One Habit we Hope she Doesn't Break!

Tomorrow afternoon (our time) Mary will be entering the novitiate and receiving her habit with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother in Valencia, Spain. This begins a 2 year journey of prayer, study, and service with the sisters, until she comes up for her first vows. With this habit we can now call her Sister Mary! This is a monumental moment in her life as well as in the lives of her family and friends. I wonder what it would be like or feel like to take on a religious habit? Physically taking the robe of Christ for all to see and living a sacrificial life of study and service. Seeking His Love in such a selfless way. I can't help but feel so overwhelmingly happy for her, so proud she is my sister and so inspired to see so young a person give herself to God through this bold path.

During Mary's last months here in Jacksonville I got to spend as much time with her as her busy schedule allowed. And it is something I will cherish forever. This was the first time that we got to spend together as adults. Being one of the oldest of a large family, I moved away from home with a lot of younger siblings still very young and I never thought I would would miss seeing them grow up. But I have. And I was so glad I got to reconnect with Mary before she left. We had so many great conversations about life, God, old memories, what a holy family looks like, the spiritual life, the religious life, her future and so much more. I remember she told me that she was relieved when I was discerning the religious life because it meant that SHE was off the hook. She said, "Okay good, Clare will be the nun in the family and I won't have to". Isn't that too funny? God's ways are not our ways, thanks goodness! One conversation we had that really spoke to me was how necessary it is to see our faults and weaknesses for what they really are not as we see them but as God sees them. And how necessary for spiritual growth that we ask God to show us our souls with His eyes, so we many better ourselves according to His ways. How profound and yet simple this idea is, something I need to do in my own life. Mary also recommended a book she had read called 'The Spiritual Battle' not sure who it's by though. It's on my to-read-list. In one of our last conversations she was telling me about all the things she did in preparing for Spain, clean out house, pack, close bank account, cancel facebook and varies other things. She said she felt she was preparing for her death and yet she was!!! She is dying to herself so Christ may live in her. I couldn't stop my eyes from getting misty and I felt a warm flutter in my heart as I thought, 'My baby sister is all grown up and how beautiful she is, Praise be to Christ!'

Thank you, Mary for the example you have given and continue to give. May Our Heavenly Father and Our Holy Mother always give you the strength and courage to die to self so that Christ might shine through you in your new life. We will be praying for you and all the other candidates as you enter the novitiate and receive your habits. We love you so much.

Mary and Adeline meet!

 Addy grabbed Mary's crucifix when she first held her,

 and wouldn't let go.

Addy's baptism, Mary is Addy's godmother.

Mary came to visit us while we were living in Pensacola last year June.

Our final visit them Mary before leaving for Spain.

Adeline loves her godmummy.

We love you so much Mary! Can't to see you.

Sweet Mary Rose . . .

When Mom was here she gave me a few old pictures of Mary to share with everyone. Clare is also going to post something about Mary, but first, look how cute she is!

To me, Mary was the sweetest sister you could have. She was my friend in the animal loving department! There was a point where Clare and Fran decided to room together because Mary and I wanted animals in our room. - rats! We loved them. At one point they had many little babies who would crawl all over our room because the cage wire was too large to hold them in. They even crawled on us while we slept! Mary and I loved it, they were our babies! It was a fun year rooming and bonding with her.

Now she is in Spain and will be there for the next  two years. Sad and joyous at the same time! In a week she will be entering the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother. She has been VERY busy leading up to this, which explains why we have not heard from her on the blog. Mom, Dad and Grandma are on their way this very moment to spend the week in Spain and see her join the sisters as a novice. She's getting her habit! We are STOKED! (If you couldn't tell!) 

Mom sent me the information in order to watch her entrance! If you are interested in watching here are the details:

The date: Monday, July 16th at NOON! (Easter time I believe, I will make sure to get confirmation on this)

You can watch it here: http://www.homeofthemother.org/webcam

There will be reminders via facebook and the blog. Hopefully there is a recording we can put up as well. It's about the best way we can participate being so far away. Please remember to pray for her as she enters the sisters, as she will pray for you too!

If you have any special intentions for Mom and Dad while they visit shrines in Spain and Rome, please email them to: jrgallaherfamily at gmail dot com. 

Mary is the little one in the picture with a box boat. So happy and sweet!

"My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience."

- St. Therese of the Child Jesus

My first week in Spain!

