Prayer Town, Texas
TheDisciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, a vibrant Franciscan religious institute of diocesan right, is a contemplative community with evangelistic apostolates. Their motherhouse is in the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas. Founded in 1972, its members seek to follow in the footsteps of Jesus through the profession of the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They also make a promise of fellowship in the Spirit with all members of their institute. From its inception, Mother John Marie founded the community in the charismatic tradition and in the penitential life of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Assisi.
A Life of Prayer and Praise
Personal and communal prayer, praise, and worship are the very substance of their daily lives.
Joyful praise is characteristic of their communal prayer and ministry, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, but also in prayer meetings. They usually sing the Liturgy of the Hours, Intercessory prayer is offered assiduously during the Liturgy of the Hours.
Like Saint Francis and in imitation of Christ Jesus, they find a rhythm in their own lives from intense prayer to evangelistic outreach and back to prayer again. Mary, too, is their model of contemplation always with Jesus and interceding for her children. “Hermits’ Days” are arranged frequently, during which sisters are exempt from scheduled activities so as to spend time in personal prayer. They spend at least eight days a year on retreat. Silence is the atmosphere in their houses to foster the essential relationship with God.
Daily Schedule of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ:
5:30 Rise
6:00 Morning Prayer followed by Mass, one hour of private prayer, and breakfast
9:00 Morning work areas
12:00 Angelus and Midday Prayer followed by lunch
1:00 Second hour of private prayer (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
2:00 Afternoon work areas
4:30 Evening Prayer with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
5:30Dinner
8:15 Night Prayer followed by Grand Silence
10:00 Lights out
Active Apostles of the Spirit
The sisters are deeply involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Their charism statement says: “Called to witness to the Gospel, they seek to draw all people into a personal relationship with Jesus through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. This flows from a deep life of prayer and ongoing conversion in loving commitment to one another.”
As Disciples they are called to carry on the ministry of Jesus. They minister to the spiritual needs of people worldwide-adults, youth and children through various evangelistic outreaches and ministries. These include, but are not limited to retreats, vacation Bible schools, door-to-door evangelization, parish missions, foreign missions, prayer ministry and spiritual direction.
Trust in Divine Providence
Manual labor is an integral part of their lives. The sisters built their own houses on 664 acres of beautiful ranch land that was given to them. By their vow of poverty they acknowledge their dependence on God in all things, both spiritually and materially. They live by faith in God’s provision for their daily needs as He provides through the generosity of their families and gracious benefactors and through their ministries.
Mother John Marie Stewart, a convert to Catholicism, was studying for a Ph.D. in English Literature at ColumbiaUniversity in New York City when in 1965 she experienced a profound calling to a life of prayer and Scripture study. She then felt that the Lord was calling her to the consecrated life. However, she was past the age limit for entering most religious communities. She began professing private vows to the Lord through her confessor.
In 1969 she encountered the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. “Renew Your wonders in our day, as by a New Pentecost!” (Pope John XXIII). In the first Pentecost (Acts 2) the transforming work of the Holy Spirit enabled the Early Church to continue the ministry of Jesus, including the charismatic gifts (Acts 2; 1Cor 12:9-11; Is 11:1-3).
Seeing the fruits of this work of the Spirit in the Church, Mother John Marie became involved in the Charismatic Renewal movement. In 1971, while on retreat in a Poor Clare monastery, Mother John Marie received in prayer their founding document. Then others began to join her. She felt a deep affinity for the Franciscan way of life, so in 1982-83, Sr. Roberta Cuszac, O.S.F., and Sr. Margaret Cartney, O.S.F.-who had been on the International Rule Committee which had revised the Third Order Regular Franciscan Rule-came to give them extensive teaching on the new T.O.R. Rule.
Then on May 10, 1983, Most Rev. Leroy Matthisen, Bishop of Amarillo, Texas erected the Sisterhood as a public association of the faithful.
On April 7, 1991, the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes in Rome authorized Bishop Matthiesen to erect the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ as a religious institute of diocesan right. After Mass, they held their first Chapter of Elections, and MotherJohnMariewaselectedas Superior General.