Our desire as faithful daughters of the Church is to live and love at the heart of the Church. This is, in part, lived out through our charism of living the fullness of the Church's liturgical life. When our Holy Father Emeritus Benedict XVI issued the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum and accompanying letter to the Bishops ten years ago, he envisioned that the peaceful mutual enrichment of the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms of the Roman Rite would be "an interior reconciliation in the heart of the Church."

In our life, we witness that "there is no contradiction between ​the two editions of the Roman Missal." We have the privilege of participating in both Forms of the Roman (or Latin) Rite in our chapel several times a week and it is our honor to provide the choir for the Extraordinary Form High Mass at the Cathedral each Sunday. Our communal understanding of the both Forms of our Latin liturgy enables us to appreciate and share the full richness of this key aspect of the Church's life. We strive in all our apostolates to give the traditions of the Church their "proper place" while living fully present in our current age.

We share St. Teresa's ardent love of Holy Mother Church and strive to live each day as faithful daughters of the Church. Entering into our charism to "communicate the beauty, goodness, and truth of the Catholic faith by living the fullness of the Church's liturgical life," each Sister ​strives to personally integrate and live the richness of the Church's liturgy, prepared at all times to share of this treasury with the souls in her care.

​Confident in His promise to remain with His Church until the end and His guiding gift of the Holy Spirit, she faithfully teaches the beautiful truths that her Spouse has entrusted to His Holy Church.

As a faithful daughter of the Church and Spouse of Christ, the Sister is impelled by love to cherish in her heart each of the souls He has created, holding them as her spiritual children whether they are known to her or not. She carries them before His throne each day in the liturgy of the Church and strives to share His Person and His Truth clearly and lovingly with the souls entrusted to her particular care. It is through her intimate relationship with Christ, her Divine Bridegroom, that the Sister is enabled to bring forth divine life in the children He has given her, be they eight or eighty.

As religious women, we are consecrated to following the life of Christ most closely. Each morning as we kiss our rosary crucifix, we make our own the words of St. Paul which the Church uses to provide the spirit of this feast: "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."

As the introit of the Mass sets the tone for the day's liturgy, this veneration of the sign of our salvation serves to keep ever present in our minds the spirit by which our life is to be animated, a spirit of sacrifice leading to the fullness of life and love. 

The first act of a candidate upon entry is to salute the cross - may the last act of each Sister also be to salute the wounds of her Spouse!

Although the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary was not established until 1683 in honor of Our Lady's role in obtaining the Christian victory over the Turks at Vienna, her name has been confidently invoked from the beginning of Christianity. Many of the saints strongly recommended the practice of calling on Mary in every temptation and difficulty.

 "The name of Mary is the key of the gates of heaven." ~ St. Ephrem

"Mary is the salvation of all who call upon her!"
​ ~ St. Bonaventure

"In dangers, in perplexities, in doubtful cases,
​think of Mary, call on Mary; let her not leave thy lips; let her not depart from thy heart." ~ St. Bernard

"O most sweet name! O Mary, what must thou thyself be, since thy name alone is thus amiable and gracious!" ~ Blessed Henry Suso

"May the last movement of my tongue be to pronounce the name of the Mother of God." ~ St. Germanus

​​"Queen of Angels, Thou are our Queen also; accept us as Thy servants. On this day, when the first movement of Thy holy soul was towards God, and the first smile of Thy lovely eyes was for Thy happy parents, may holy Anne allow us to kneel and kiss Thy little hand, already filled with the divine bounties of which Thou are the predestined dispenser. And now, grow up, sweet little one! Let Thy feet be strengthened to crush the serpent, and Thy arems to carry the treasure of the world! Angels and men, the whole of nature, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all are awaiting the solemn moment, when Gabriel may fly down from Heaven to hail Thee full of grace, and bring Thee the message of eternal love." ~ Abbot Gueranger

One expression of our communal spirit is seen in our recreation. Each day, the Sisters spend a period of time together in edifying conversation, games, light projects, or active sports. These periods of relaxed interaction help to build up our family camaraderie, refresh our spirits, and renew our common commitment to our life of prayer and apostolic works.

Pictured is a "project recreation," an opportunity for the Sisters to work on special handwork projects that are not part of our daily duties. Some of the Sisters make rosaries, others embroider or sew, some work on calligraphy or develop skills in other art mediums. Not every Sister enters the convent with the ability to do some form of fine work, but these periods provide time for the Sisters to learn many different skills. "Project recreations" are particularly appreciated because they permit the Sisters to share grace-filled moments from their day while enjoying each other's company.

​On August 30, 1829, the traditional feast of St. Rose of Lima, the founding of Santa Rosa was begun by Padre Juan Amoros. A Franciscan missionary, Padre Amoros baptized the first native Christian of the area on this date, christening her with the name of the day's saint - St. Rose. He gave the same name, Santa Rosa, to the creek in which he administered the Sacrament and the whole area. The baptistry window of the Cathedral of St. Eugene depicts Padre Amoros baptizing the young maid and it is from this joyous event that the Diocese of Santa Rosa received both its name and its primary patron. Later, a small outpost was established consisting of a chapel and residence where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered when priests from the missions of San Rafael or Sonoma could visit. In time, this small outpost (which was never a full mission) grew into the City of Santa Rosa.

God, our Father, in all the churches
scattered throughout the world
you show forth the one, holy,
Catholic, and apostolic Church.

Through the Gospel and the 
Eucharist bring your people
of the Church of Santa Rosa
together in the Holy Spirit.
Renew in us your grace
and guide us in your love.

Make us a sign of your love
for all people, and help us
to show forth the living 
presence of Christ in the world,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God,
​forever and ever. Amen.

After a period of candidacy has been completed, the Candidate is received as a postulant and clothed in the distinctive garb of a postulant of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa. At this time, she is placed especially under the patronage of our Immaculate Queen through investiture in the Medal of the Immaculate Conception which each Sister wears over her heart as a sign of her consecration to Jesus through Mary.

Above all else, the postulant is formed in the spirituality of the community and aided to foster that relationship with God that is the foundation of the consecrated life. The period of postulancy allows the Sister to be more radically converted to Christ, Who is to be her Divine Bridegroom. This period lasts at least six months, at the end of which, if the postulant continues to hear God's call to our way of life, she may be invited to write a letter requesting the community to prayerfully consider receiving her as a novice, at which time she would receive her religious name and be clothed in the habit of a Marian Sister.