of their new marble fixed altar in the Maryfield Chapel at a morning Mass celebrated by Archbishop John F. Donoghue Oct. 6.

The archbishop was assisted by Father John DeVore, MSFS, and Deacon Whitney Robichaux, master of ceremonies. The congregation included 12 Visitation sisters, local friends and supporters, and Alan Cassidy, whose aunt, the late Mother Francis de Sales Cassidy, VHM, was the first superior of the Georgia foundation elected in 1954. The altar was dedicated to the Cassidy family.

Focusing on prayer, the order strives to follow Christ and to complete its mission by loving and bringing others to love the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was founded in France in 1610 by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantel, a widow who was receiving spiritual direction from St. Francis.

Sunlight glowed through the stained glass of the cloistered monastery’s wood accented chapel bringing a spirit of hope on the gray autumn day.

The archbishop blessed a vessel of water and sprinkled it on the congregation and the altar, proclaiming, “This is a day of rejoicing: We have come together to dedicate this altar by offering the sacrifice of Christ.

“Gathered around this one altar we draw nearer to Christ, the living stone, in whom we become God’s holy temple,” he said. “What we acknowledge in this altar is our very faith--not a faith that we have created of our own selves, but a faith that has been given us as a result of our baptism.”

As Noah was the first to fashion an altar, the archbishop described how he burned good things on a holy table as a sacrifice to God, receiving in return God’s pledge of fidelity, protection and love. He told of Abraham’s journey of faith to Canaan where he built many altars and how he brought his son Isaac to one for sacrifice, before which God intervened to prevent it and bless him for his faith. He said that Christ is the fulfillment of those sacrifices and that it was at a table that He fed loved ones his Body and Blood.

“The bread and wine are the first gifts that we set today upon this new altar and they will always have pride of place as its service in the liturgical life of this convent now begins to unfold,” said the archbishop.

As the sisters pray deeply for others, “much else besides will find its way to this altar in the future--prayers of petition, of thanksgiving, of praise and adoration will be brought to this altar--prayers for vocations, for the sick and dying, prayers for those who must accept the special burdens of service and leadership within our Church. And all these prayers will be intensified--will be focused-- because of the minds and hearts of the sisters who serve here so devoutly--whose lives burn like incense before this altar and before the promise of salvation that is fulfilled on its wide and receptive surface. May God bless these sisters and bless all who share in their life and especially those who have had anything to do with the emplacement of this new altar.”

Reflecting the prayer rhythm of their cloistered lives, Sister Mary Immaculata Collin, VHM, a founding monastery sister, and Sister Mary Josefa, VHM, led the congregation in the litany of the saints.

Archbishop Donoghue blessed the stone table, declaring it a sign of Christ, and, removing the chasuble and putting on a linen gremial, poured chrism on it and anointed it. He then incensed the altar after which Father DeVore incensed the congregation. Sister Margaret Mary, VHM, and Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, VHM, wiped the table and placed white cloths and candles on it. Following the liturgy of the Eucharist, Archbishop Donoghue, Deacon Robichaux and Father DeVore kissed the altar and bowed before it.

Mother M. Jozefa Kowalewski, VHM, later said that the addition of the altar completes a series of monastery renovation projects including the acquisition of hand carved, nearly 200-year-old choir stalls from Ireland for the chapel and the construction of a new wing with a library and prayer room.

“It makes us very happy just because this, as the archbishop said, is our life--a life of prayer--and we just feel we have an altar as worthy as can be for the sacrifice of the Mass,” she said. “It enhances our sanctuary and the solemnity of the Mass.”

“According to St. Francis de Sales, we took a vow of poverty, but we should have the best we can afford for the service of God,” she said.

Cassidy, who traveled with his wife Sally from Maryland for the Mass, makes regular contributions to the Snellville monastery and said that it “means a great deal” to his family to have the altar dedicated to them.

“The convent is very important to us, having been founded by my aunt. We have been close with the sisters ever since they started...and we remained close to them and started to travel and visit them,” he said. “It meant an awful lot for us to be here today.”

“My aunt’s brother was actively involved until he died in 1973. At that point my wife and I became more involved,” he said, adding his belief that Mother Cassidy “would be enormously proud of us for remaining involved with the convent.”