The Congregation of St. Cecilia, commonly known as the Nashville Dominicans, is a

religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrat ...

of the Roman

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

located in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

. It is a member of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, one of the two organizations which represent women

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

in the United States (the other is the

Leadership Conference of Women Religious The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is one of two associations of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States (the other being the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious). LCWR includes ov ...

). The

sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

combine a

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

communal lifestyle of contemplation in the Dominican tradition with an active apostolate in

Catholic education Catholic education may refer to: * Catholic school, primary and secondary education organised by the Catholic Church or organisations affiliated with it * Catholic university, private university run by the Catholic Church or organisations affili ...

. As of 2018, the congregation has 300 sisters.

Foundation and 19th century

In 1860, James Whelan, the second

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 ...

of the

Diocese of Nashville The Diocese of Nashville ( la, Dioecesis Nashvillensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses 38 counties spread over 16,302 square miles of Middle Tennessee. The Catholic population of the ...

, a Dominican, requested that sisters establish a school in his

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

. The Dominican Sisters of St. Mary in Somerset, Ohio, responded by sending four members to Nashville, where they opened an academy in 1862 specializing in music and the fine arts. Two years later, the new community witnessed the

US Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

at the

Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1 ...

in December 1864. After the battle, the new community took on the responsibility of caring for numerous children at a nearby orphanage. After the Civil War, the enrollment dropped. In 1867, the year in which the community welcomed its first postulant, debts were so serious that the property was put up for public auction. Patrick Feehan, then Bishop of Nashville, joined with some friends to purchase the property, immediately returning it to the Sisters. However, the small community continued to struggle as debts mounted and four of its members left to establish a new foundation in the more promising and prosperous Washington, D.C. In the mid-1860s, Nashville suffered a particularly serious outbreak of

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...

. In an area sometimes known for its

anti-Catholicism Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...

, the Sisters gained great respect by remaining in the town to care for the sick. They also went to assist the people of

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

as thousands fled the city in the wake of the epidemic; of the 50 Sisters who served as nurses, 30 died. The community continued to grow and by the late 1880s, it was necessary to build not only an extension to the

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

but also the school. By this time, the Sisters had expanded their teaching to schools in other parts of the state, including

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

, Clarksville,

and

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

20th-21st centuries

In 1913, the Congregation of

Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia ( la, Sancta Caecilia), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman virgin martyr and is venerated in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the patroness of music and musicians, ...

was formally affiliated with the Dominicans, and in 1915 they established a link with the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

to properly certify their Sister-teachers. The community prospered to such an extent that, just before the onset of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, it was able to purchase prime Nashville land that would later become the site of Aquinas College
Overbrook School
and St. Cecilia Academy. In 1935, when the Congregation celebrated its 75th anniversary in the midst of the Great Depression, the Sisters had established or begun to operate schools throughout Tennessee as well as in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. At that time, there were some 115 sisters, teaching 2,000 students in 14 schools. Through the 1940s and 1950s the Congregation continued to expand its network of schools. Following the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

(1962–1965) the Congregation, like all other communities in the Latin Church, underwent a period of reflection and discernment regarding its charism and ministry. However, unlike many other groups, the Nashville Dominicans decided to retain the wearing of a

religious habit A religious habit is a distinctive set of religious clothing worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognizable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anchoritic life, ...

, in a slightly modified form. The Congregation also opted to maintain its focus on Catholic education. Although their primary apostolate is teaching, the sisters also engage in campus ministry, nursing, hosting retreats at their Bethany Retreat Center in Dickson, TN, Hispanic evangelization, and several other ministries. Since Vatican II, the Nashville Dominicans have continued to expand, establishing further schools and ministries in Tennessee as well as in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% f ...

;

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Colorado;

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 census, the city was the third-largest in Illinois, with a population of 150,362. His ...

; Minneapolis-Saint Paul;

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

;

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, Georgia;

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

, Australia; Elgin, Aberdeen,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

; Sittard,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

; and most recently in Limerick,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

; as well as many other locations in the United States.

Community life

For the Catholic Church the "perfection of charity, to which all the faithful are called, entails for those who freely follow the call to consecrated life the obligation of practicing chastity in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, poverty and obedience. It is the profession of these counsels, within a permanent state of life recognised by the Church that characterises the life consecrated to God." Thus, like all religious, the Nashville Dominicans embrace the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. For their sisters, the journey to making perpetual profession of these vows lasts 8–9 years, and is in six main stages.

Enquiry

This is the first stage, during which a young woman corresponds with the Congregation, has various conversations with the director of vocations, participates in a retreat and undergoes a psychological evaluation.

Pre-postulancy

This follows for those who are accepted and lasts until it is time to enter the convent along with other prospective sisters. It is a period of opportunity for the candidate to deepen her spiritual life by daily reading of the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

, meeting with a

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 partic ...

for

spiritual direction Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the div ...

and frequent participation in the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...

