Capuchin Celebration Sept. 30

Amarillo—The annual Capuchin Spiritual Alliance celebration is set for Saturday, Sept. 30, at St. Lucien’s Chapel and at the Diocesan Pastoral Center.
 
The celebration will begin at 4:00pm with Mass at St. Lucien’s Chapel, adjacent to the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Guadalupe at 4201 NE 18 ^th.
 
During the Mass, celebrated by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, the new Abbess, Capuchin Sister Mother Maria De La Luz, will be installed as the new Abbess for the Capuchin Poor Clares of the Diocese of Amarillo.
 
Following the Mass, the celebration will move to the Diocesan Pastoral Center at 4512 NE 24 ^th, where dinner will be served in the Pastoral Center courtyard. Tickets for the dinner are $20.00 per person and $12.00 for children under 10.
 
According to the diocesan archives, nine Claretian Capuchin Sisters arrived in the Diocese of Amarillo from Guadalajara, Mexico on Aug. 13, 1981, responding to an invitation from then-Bishop Leroy T. Matthiesen to establish a contemplative house in the diocese, according to an article in the Aug. 9, 1981 edition of The West Texas Catholic. The nine moved into the home that formerly served as the Bishop’s home.
 
The Capuchin history in Mexico is one of survival, persevering through persecution and martyrdom. For 160 years, after their establishment in 1761, they enjoyed a quiet and peaceful existence. That came to an end in 1921 when the reform laws written under Benito Juarez were enforced during the regime of President Plutarco Elías Calles. The Sisters’ monastery in Guadalajara was taken over by the government and the Sisters were dispersed.
 
For additional information on the celebration or to RSVP, please contact Cristina Parra at 352-0714.