Your Humble Blogger is about to take a little down time — blogging will be light for a couple weeks — but before I go, here’s a nice picker-upper from The Anchoress:

It’s that time of year again, when postulants receive the habit, novices take their first vows and some finally arrive at the long-hoped-for day of final profession. Above we see Sisters Amy Marie, Dara Catherine, Judith, and Maria Catherine four newly-professed Little Sisters of the Poor, just after making their first profession. Five new novices were also welcomed to the community in Queens, New York.

There are links to more pictures at The A’s site.  You want to know what happened to all the vocations we used to have?  We’re still having them.  And a LOT of them.   Check out The Anchoress’s rundown.  It will definitely give you hope. 

The bishop pictured above, meantime, is Frank Caggiano, who was director of the diaconate program when I began formation in ’02. Back then, he was just plain old Fr. Frank. Now look at him. He wears the miter well, I’d say. Very well.