A special annual event at the convent is The Epiphany celebration when we celebrate   Little Christmas ~ the visit of the Three Kings in Bethlehem.  "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.'  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."
    The kings sometimes bring small gifts to the convent and we enjoy opening the little surprises.  With joy we join the Kings as they come in adoration before the Savior of the World.   As we sing Christmas songs and enjoy the celebration, we entertain each other in prepared skits, stories, games or whatever may inspire each sister.   Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity.  - Psalm 133

Our Lady of Good Deliverance, France
France, known as “the Eldest Daughter of the Church is a country rooted in Catholicism, where her love of the faith is depicted in its magnificent Cathedrals, literature, sacred music, artistic works of paintings, frescoes and sculptures. Prayer books contain Illuminations penned in gold leaf and plant colors, and the very air holds the fragrance of religion.   In France, Marian devotion runs deep in the hearts of the faithful.  One of the first recorded apparitions of our Lady was at Le-Puy, France in the year 70 A.D.   A Shrine at LePuy was erected and has drawn many saints and faithful throughout the centuries.
Today in France, there is still a distinct dedication to Our Lady of Good Deliverance.  This devotion refers to a classic fourteenth century gothic statue of the Virgin holding the Child Jesus, both coal black in color.  The Virgin wears a white veil and a dark blue mantle dotted with fleur-de-lis over a red robe.  A Confraternity in honor of Our Lady of Good Deliverance was established in 1533 by Jacques Olier, and numbered thousands of members, which included aristocratic and common members alike.  The society was dedicated to honor God and his “very dignified Mother, the glorious Virgin Mary to keep a singular devotion alive in all real Christian men and women”.   The group organized processions and aided prisoners, paying their debts when possible.  Our Lady of Good deliverance was invoked in all needs, tragedies and sufferings, spiritual and temporal.
In 1587 the young St. Francis de Sales knelt before her in desperation, believing he was destined for the eternal fires.   He prayed the Memorare prayer that was set before the statue and instantly his darkness left him and he was filled with joy and consolation.  He immediately made a vow of celibacy before God and the Virgin Mary.  Many other French saints came to ask for Our Lady’s help, including St. Vincent de Paul and Jacques Olier, founder of The Sulpicians.
The Statue had been situated in the church “Saint-Etienne-des-Grès” but the building was destroyed during the Revolution.  A rich, pious lady named Madame de Carignan bought the statue and venerated her in her private home until she was arrested during the Reign of Terror.  While she was in jail, she prayed to Our Lady of Good Deliverance with others who had been arrested for their faith, including the Sisters of St. Thomas. When they were all freed in 1806, Madame retrieved the statue and donated it to the Sisters in thanksgiving to Our Lady for having survived imprisonment.
The statue is now located in Neuilly-sur-Seine.  The Sisters of St. Thomas pray every day in the chapel on behalf of families, the sick, religious vocations, those who have entrusted themselves to the Virgin, and peace in the world. 

Our Lady of Deliverance – Madrid, Spain
Writings state that the crusaders brought the devotion of Our Lady of Deliverance to Spain in the Middle Ages, sometime during the 15th or 16th century.  The statue depicted the Blessed Virgin holding the baby Jesus while she was nursing.  One day a soldier stole the beautiful, small statue of Our Lady of Good Deliverance. A poor man recognized the statue as belonging to the shrine and purchased it from the drunken soldier and placed in in an honorable location in his small cottage.  His wife was ready to give birth so the couple prayed daily at the statue for a safe delivery.  It soon became apparent that the woman was having birthing problems and they begged most fervently for Our Lady’s intercession.  The Blessed Virgin aided her in her trial and a beautiful, healthy child was born.  The new father named the statue “the Mother of Safe Delivery”, which soon became known as “Our Lady of Deliverance.”  Together, the couple spread the news to other families about Our Lady’s power with God.  Soon after, the devotion spread throughout Spain.  Becoming aware of Our Lady’s intercession, King Phillip III, who was the ruler during that time, personally undertook the erection of a Shrine in honor of Our Lady of La Leche.  He placed the statue in a Cathedral and from there Our Lady found a place in the hearts of many throughout Spain.