aBOUT uS
Who We Are
Beginning in
1987
The Sister Servants of the Eternal Word is a public association of the Christian faithful begun in 1987. Mother Mary Gabriel Long, then a Nashville Dominican, received the assignment to work for one year with Mother Mary Angelica PCPA, who had requested this of her superior, Mother Assumpta Long (who is also Mother Mary Gabriel’s biological sister). Mother Mary Gabriel accepted the assignment in obedience, and during that year, she was encouraged to begin an apostolic community to assist with the Church’s “endless task of evangelization and … work cooperatively with the mission of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.” After prayer and discernment, Mother Mary Gabriel responded with her personal “Fiat” and thus began the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word, a fruit of obedience and faith.
Our beginnings inspired Mother Mary Gabriel’s providential choice of both St. Francis and St. Dominic as our patrons. She wrote, “The unity of their hearts in Jesus Christ and their loving devotion to His Immaculate Mother typify the unity, love and zeal that gave impetus to and sealed their friendship.”
Building Our Convent and Retreat House
1992-1996
In 1992, after five years serving the EWTN Network and Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, we accepted 18 acres nearby from the family of one of our Sisters. With the encouragement of Mother Angelica and Bishop David Foley, we began building Casa Maria Retreat House, which opened for retreats in 1996.
In the following years, our charism and apostolate developed a “distinct mission and purpose of its own with the specific end being primarily evangelization through catechesis and retreats.” (Cf. Decree of Canonical Erection)
We always strive to teach the Faith from within the mystery of the sacramental life.
Casa Maria today
1996-present
The Sister Servants of the Eternal Word is a contemplative-active community, committed to evangelization through catechesis and retreats. We strive to emulate the ideals of St. Francis and St. Dominic whose complementary missions in their own time served to build up the Church in Truth and Charity. The Sister Servants run Casa Maria Retreat House and engage in a variety of apostolic activities including family catechesis, Sacramental preparation, and other catechetical missions throughout the diocese of Birmingham and beyond. Our catechesis is inspired by the words of Saint Paul to “teach spiritual things spiritually,” that is to teach those who possess the Spirit through baptism, to understand by the same Spirit, the gifts that they have been given in Him. (cf. 1 Cor 2:9-13)
Our Patrons
St. Francis and St. Dominic preached spiritual things spiritually (1 Cor 2:13) and gave honor to the Church by the witness of their poor, chaste and obedient lives. We strive to emulate them and bring the Love and Truth of Christ to each other and to all of God’s people.
Our Witness
We desire to combine the simplicity and devotion, typical of St. Francis, with the clear teaching of doctrine characteristic of St. Dominic, and to imitate their devotion to Mary, the most holy Mother of God, particularly through the Rosary and Marian Consecration.
Our Inspiration
St. Francis and St. Dominic loved the Catholic Church. They witnessed by their friendship and esteem for each other that unity and charity of which Christ spoke. By their authentic expression of true brotherhood, they supported unity under the Pope and were Jesus’ humble instruments in the upbuilding of the crumbling Church.
Our religious Life
We invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for us and accompany us in our religious life and our apostolate, encouraging true devotion to her and zealously promoting her Holy Rosary. We pray that she will form us, and many other souls, to respond, as she did, with complete and joyful surrender to the Will of God.