and Bishop Smith of the Pembroke diocese invited her to open a rural apostolate in Combermere. Madonna House, as the new community was called, became the most fruitful and most lasting of her foundations. The young men and women who came, desiring to give their lives to God, were eventually joined by priests, who brought credibility and protection. At the 1952 Lay Congress in Rome, Cardinal Giovanni Montini (later Pope Paul VI) suggested to Catherine that Madonna House stabilize itself with vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The community voted to take lifelong promises,[xiii] and in 1955 Catherine and Eddie also promised to lead a celibate life.] Fourteen years later, Eddie would be ordained a priest in the Melkite rite of the Catholic Church. On June 8, 1960, Bishop William Smith approved Madonna House as a Pious Union The first mission house was opened in Whitehorse, Yukon in 1954 at the invitation of Bishop Jean Louis Coudert, followed by missions in Edmonton, Alberta, Winslow, Arizona, and many others. Since Catherine’s death in 1985, the community has continued to grow and mature. In 2022, it included approximately 200 members and 16 mission houses in six countries. Way of Life Nazareth The life of the Madonna House community is that of a Christian family striving to live the gospel in all the little things that make up everyday life, following the example of the Holy Family in Nazareth. Christ’s command to “love one another as I have loved you” is expressed in service to those one lives with and each person one meets. Love is the very heart of the Gospel, and the call to love is considered the root of all apostolic outreach. Hospitality Live-in guests are an important part of the life in Combermere. They are integrated into the family and share the rhythm of prayer and work. The latter comprises all that is necessary for the maintenance of the community. According to the foundress, welcoming another into one’s heart is as important as welcoming him or her into one’s home. Prayer Madonna House life is permeated by prayer expressed in work and in service to others, as well as in liturgical prayer. Members and guests gather for daily Mass and either lauds or vespers. The rosary is prayed after the evening meal. The call to “preach the Gospel with one’s life” however, transforms every activity, from work, to meals,