Postulancy

Postulancy begins when the young woman enters the

and is given a modified version of the

. The postulants spend the next year learning how to live in community as well as becoming familiar with

Catholic spirituality Catholic spirituality includes the various ways in which Catholics live out their Baptismal promise through prayer and action. The primary prayer of all Catholics is the Eucharistic liturgy in which they celebrate and share their faith together, i ...

and the Dominican way of life. There are also classes in basic Catholic doctrine, Church history and

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

Novitiate

In 2018 at the General Chapter the period of novitiate was extended to two years

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

It follows postulancy. To mark the transition, the novice is clothed in the Dominican habit; whereas members who have professed vows after novitiate wear black veils, novices (who have not made vows) wear a white veil. The novitiate years are crucial, for it is then "…that the novices better understand their divine vocation, and indeed one which is proper to the institute, experience the manner of living of the institute, and form their mind and heart in its spirit, and so that their intention and suitability are tested." Thus, the novices are given the opportunity for longer periods of

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifie ...

and spiritual reading, as well as silence, in order to reflect on the vocation

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

is offering and their response. To nurture this process novices also study the Bible, various spiritual writings,

patristics Patristics or patrology is the study of the early Christian writers who are designated Church Fathers. The names derive from the combined forms of Latin ''pater'' and Greek ''patḗr'' (father). The period is generally considered to run from ...

and the significance of the evangelical counsels. The first year of the Novitiate is the Canonical Year which concentrates on nurturing the inner and spiritual life of the sister. The second year of the Novitiate is the Apostolic Year when the sister is introduced to the apostolate and work of the community, in this case, teaching.

First and Temporary profession

First profession follows the novitiate. "By religious profession, members assume the observance of the three evangelical counsels by public vow, are consecrated to God through the ministry of the Church, and are incorporated into the institute." During the celebration of the

the novices make their first profession for three years and are clothed in the black veil. The Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church states that this period must be a minimum of three, but no longer than six years. When the three years of temporary vows are complete, the sister renews her vows for a minimum of five years after first profession until the time of final profession arrives. Between this time and perpetual profession, the Sisters learn how to live the evangelical counsels in a practical manner. Apart from working towards receiving certification as teachers, Sisters in this stage of formation finish other college course work as well as take further classes in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

and philosophy. It is also possible that a sister may begin teaching during this period if she has previously obtained her certification.

Perpetual profession

This is the culmination of the preceding years. Even after this profession, the journey continues, for "Through their entire life, religious are to continue diligently their spiritual, doctrinal, and practical formation." Thus, the Nashville Dominicans pursue ongoing formation and study throughout all their lives.

Daily life

The daily life of the Nashville Sisters follows a traditional pattern. A typical weekday may follow the following schedule: The Sisters rise at 5:00am and begin 30 minutes of meditation at 5:30am. Meditation is followed by

Lauds Lauds is a canonical hour of the Divine office. In the Roman Rite Liturgy of the Hours it is one of the major hours, usually held after Matins, in the early morning hours. Name The name is derived from the three last psalms of the psalter (148 ...

and the celebration of the

at 6:15am after which the Sisters have breakfast before beginning studies or teaching. At 5:00pm the community gathers to pray

Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...

, and rosary, then have dinner and then a period of recreation until 7:30pm. At 7:30pm the Sisters engage in spiritual reading, leading up to the final communal activity of the day, the praying of

Compline Compline ( ), also known as Complin, Night Prayer, or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is the final prayer service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours, which are prayed at fixed prayer times. The English ...

. After Compline, silence is maintained during which the sisters may prepare lessons or mark papers, spend time in personal prayer, while others may study, do some spiritual reading or whatever is needed (such as extra sleep). Usually by 10:00pm the sisters have returned to their private rooms (cells), and by 11pm the sisters are in bed.

Other Endeavors

Virtues in Practice Program

In 2013, the sisters launched an online educational program entitled the
Virtues in Practice Program
'. ''Virtues in Practice'' is a program for children in grades pre-kindergarten through eight to grow closer to Jesus by imitating His life and virtues. It is set up in such a way that a whole school studies the same virtue each month, to provide a whole-school (and at home, whole-family) focus. The program covers 27 virtues over a three-year cycle, with 81 saints held up as models of the virtues. The Congregation offers this program free of charge.

A Short Guide to Praying as a Family

In 2015, the Congregation published
A Short Guide to Praying as a Family
'. This book provides a simple and easy-to-implement plan for family prayer. Arranged successively according to the basic stages of prayer, ''A Short Guide to Praying as a Family'' allows each family member to progress from one level of prayer to the next, following a child's growth in age. It also treats parents praying together and for their family, and living a life of faith informed by the virtues. This book contains 180 pages and over 125 full-color photos of stained glass artwork complementing the types of prayer it introduces.

References

External links

*
Vatican Website: Code of Canon Law
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Religious organizations established in 1860 Congregations of Dominican Sisters Catholic female orders and societies Catholic religious institutes established in the 19th century 1860 establishments in Tennessee