Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Our American Foundation - Montana Rosa Mystica - Christmas Letter from Father Michael Mary

Dear Friends,
Live Jesus our love and Mary our hope!

On behalf of the members of the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, 
I announce with joy and gratitude to the Infant Jesus and His Most Holy Mother 
that on the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, 7 October 2020 
our religious order was granted a canonical invitation to establish a monastery 
in the diocese of Great Falls - Billings, 
which is the Eastern diocese of Montana in the United States of America. 

His Lordship the Bishop of Great Falls - Billings
Bishop Michael Warfel,
signing with the Rector Major
Father Michael Mary
the canonical agreement and invitation into the diocese.

Then, having received extraordinary providence from our Most sweet Infant Jesus
on the Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
18th December 2020, 
we purchased the 200 acre hilly domain of 72 Red Shale Lane, Forsyth, Montana
with the intention of building there the future monastery of our American foundation,
and a place in their own country, for our much loved American vocations.
Here is a place that is according to our Constitutions, a holy wilderness for prayer and retreat;
and should God so Will our monks would spread from here as missionaries to wherever they are called.

18 December, 2020
Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Purchase of property in Rosebud County, Montana
signed for the Congregation by
Father Michael Mary and Brother Romuald Marie.
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Our Constitutions call us to preach Missions and also "... to propagate the Faith of Jesus Christ by: Retreats; Spiritual Direction; Perpetual Mission churches; pastoral care of the most abandoned souls living in isolated or forsaken places, even if they be but few in number; the Apostolate of the pen and of Digital Communications;  appropriate apostolates among non-Catholics and non-Christians; working good to all men but especially to those who are of the household of the Faith. (Galatians 6:10)"

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Along with the monastery to be built here, we will build a retreat house to enable the preaching of retreats. It will also provide for private retreats for souls seeking solitude and silence, prayer and rest with the Traditional Latin Mass.

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The property is in a quiet location in Rosebud County within our diocese of Great Falls - Billings. It has its own fresh water well. It is off the grid and powered by a generator and solar panels. There is also a small cabin which will serve as a base when, in God's time and providence, we are in a position to  begin building.
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Our Constitutions direct that for our monastery, we are to live in "a laura of individual separated cells within an enclosure." In simple language this means that each monk will live in a separate cell or hut, and the separate little hermitages would be set out around the monastery chapel and common facilities: library, refectory and common room. It should be a simple enough build. Everything is on ground level and can easily be built in stages. The cells and other buildings would be wooden built on concrete pads.

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The name we have given t the property is: Montana Rosa Mystica.
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The Name is given for the following reasons:
The purchase date was the Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin and the Friday in Embertide. The Gospel of the day was of the Visitation and in Latin the Holy Gospel said: 

Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis, abiit in montana cum festinatione.
And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste. 

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Montana was indicated in the Holy Gospel on the day of purchase.
Montana which means hill country perfectly describes the hilly location we have purchased;
Montana is also the name of our State in the United States.
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Rosa Mystica is a title of Our Lady from Her Litany of Loreto which we usually pray twice daily.
Rosa Mystica describes Our Lady as the root of Jesse and the stem from which buds forth the flower Who is Jesus. As the Christmas hymn sings.
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Flos  de radice Jesse 
Est natus hodie;
Quem nobis jam adesse,
Laetamur unice.
Flos ille Jesus est,
Maria Virgo radix
De qua flos ortus est.

A spotless Rose from Jesse
Hath blossomed forth today;
Rejoice ye Christian people
In song and tuneful lay;
Sweet Mary is the stem,
And Jesus is the rosebud,
The Babe of Bethlehem.

Montana Rosa Mystica has three significant associations with the Rose. 
Firstly, the house was established in the diocese on the feast of the Most Holy Rosary. 
Secondly, the consecrated property is situated within Montana's Rosebud county.
Thirdly, the name of the monastery to be built on Montana Rosa Mystica will be:
Monastery of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary Refuge of Sinners. 
The Immaculate Heart of Mary bears upon itself  White, Red and Gold Roses.

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Domain of Montana Rosa Mystica.
Monastery of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary Refuge of Sinners.
The monastery chapel will be named for the Bonnie Prince, the Infant Jesus, Who is the Rosebud the Babe of Bethlehem.

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Until the monastery is built, the community has  received the warm and supportive hospitality of the Parish Priest and Faithful of Jordan Montana. We have been kindly invited to celebrate Traditional Latin  Masses in the parish church every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 10.00 a.m. We offer the holy sacrifice on the other days in our basement chapel at Most Holy Rosary House. At present we are four monks here in Montana: Father Michael Mary, Brother Romuald Marie, Brother Alfonso Maria and Father Gerard Maria.

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We are seeking donations towards the building of the monastery at Montana Rosa Mystica.
If you would like to send a contribution please make checks payable to: 
"Transalpine Redemptorists Inc."
and send them to us at our current address which is:

Most Holy Rosary House
1809 Brusett Road
Jordan MT 59337

Your name will be recorded amongst our benefactors for whom we pray daily.
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All of us here in Most Holy Rosary House send you our prayerful greetings in this holy season.

Devotedly in Jesus our love and Mary our hope,
Father Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
Rector Major

Christmas photos

The Bonnie Prince arrived in the United States on 13 December, 2020.
At present the image is enshrined in Most Holy Rosary House.
Already He has received a precious ring. I encourage you to send him tassels, cross-stitched linen, rings, chains and other objects of piety or of value to adorn His shrine.
How often jewellery lies in jewellery boxes unused. Piety often turns these objects into prayers.
Send your gifts to the shrine of the Bonnie Prince.
Jewellery will be fixed into the wood of the shrine as your gift to the Infant Jesus.
Cross-stitched linen, candle sticks and other objects will be exclusively used in His oratory.
Gifts and ex votos will adorn His shrine as purely spiritual offerings.

I look forward to seeing the Bonnie Prince enshrined in the monastery church
in Montana Rosa Mystica.
Reciting the Most Holy Rosary in the basement chapel
before the Blessed Sacrament and the image of the Bonnie Prince.


Altar of the Infant Jesus.
Straw adorns the floor of the basement chapel.

A spotless Rose from Jesse
Hath blossomed forth today;
Rejoice ye Christian people
In song and tuneful lay;
Sweet Mary is the stem,
And Jesus is the rosebud,
The Babe of Bethlehem.


O my Sweetest Love,
I am sorry that I have offended Thee.
I desire to be always faithful in Thy service.
Enkindle in me Thy love.
Make me chaste and holy.
Mary my Mother,
Grant that I may belong entirely to Thee
And to Thy Son Jesus.  -  St Alphonsus.

Photos concerning Montana Rosa Mystica.


32 miles along the US94 from Miles City
take the exit for Rosebud Creek Road.


19.8 miles along the Rosebud Creek Road we turn off
into the Cherry Creek Road.


This is Cherry Creek Road.


Cherry Creek Road continues through the Wild Horse Ranch Subdivision.

Father Gerard Maria opens the gates into
Montana Rosa Mystica.
[SW quarter section of section 32, Township 3N and 44E
of Rosebud County -the technical position.]

Montana - Hill Country


Ponderosa Pines
Wilderness setting for solitude and silence.

Setting for a Laura of cells.


Setting for a solitary retreat cabin. 

A large flat area looking to a distant horizon.

Looking to the original cabin. 
A possible site for the retreat house complex.

Our recreational visit to Montana Rosa Mystica 
21st December, 2020

Ponderosa Pine cones in abundance.