September 12, 2026
Late Saturday morning in the OLS Chapel of the convent in Shreveport, something simple but very important is happening. The sisters, the Bridney family, and Veronica’s brother and friend are praying the psalms of the midday prayer together. The prayers are familiar to the sisters, even if they pray them on a different schedule, but they’re unusual to the guests. What is the occasion? After a long time of prayer and discernment, Bridney and Veronica have decided to follow Jesus’ invitation by joining the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows.
This is the first step in a journey that will help them deepen their understanding of the call, know more about the charism and mission of the OLS sisters, and learn, in a very practical way, the demands and joys of communal living and the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Before closing the prayer, Bridney and Veronica are invited to stand before the altar, where two simple crosses have already been blessed by the celebrant at the Friday evening Mass. Sr. AnnaMaria, the Delegate of the Superior General, after a prayer over the crosses, gives them to each one of the two young ladies, saying: “Receive now the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. May it shield you from the insidious snares of the enemy, in memory of Christ, who died for you on the cross and redeemed you with his precious blood. As you follow in his footsteps, willingly choose life and renounce the vanities of this world. May you enjoy the eternal reward at the end of your life in triumph with the same Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.”
Bridney and Veronica receive the cross, kiss it, and place it over their heads, with help from Sr. Gabriela Gutierrez, their formator.
The closing prayer of this simple ceremony seals the commitment with the request to the Lord to fill them with the resplendent light of His eternal love, that they may love Him above all things, and their brothers and sisters only for His sake.
The community prepared a brunch to celebrate Veronica and Bridney’s new commitment and choices.
