The Madonna House Apostolate is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

community of

lay Lay may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada *Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France *Lay, Iran, a village *Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community People * Lay (surname) * ...

men, women, and priests dedicated to loving and serving

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in all aspects of everyday life. It was founded in 1947 by

Catherine Doherty Ekaterina Fyodorovna Kolyschkine de Hueck Doherty (August 15, 1896 – December 14, 1985) was a Russian-Canadian Catholic baroness, social worker, racial justice activist, and founder of Friendship House and Madonna House Apostolate. A pione ...

Combermere, Ontario Combermere is a village along the Madawaska River in south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is part of Township of Madawaska Valley. It is named after Sir Stapleton Cotton, Viscount Combermere (1773-1865). Combermere is best known as home to the Ma ...

, and has established

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

field houses worldwide.

History

Madonna House was founded by Catherine and Eddie Doherty in Combermere, Ontario, in 1947. The apostolate has since grown to establish 18 "field houses" in six countries.

Life

Staff workers of the Madonna House Apostolate live in voluntary poverty. Donations of clothing, food, goods and money come from a variety of sources enabling them to live out their promise of poverty, and better identify with the poor whom they serve. As a celibate community, the men, women and priests live in separate dormitories and generally work in separate departments, but gather together for all daily meals and religious services. Members of the Madonna House community live a simple daily routine beginning with a brief prayer service, followed by a day of work, and ending with Mass and dinner. Work at the main house generally consists of the day-to-day maintenance of the community, care of a farm, and the sorting and distribution of donations to the poor. The spirituality of the Madonna House Apostolate is summarized in The Little Mandate, a "distillation" of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ brought forth by the apostolate's foundress. Some members of the apostolate live in "poustinia", meaning a small, sparsely furnished cabin or room (the term ''poustinia'' has its roots in the Russian word for "desert"). For these few staff workers, their voluntary life as ''poustiniks'' is somewhat like that of a hermit, though less strict. Madonna House welcomes guests into their community, allowing anyone to come and join their daily routine of work and prayer for varying lengths of time at their training centre in Combermere. Also, once a year, a program is offered to families at Madonna House's summer camp called Cana Colony. Cana Colony was begun as a response to the request by Pope Pius XII to Catherine Doherty in 1951 that she and Madonna House would "always remember the family." Cana Colony began the following year and the camp is located at the edge of Bennett Lake. Families need to come prepared to enjoy an experience of simple and rustic living. A cook-shack is the only place that has electricity and running water. The one-room cabins have no electricity, and all of the johns are outdoor outhouses. Recreational activities include swimming, hiking, fishing, campfires, sing-alongs, etc. All families share in chores to help maintain the camp.

Works

The main work of the Madonna House Apostolate is serving the poor — both the physically and spiritually poor. Donations sent to the community are redistributed locally and internationally. Through their missionary field houses, Madonna House staff workers serve the needs of the poor in many ways, from "prayer and listening houses" to soup kitchens. The apostolate maintains a non-profit publications department, Madonna House Publications. It publishes the works of Catherine Doherty and other members of the community as part of its mission to spread the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

. The Madonna House monthly newspaper, ''

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

'', has been in continuous publication since 1947. Madonna House also works to promote the cause for

canonization Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...

of their foundress, Catherine Doherty, through a newsletter and web site.

Restoration

''Restoration'' is published by Madonna House Publications. It was founded in 1947 by the American newspaperman

Eddie Doherty Edward J. "Eddie" Doherty (October 30, 1890 – May 4, 1975) was an American newspaper reporter, author and Oscar-nominated screenwriter. He is the co-founder of the Madonna House Apostolate, and later ordained a priest in the Melkite Greek ...

and his wife, social justice activist Catherine Doherty. The articles and stories in ''Restoration'' are generally drawn from the daily life of the staff of the Madonna House Apostolate, and primarily revolve around the challenges of living the Gospel of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

as a

in today's world. Regular columns include: *Combermere Diary — current events at the Madonna House training centre in Combermere, Ontario *Milestones — announcements regarding the staff of the apostolate *My Dear Family — articles from the writings of Catherine Doherty *My Story — personal testimonies of Madonna House staff and friends *New Millennium — articles by the Madonna House Director General of Priests *Notes From Near and Far — news from the apostolate's international field houses *One Man's Scrap, Another Man's Gold — requests for specific donations for the needs of the community *The Pope's Corner — excerpts from the writings of the Holy Father *Word Made Flesh — reflections on

Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...

readings from the

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

The paper is

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, and there is only a small subscription fee to cover the cost of printing and mailing.

