OUR HISTORY
ST. DOMINIC FOUNDED THE NUNS IN 1206

The first small community of contemplative women which originated under St. Dominic's guidance gathered together in response to his preaching of the Gospel. The first monastery of the Order was St. Mary's in Prouille, France, which is still occupied today by a community of Dominican Nuns. At the present time there are about 4,000 Dominican nuns in more than 240 monasteries throughout the world.

In the late 19th century, some Dominican nuns came from Europe to make the first foundation in this country. There are now 16 monasteries of Dominican women in the United States. Our monastery was founded 1906 by six nuns from Newark, New Jersey. Our community resided in Detroit until 1966 when we moved to our present location in Farmington Hills.

OUR CHARISM
As cloistered contemplative nuns our lives are given over to the search for God and intercession for the needs of the Order, the Church and the world. As Dominicans we are women of the Word: the Word of Scripture pondered, prayed, and studied.

"The friars, sisters, and laity of the Order preach the name of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world. The nuns seek ponder and call upon him in solitude so that the Word proceeding from the mouth of God may not return to him empty but may accomplish those things for which it was sent." Constitutions of the Nuns

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a cherished devotion of our community. Eucharistic adoration invites us to a continual rekindling of our desire for sacramental and spiritual communion and a deeper participation in the Paschal mystery. Our night adoration is special for us. Praying in the night has always been a part of monastic tradition; the stillness, the darkness, and the breaking of one's sleep intensify the urgency of the call to "watch." Our hour by hour night adoration is our way of keeping the monastic tradition of vigils.

Continuous exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in our chapel evokes the Lord's gentle compassion in feeding his people at the table of his word and body and it brings to mind the spirit of unity and charity to which we are all called.

OUR MONASTIC ENCLOSURE

By our withdrawal from the world we are freed from worldly affairs so that we may devote all of our time to the kingdom of God. Our hidden life is meant to open our minds to the breadth and height and depth of the love of God who sent his Son so the world might be saved through him. Our monastic enclosure with its atmosphere of silence and simplicity, our community life and the holding of all things in common, the observance of the gospel counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, our study and work are the essential elements in our life. All of these find their unity in a single goal: that the Word of God dwell more abundantly in the monastery.

We seek to support ourselves by distributing altar breads, operating a small gift shop and gratefully accepting the alms of those who request our prayers.