FEATURE
The Sister Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus
Paul Waddington reports on the remarkable growth of this order of nuns
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n 2001, an order of nuns was founded to be the female counterpart of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest. It was given the rather long title of the Sister Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest. It is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, and the vocation of the nuns is to pray for the sanctification of priests and to support the work of canons of the ICKSP in their various apostolates. They do this in many ways including teaching in schools, singing at Mass and leading eucharistic adoration. The sisters lead a semi-cloistered life, and their daily routine includes chanting the Office, as well as attending Mass and Benediction and reciting the Rosary. Between these, they find time for work and recreation, as well as for meals that are eaten in silence. The work, or labora, can be varied. Besides cooking and cleaning, the sisters may be involved in sacristy work, teaching, and the making and repairing of vestments. The sisters have also earned an enviable reputation for the quality of their singing. In 2005, three sisters moved into their first house, the House of the Royal Heart, located in the village of Seici, only a mile from the Institute’s seminary at Gricigliano, near Florence. Originally named Villa Cerbiosa, this large mansion was in a very dilapidated state, but has gradually been brought up to modern standards. It remains the Mother House of the order. Rapid growth From small beginnings, the order has grown rapidly. It now has around 60 members, and typically attracts about six recruits each year. After spending a year as a postulant, the young nuns can expect to take the habit and spend a further three years as
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novices before taking final vows. The second house acquired by the sisters was the House of Maria Engelport, in the Rhineland region of Germany. Formerly owned by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, it is a traditional stopping point for pilgrims en route to Compostela. This large building was in good structural and decorative order, and the sisters were able to continue to run it as a guesthouse without too much work being required. The third house to be acquired by the Sisters of the Royal Heart of Jesus was in the Jura region of Switzerland. Purchased in 2011 from the Fathers of the Holy Sacrament, this former boarding school has an idyllic location amid meadows and forests. After extensive restoration, it was renamed the House of the Eucharistic Heart, and reopened as a guesthouse and retreat centre. The extensive grounds allow youth camps to be held in the summer months.
AUTUMN 2021