Structure

Madonna House is a "public association of the Christian faithful" under the authority of the bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke, and faithful to the magisterium of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The headquarters (called the "main house" or "training centre") located in Combermere, Ontario, Canada, houses the majority of the apostolate's staff workers. The community is overseen by three "Directors General" — the Director General of Men, the Director General of Women, and the Director General of Priests — each of whom is elected by the respective segment of the community for four-year terms. The apostolate also has several international missionary "field houses", each under the authority of the bishop of the area (and set up at his invitation). Each field house has a "Local Director," appointed by the Directors General. Local Directors gather yearly at the main house for several weeks of meetings and retreats. Members of Madonna House are known as "staff workers." After a two-year period of applicancy, staff workers make year-long promises (not vows) of poverty, chastity and obedience. These promises are renewed yearly and, after seven years, staff workers generally make lifelong final promises to the community. Staff workers can be distinguished by the large silver rounded cross they wear on a cord around their necks bearing the Latin words ''pax caritas'' (for "peace" and "love"). Madonna house also has a seven-month program for discerning the priesthood that runs from the first week of October until Easter. The program's participants live and work in the community in a routine similar to volunteer working guests except with the addition of a special class. In addition, the apostolate also accepts

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

s and

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

s from outside the community as "Associate Priests" — although these priests do not participate in the day-to-day workings of the apostolate. The Associate Priests do wear the ''pax caritas'' cross, strive to live "the Madonna House way of life," and meet yearly at the main house for retreats. (There is no corresponding "associate" status for lay people.)

Pioneer Museum

The apostolate's headquarters in Combermere, Ontario, includes the Pioneer Museum, a log barn housing historic pioneer artifacts. Items include household items, kitchenware, tools, cobbler and farm implements.

Field houses

Besides the main training centre in Combermere, Ontario, the Madonna House Apostolate also maintains missionary "field houses" in the following places:

Canada

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

*Combermere, Ontario *

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...

Whitehorse, Yukon Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale area ...

Rimouski, Quebec Rimouski ( ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski is the site of Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), the C ...

United States

The Madonna House in Winslow, Arizona, was founded in 1957."La Casa de Nuestra Señora", The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup
/ref> Other houses are located in Washington, D.C.; Alpena, Michigan; Salem, Missouri; and Roanoke, Virginia.

International

The Madonna House in

Robin Hood's Bay Robin Hood's Bay is a small Yorkshire coast fishery, fishing village and a bay located in the North York Moors National Park, south of Whitby and north of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Scarborough on the coast of North Yorkshire, England. Ba ...

, England, was established in 1985. Other houses are in

Carriacou Carriacou is an island of the Grenadine Islands. It is a dependency of Grenada, and is located in the south-eastern Caribbean Sea, northeast of the island Grenada and the north coast of South America. The name is derived from the Carib lang ...

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

; Krasnoyarsk, Russia; and Resteigne, Belgium.

Our Lady of Combermere

Our Lady of Combermere refers to a

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

of Mary erected in 1960 in the village of Combermere, Ontario, Canada. Prayer to the Virgin Mary under the title of "Our Lady of Combermere" began in the late 1940s at the Madonna House Apostolate founded by Catherine Doherty in the small village of Combermere, in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. As the title began to gain popularity among the apostolate's friends and neighbours, a woman (who claimed to have received an answer to prayer through the use of this title) offered to donate the money required to have a life-sized bronze statue erected for a

Marian shrine A shrine to the Virgin Mary (or Marian shrine) is a shrine marking an Marian apparitions, apparition or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a site on which is centered a historically strong Blessed Virgin Mary, Marian devotion ...

to Our Lady of Combermere. Catherine Doherty and her apostolate sought permission for the formal use of this title, as well as the erection of a shrine, from the Bishop of Pembroke, the Most Rev. William J. Smith, who directed them to contact the

Sacred Congregation of Rites The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by '' Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it had its functions reassigned by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 1969. The Congregation was charged with the ...

in Rome. The Congregation of Rites responded, giving the local bishop the authority to approve the title and shrine. He granted them permission to erect a statue of Mary under the title of "Our Lady of Combermere" and to have it blessed. The statue itself was sculpted by Frances Rich of Santa Barbara, California. Modelled on an earlier work by Rich entitled "The Questing Madonna," the statue of Our Lady of Combermere depicts the Virgin Mary hastening with arms open wide as if to welcome and embrace the viewer. The statue was officially installed and blessed by the Most Rev. William J. Smith, Bishop of Pembroke, on June 8, 1960.

Other Madonna House organizations

A number of other, unaffiliated organizations have also adopted the name "Madonna House", providing services varying from maternal services to retirement homes, and homeless shelters.

References

Sources

*''Our Lady of Combermere.'' Doherty, Catherine, et al. Combermere: Madonna House Publications, 1999.

External links

Madonna House ApostolateCatherine Doherty's Cause for CanonizationOur Lady of Combermere web site''Restoration'' official page
{{Authority control Catholic lay organisations Christian organizations established in 1947 Catholic missionary orders Museums in Renfrew County History museums in Ontario 1947 establishments in Ontario Shrines to the Virgin Mary