100
th Celebration Draws Near
In January, the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
gathered for their Regional Chapter and a Eucharistic Mercedarian
retreat experience EXURGE. Also, on the agenda was a planning
meeting to continue coordinating the efforts for the 100th Cel-
ebration of the Mercedarians. This centennial celebration will be
held in July in Mexico City, Mexico where Mercedarian Sisters will
gather from around the world to remember and honor their Mother
Foundress Maria del Refugio Aguilar y Torres. The Mercedarian Sis-
ters continue today to respond to their charism in the church by
providing children and youth with a Christian education in schools
and catechetical centers. They also visit the sick and imprisoned.
As consecrated women, more than 700 Sisters strive ardently in ten
countries to extend their Eucharistic Mercedarian spirit of adoration
and praise to Jesus in the Eucharist and love and devotion to Our
Lady of Mercy, Mother of the Redeemer.
At this Regional Chapter meeting, the Sisters elected their new
USA regional superior, Sister Mary Rosaria Vega, HMSS from Cleve-
land Ohio whose three-year term was effective immediately. The US
region includes south Texas, California, Louisiana and Ohio, with 32
sisters serving in Mercedarian schools, parishes and retreat centers.
Sister Rosario was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico; she is the
fourth of five children. Sister Rosario entered the Mercedarian
Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on July 31, 1972 in Mexico City,
having completed a degree in Accounting and Bilingual Executive
Secretary studies at Instituto Renacimiento, one of the Mercedarian
schools in Mexico. Later, she received a Bachelor of Arts major-
ing in Education from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas
and a Masters of Science majoring in Educational Administration
with a Supervision Certification from Texas A & M University. In
1997,
Sister Rosario was transferred to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
School in Cleveland, OH where she resides at the present time and
continues as the school educational leader and administrator. After
implementing many successful programs, Siaster Rosario was hon-
ored by being named Principal of the Year by the NCEA (National
Catholic Education Association) for the region of Ohio, Michigan
and Chicago.
The Baton Rouge Mercedarian community welcomes Sister
Mary Rosario Vega as its’ superior. Sister Rosario has visited our city
a few times and is excited about the Ministry here in Baton Rouge
and commits her support to the continued efforts of bringing all
the people who visit the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center
closer to God.
Mercedarian Sisters at Regional Chapter Meeting. Sister Rosario is on the
2
nd row, 5th from the left. And, next to her, 6th from the left, is our own
Sister Teresita Paz.
Happy are we who are
called to His supper!
On Saturday, March 27, The Dolphin Room at the Cypress Springs
Mercedarian Prayer Center was the site of a Women’s Easter Retreat. This
retreat, given by Sister Dulce, prepared us as Women of Faith for the
Easter Season. As the heartbeat of our families, we have a responsibility as
women to share our faith with others and teach our families and friends
the importance of not only learning our faith but also living our faith
daily. To better understand Our Lord as the true Paschal Lamb, gives us
the tools needed to comfortably and confidently share this Good News
with others. Over 200 women attended this retreat and shared that they
could now understand how Our Lord Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of
what was professed in the Old Testament. They could now share how the
four (4) cups of wine, which are consumed during a Passover Celebration
were again “consumed” by Jesus during His life here on Earth. And
further, how Jesus asked for His fourth (4th) cup as He was dying on the
cross at Calvary which represented the end – “It is finished.”
Immediately following the retreat, the Easter Bazaar took place.
The Gift Shop had been stocked with many wonderful gifts for Easter.
Beautiful statues, unique jewelry, a wide variety of rosaries and precious
glycerin Easter soaps were just a few additions in the Gift Shop brought in
especially for this Bazaar.
Please consider our Gift Shop anytime you need a special gift for
someone in your life.
A Passover Celebration
This event, held February 25, 2010 at White Oak
Plantation, was hosted by Sister Dulce and the Cypress Springs
Mercedarian Prayer Center, along with Chef John Folse. The
evening was a “lived” experience and lesson on the roots of
our Catholic faith. We all shared a Passover Meal, a “Seder
Supper”, explained by Rabbi Barry Weinstein. He explained
the significance of each part of the Passover Meal and shared
the faith history of this traditional celebration, still being
held today among the Jewish people. Father Mark Beard then
went on to explain how we as Catholics also share in the
Passover Celebration; however, our Celebration continues on
through Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This
wonderful and inspiring event helped bridge the teachings
of the Old Testament with the fulfillment of those teachings
through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. After the teaching
of the Passover, a delicious, traditional Seder Supper was
served.
It is always a welcomed opportunity when two faiths come
together and discuss their similarities instead of concentrating
on their differences. We thank Rabbi Weinstein for graciously
partnering with us for this extraordinary “lived” experience.
