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Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
'Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.'
From the Gospel According to St. Luke Chosen by Mother Maria for Her Jubilee Celebration
 2018 marks the Golden Jubilee Year of Mother Maria Nugent who celebrates 50 years of Vowed life at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. On Saturday, May 26th, family, friends and colleagues joined the monastic community in celebration. Father Robert Tucker, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Litchfield was the homilist and main celebrant of the Mass. Twenty-four priests concelebrated the Mass, a testament to Mother Maria, our sacristan who has tirelessly arranged for a priest to offer Mass in our church daily. We were blessed with the presence of Mother Miriam Seiferman, Mother General of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist and Co-Foundress Mother Shaun Vergauwen. Mother Maria was overjoyed that members of the Medical Missionaries were able to attend. Our longtime friends Brother Jude, O.C.S.O. and Brother Amadeus, O.C.S.O. of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts participated in the Mass and celebration.  Catherine Nugent entered Regina Laudis in 1965. She was clothed with the monastic habit on the Feast of the Visitation, July 2, 1966, and received the name "Sister Maria". Sister Maria made Final Vows on Gaudete Sunday in 1972, becoming Mother Maria and received the Blessing of the Consecration of a Virgin on the Feast of the Annunciation in April 1975. Mother Maria is a Latin scholar, the Abbey's liturgist and the Dean of the Liturgy Deanery. As seamstress she has carried out the daunting task of clothing the monastic community for over thirty years.   Our Lady of the Rock, where she single-handedly built an enclosure wall log by log, still standing today. After renewing her Vows, Mother Maria sang the Suscipe, which she sang fifty years ago, and the monastic choir repeated this prayer, standing with her in hope for the next twenty-five years:
Receive me Lord, according to your word and I shall live, and do not disappoint me in my hope.
MOTHER ABBESS' PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL Mother Abbess Lucia's beautiful Prayers of the Faithful at Mass laid before us Mother Maria's roots, education, professional life, journey to Regina Laudis and her monastic life. Her prayers captured the joy permeating our church as we celebrated the gift Mother Maria is to the monastic community and the Church. As Mother Maria chose to place the celebration of her Golden Jubilee in the context of the mystery of the Visitation, which has held special meaning for her and been her feast day since receiving her monastic name so many years ago, may we who are gathered here today in her honor experience a participation in the joy of Visitation. May the Spirit leap from person to person in each encounter, conceiving new life among us and raising up disciples to follow in her footsteps, even as we go back over the marvels of fifty years of shared commitment to let praise never cease. Let us pray to the Lord.  In gratitude for the rich life and unique call of Mother Maria, youngest of ten children, from a strong Irish family in Baltimore–well-represented with us here today–an honor student in high school and college, specializing in languages, especially Latin and French, formed and classically educated as a member of the Medical Missionaries at a young age, and finally, before entering Regina Laudis in 1965, working for the Naval Analyses Center with top secret security clearance. In wonder that God prepared her in every way possible to become an outstanding scholar, translator, and monastic liturgist par excellence, using her skills and training in covert operations for the building up of this community and the Church. Let us pray to the Lord.
And in recognition of Mother Maria’s unassuming readiness to serve wherever needed, whether Shaw Island or Rome or the sewing department here at home, and in wonder that she would always still find time to chase a butterfly or make a delicious cup of espresso when we needed it most, Let us pray in gratitude. For Mother Maria for whom this Mass is offered in thanksgiving for fifty years of Monastic Vows. Let us pray to the Lord. THE JOY OF VISITATION!  After Mass we all proceeded to the Jubilee Barn, for a feast and celebration. It was a beautiful sunny day and was an occasion for many to meet Mother Maria's wonderful family and for long-time friends to reconnect. Our guests enjoyed pouring over the display of photographs of highlights of Mother Maria's monastic life. Our delicious meal of Chicken Balthazar (Mother Maria's favorite) was prepared by a cast of thousands with special help by Sister Grace Edna Rowland, C.S.J. And Abbey friend and chef Phil Polzella presented a beautiful tiered cake surrounded by red and white roses and covered with chocolate frosting at Mother Maria's request. After lunch Mother Maria's family and other guests were invited to our New Horizons Renovation site where Mother Alma presented the scope and progress of the project. Everyone who participated in the Jubilee celebration truly experienced what Mother Abbess had prayed for at Mass earlier in the day, that "...the Spirit would leap from person to person in each encounter of the day in the joy of Visitation." Gallery of Mother Maria's Jubilee Mass
Gallery of lunch and reception at the Jubilee Barn and visit to New Horizons Renovation Site
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