BRAINTREE -- In late July, the Archdiocese of Boston was blessed to see three religious women profess their first vows.

On Saturday, July 24, at the Monastery of St. Therese-Carmel of Danvers, Sister Mary Magdalene of Jesus and Our Lady of Grace (Suzanne Marie LeLasher Fowler, most recently from Coventry, Connecticut) made her First Profession of Vows during a liturgy presided by Bishop Mark O'Connell.

The concelebrants were Father John Farrell of Dracut, formerly of Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Lynnfield and Sister Mary Magdalene's former pastor, Father Victor Chaker of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in New London, Connecticut.

Many of Sister Mary Magdalene's friends and family traveled from Connecticut to rejoice with her on the occasion.

The following day, Sunday, July 25, two young religious women also made their first profession of vows in the congregation of the Daughters of St. Paul: Sister Orianne Pietra-Rene Dyck from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, and Sister Allison Regina Gliot from a Northern Virginia home.

Sister Donald Maria Lynch, provincial superior, greeted the newly professed Daughters of St. Paul and reminded them that they are entering the great adventure of consecrated life.

"The paths that led these sisters to this day are as unique and intimate as the love that our Lord has for each of them" she said. "To some, it may seem that the vows they have professed are sacrifices, but they are truly a means of freedom. Pope Francis expressed that as religious have 'caught sight of the treasure worth more than any worldly good. You fell in love with Jesus, you saw everything in him, and enraptured by his gaze, you left the rest behind. Religious life is this vision. This is what the eyes of consecrated women behold: the grace of God poured into their hands.'"

"The vows draw you more closely to Christ, to be rooted in him, to be filled with him, so that you, in turn, can bring the wealth of his love to others. How mysterious that by opening yourselves to God's invitation, you give him the gift of your lives, which were his gift to you from the beginning," Sister Donald Maria added.

She continued, "Sister Orianne and Sister Allison, my prayer for you is that of our father, St. Paul: 'that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.'"