The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, established their community more than 20 years ago in Ann Arbor, Mich., where music is a daily part of the Catholic nuns' lives in the Motherhouse. With the holiday season looming, the sisters joined NPR's Scott Simon for an in-studio performance and discussion of their latest album, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary.
"I think that people really do long for God," Sister Joseph Andrew says. "They long for their completion as human beings. I think Christmas in particular makes us more humble, more simple. We have the freedom to look a little deeper in our hearts. … If we pick up the true beauty of the season, that God became man, the music that reflects that gives us such an interior freedom and a joy. I think people want that; they want the good news."
"By God's goodness" as they say, the sisters' albums are bestsellers on Amazon. Their previous two albums, 2013's Mater Eucharistiae and 2014's The Rosary: Mysteries, Meditations & Music, have also earned a loyal following on streaming platforms like Spotify. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring marks the sisters' third release and first Christmas-themed album.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary is available now. Listen to the entire interview via the audio link above and hear the web-exclusive bonus track "Wake Awake."
Resources
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary (Amazon)
NPR: Life as prayer: The singing nuns of Ann Arbor (2013)
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