In 2016, during a jubilee year commemorating 800 years since the founding of the Order of Preachers, the Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of Mary the Queen presented the Springfield Dominican Sisters with the gift of a sculpture of St. Dominic. It was a beautiful and appreciated expression of the nuns’ gratitude for the relationship that had grown between our two Dominican congregations since the nuns’ relocation of their monastery to our grounds in September 2014.
Sculpted by Sister Mary Grace Thul, OP, a member of the monastic community, the “preaching St. Dominic” was recently relocated to its permanent home in the chapel at Sacred Heart Convent, on a marble pedestal crafted specifically for this purpose by Springfield Dominican Sister Margaret Therese Hebert.
“We’re happy to have this meaningful gift from the nuns installed in our chapel as we launch the 50th jubilee of the chapel’s dedication,” said Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, the prioress general of the Springfield Dominicans.
Sr. Mary Grace Thul is indeed blessed with great talent that flows from love of God.
Sr. Mary Grace Thul’s woodwork portraying St. Margaret Castello walking towards the sun is one of the more beautiful portrayals of St. Margaret Castello. Is is possible to purchase permission to use the artwork picture of St. Margaret Castello done by Sr. Mary Grace Thul, OP to use with a prayer card. We have adopted St. Margaret Castello as our patron saint in our attempt to spread the truth about babies in their embryonic stage of life. See Heart2fragileheart.org.
We are just starting since late May 2023 but would like to use her art work as the basis for allow another artist to copy her St. Margaret Castello woodwork for a prayer card. The actual picture used with this prayer would be on one side of the prayer card and the picture/art of St. Margaret Castello with a brief history of St. Margaret would be on the other side of the prayer card. Below is the prayer:
St. Margaret Castello Dignity Prayer
St. Margaret Castello, unappreciated and rejected by your own family, we appeal to you.
You were isolated and hidden from any contact with society. Yet, you received acceptance, love, and education from
your now obscure parish priest.
O incorruptible one, may those hidden in the womb be enveloped by a maternal love that transcends all knowledge.
May this image inspire and embolden mothers to nurture and protect their own unborn child, the least of the least.
Provide healing and consolation to mothers abandoned by the father of their baby.
May men develop the courage to respect, protect, and support this profoundly fragile beginning of life.
May we be enabled to extend prayers and material support to mothers left with insufficient resources.
May your intercession enrich our prayers as we seek our Lord and Savior’s succor.
All this in the name of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in union with St. Joseph we pray. Amen.
An artistic rendition of an embryo within the outline of mother’s heart + heart beat at 3 wks, brain waves at 6 wks and movement at 9 weeks.
Thank you for your consideration.
In Christ, through Mary, Dcn Frank Fischer
423-292-9323 if you need further clarification or would like a copy of the prayer card we want to produce, with your permission.