Hello everyone,

I haven't even been here in Spain for a week yet and it feels like Iv'e been here for a month. We have done many things this last week. Yesterday some of the candidates and novices, me included, went on pilgrimage with people who are visiting us from down south, to a monastery in the mountains that has the largest piece of the true cross, we got to venerate it! It was so great! We then went to a place where we could go up on top of the peaks of Europe in a type of sky train! I went! Besides being expensive, It was so amazing! I was very nervous to go at first because you are pretty much being suspended through the air in a small car type thing which hangs from two cables, nothing else is around you and let me just tell you, we weren't going to the highest peak but, the peaks of Europe are very tall!!! When we got up there, it was like nothing else, we could see so so far and everything was so tiny! I saw more of the magnificence of God! He is so awesome!

Anyway, I could tell you lots more but I must go very soon! I wanted to tell you all though that you can watch the Mass that we are having tonight and you will be able to see me there! If you want, here is the web address: www.homeofthemother.org/webcam

I think the mass will show at 2pm ET.  Make sure to put on the translation for the homily and make sure you have good internet connection. If there is a commercial, just wait it will end shortly!

I love you all and I hope you can watch it and see my little family here in Spain! If you do watch it, you will probably see our visitors here from Seville Spain(all the older people)

Ok gotta go. God Bless

Priego, Spain!

Today I was attempting to look up directions for Mom and Dad for their trip to Spain, it was very unsuccessful for many reasons. But don't worry Mom, it will all workout in the end.

While I was looking I did find some beautiful pictures of the place where the entrance will be in Spain. It will be in Priego, Spain. The place where we are staying is a 17th or 18th century monastery, very beautiful, poor and really fun to explore in! I didn't find any photos of that but I did find photos of the beautiful church in town that the ceremony will take place in, here they are:

The main Altar with the beautiful Spanish art!

The town of Priego and surrounding valley, do you see the church steeple?

A closer view of the church.

Under the Florida Sun!



We have three large pots and one tomato plant in the small pot to the right.

About a month ago, the other candidates and I started our little garden with the help of Caroline's(a candidate) mom, she gave us everything! I thought you all would enjoy seeing these pictures.


One of the many squash flowers, I am actually not sure what type of squash it is we will have to see when it grows some more!

Basil, we love the fresh basil! We just pick a couple leaves and add it to the spaghetti sauce and it addes so much delicious flavor! It grows so fast and easy!

Our miraculous cucumbers! We thought that it had died becuase of one of the many torrential downpours we often have here in Florida, but after a couple days of sickness it sprouted up again very alive and vibrant! You can see the little baby cucumbers growing at the end of the flower!

Chives! (I think), I thought that chives had little purple flower at the top of them and ours don't so now I doubt that they are chives, maybe they are just little green onions which I can never tell the difference betweent the two anyway, so I don't really know but they are growing quite well despite the fact that they also almost died in the torrential downpour. Behind the chives you can see our other basil plants and the beautiful Florida sun, constantly shining down very brightly!

The little baby tomatoes! You should have seen me when I saw these after a couple days of not being at the house, I was ecstatic! I am very enthusiastic about this garden(more than any of the other girls, I might have an obsession), but it just brings me a lot of joy to see things grow!

Italian parsely!

I was having fun taking these photos, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

I love you and I am praying for you all!

WeEkLy ThOuGhTs

So, last week Sarah inspired me to write at least every week some thoughts or a quick story, so here it goes. I am going to call it the above title: WeEkLy ThOuGhTs

I am now reading a book called The Spiritual Combat and a Treatise on Peace of Soul by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli. Its an amazing read for anyone interested in really getting holy!

A section that I read last week really made me think and I would love to share it with you all especially considering that you all live your Christian lives in the world, for me its a little more laid out what I have to do to reach holiness(which we all should be striving towards in our everyday life) sorry guys its a little more difficult for you. But Animo!(thats what we say in spanish, literally it means "take courage", "Be animated", but it kinda just means come on, don't lose hope, haha is hard to explain in english) there are a lot of really awesome married and single Saints out there to take as examples of great holiness.

Here is the quote, I will let it speak for itself:

THOSE WHO ARE COGNIZANT of the diseased character of their souls and desire to cure them are often deluded by the devil. He endeavors to persuade them that they have a long time to live, and consequently may safely defer their conversion.

He insinuates the impression that some business affair or difficulty must be cleared up before they can devote themselves sufficiently to the spiritual life and fulfill its duties without disturbance. This snare has entangled and daily does entangle many. But its success is directly attributable to their own supine neglect of a matter in which the glory of God and their own salvation should be the only considerations.

Let persons of this type say: "Now! Now!" instead of "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" Why tomorrow? How can I be sure of living until it comes? And even if I were, would I really be trying to save my soul if I delayed my repentance? Would it look as though I sought victory if I exposed myself to fresh wounds?

Lets strive to be good Christians now and not wait till later to perfect ourselves like so many do under the influence of the devil.

I love you all and I am praying for you daily!