Mater Eucharistiae

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist are topping the charts . . .

Mater Eucharistiae
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
Decca/De Montfort Music, 2013

Dominican nuns are renowned as educators, but a new community of Dominicans is making great strides in reaching the secular culture. The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist are following in the footsteps of St. Dominic himself, while also engaging the modern world.

They teach in schools all over the United States. They’ve twice been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and the Sisters made it to the finals of the Game Show Network’s The American Bible Challenge earlier this year. So it should come as no surprise that this dynamic, young group of women religious based in Ann Arbor, Mich., have released their first album of sacred music, recorded live in their chapel. As of publication date, the CD was the top-selling disc on Amazon’s Classical and Christian charts.

“Music is pretty much in my blood,” said Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, OP, the order’s vicaress general who also wrote two of the album’s 15 tracks, “and music is a large part of our community’s prayer life.”

Grammy Award-winning producer Blanton Alspaugh lent his skills, bringing the Sisters’ natural talent to life. Recorded in only three days, Mater Eucharistiae includes songs in both English and Latin — ancient chants, polyphony, and original compositions. Some pieces are accompanied by the organ, trumpet and chimes, while others are sung a capella.

“The whole experience of this recording helped me gain a deeper appreciation of my own Dominican monastic vocation,” Sr. Joseph Andrew told Legatus magazine. “For the community, this is part of our charism for the New Evangelization — making our music available to the public in a unique way.”

While the Sisters are thrilled that the CD is burning up the charts, Sr. Joseph Andrew says she hopes the music will give people a deeper sense of God’s personal, unique love for everyone. “Music can move us in ways that nothing else can,” she said. “I think this music will draw forth a deeper communication with Him.”

Order: Amazon

PATRICK NOVECOSKY is Legatus magazine’s editor-in-chief.