These are wonderful sisters. A friend of mine stayed with them for 7 days. Here is her account of it (edited for personal bits). Some things may have changed as she was there early-mid last year, 2009:
*
"As far as the Children of Mary are concerned, they really are wonderful sisters. Very prayerful. They pray the Liturgy of the Hours, attend daily Mass,and are very traditional. They were also doing some singing in Latin when I was there andMother Margaret Mary was very pleased that I knew a good bit of Latin and could join right in. Actually, the week I spent with them was apparently not at all typical because, just a day or two before I arrived, they had decided to host a retreat for a priest and some sisters from Detroit. That meant that instead of the normal chores and recreation times, we were all running around (between Mass & prayer times) cleaning the retreat house, changing beds, mopping, cooking. I did get to shovel some manure in the cow pen! (they had just acquired a cow, too). I also helped a sister with “Bessie” as she had been placed in charge of the poor beast, knew NOTHING about cows, and really needed the help. One day, I accompanied one of the sisters to a soup kitchen in Columbus,which I found very rewarding. I felt that we got back much more than we gave as there was such great faith among those poor people, most of whom were black Christians, but who responded to our witnessing with great love and patience. I think they send 2 sisters there 1 day a week if possible. They do spend a lot of times on their knees and I admired their deep prayerfulness. Their new Carmelite-style wimples and veils are really beautiful, too
*
Yes, they are building a new convent, but as I recall, Mother M.M. said it would be for visitors. Her ultimate goal is to have each sister living in her own hermitage. There weretwo sisters living in hermitages*in the woods when I was there, simple wooden structures.
They are wonderful sisters: Mother Margaret Mary (foundress and superior), 4 novices and 1 postulant (who is 67!). They were so kind and patient with me, but I certainly did get “thrown into” their routine as soon as I walked in the door.I never spent so much time on my knees in my entire life - and I was allowed to use a kneeler while most of them just knelt on the wooden floor. I’ve never seen such prayerful people, so dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. I helped cook, graze the cow, shovel manure, make beds, vacuum, dust, clean the chapel,minister in thesoup kitchen in Columbus, and I was allowed to join them in chanting the Liturgy of the Hours (in English). I also took my turn at an hour of adoration each day. Recreation is included in their daily schedule, but there really wasvery little recreation as they had to get their retreat house ready for a visiting priest, brother, and 4 sisters from another communityin=2 0Detroit who were coming for a retreat. That really threw their schedule for a spin and we were all scrambling to fit everything in. I think they were glad to have an extra pair of hands that week.
*
I can’t express the amazement I felt at their endless capacity for prayer. One night I went to mycell just before Grand Silence at 9PM and one of the sisters said, “This is a good time to do some spiritual reading,” so I read the book Mother had given me about Our Lady. Oh, and by the way, two of these sisters are now living in individualhermitages in the woods and Mother is planning on eventually having each sister living in her own hermitage. "
*
