Welcome to The House of New Bethany!

St. Mary Magdalene contemplating in her grotto at La Sainte-Baume, France.

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“The Saint-Baume was the Tabor of St. Mary Magdalene.”

~ Henri-Dominique Lacordaire


Happy the man who meditates on wisdom and reflects on knowledge.

She will nourish him with the bread of understanding and give him the water of learning to drink.

He will lean upon her and not fall; he will trust in her and not be put to shame.

She will exalt him above his fellows; in the assembly she will make him eloquent.

Joy and gladness he will find, an everlasting name inherit.

~ Canticle of Sirach 14:20; 15:3-6


The House of New Bethany

The story of the House of New Bethany began in fall 2008, when the silent Being of St. Joan of Arc confronted me. It was not something I sought or even understood at first—it simply happened. My reading of St. Thérèse’s plays and poetry about Joan drew me, through her words, into an emerging sense of Joan’s Being. I experienced what St. Edith Stein calls a moment of “unreflective certainty.” In that silent, profound encounter with Joan, I received a gift of grace so immense that it has taken years of prayer and study to begin to comprehend and nurture it.

One part of this gift was a deep, “inceptual” awareness of St. Mary Magdalene—a vivid sense of her arrival on the shores of Provence, under the western tradition. I can still feel the weight of that awareness, a kind of sacred knowing in the liminal mist between holy France and my soul. In 2013, I venerated a relic of St. Mary Magdalene—her shin bone. Six months later, she appeared to me in a dream. I felt an indescribable moment, as if she had invited me into a sacred story she held in primacy and that I had to follow. I woke with a sense of clarity and purpose, as though her presence had given me a second wind to pursue “Mystical France” and her story with the same inceptual intensity I had felt before. Through these encounters—Joan’s silent Being and Magdalene’s mysterious story—I had received an extraordinary and unmerited gift from the Holy Spirit.

This gift developed over a decade into a profound understanding of Mary Magdalene’s unique charism for our broken world. Her prophetic spirit burns brightly, a grace-filled gift offered by the Holy Spirit to build up the Church. I came to understand prophecy, not as predicting the future, but as a living grace, an extension of inceptual thinking—a gift for perceiving the deep truths of God and proclaiming them with love. Magdalene herself seemed to draw me into this charism through the profundity of Mystical France, awakening in me a desire to unconceal her gift of prophecy and proclaim the gospel with greater conviction and insight.

The House of New Bethany was born from this journey. It represents not just a place, but a mission—a sacred calling to witness to the healing and renewal Christ offers through the gospel. Magdalene’s charism of insight inspires me deeply; her prophetic voice echoes in my heart, reminding me of the need for truth and love in a world so often overshadowed by despair. I feel called to be a herald of this message, to proclaim the risen Christ as she did, to offer a place of refuge, hope, and transformation in her family - The House of New Bethany.

This journey has been one of awe and gratitude, and though it is unmerited, I know the Holy Spirit’s grace is abundant. Bringing forth The House of New Bethany from its concealment is a response to that grace—a humble offering to those who seek the light of Christ, a space for the weary and the wandering to find hope in the gospel.


St. Mary Magdalene preaching the gospel in Provence, France

The Mission

The House of New Bethany seeks to unveil the unique and vital charism of St. Mary Magdalene, whose legacy offers a message of profound spiritual renewal for a broken world. Through her witness, The House of New Bethany aims to inspire a deeper encounter with God’s grace, fostering spiritual growth that strengthens the body of Christ in truth, beauty, goodness, and love.

Vision

To see a world transformed by the charism of St. Mary Magdalene, where hearts are renewed, lives are enriched by God’s grace, and the body of Christ flourishes in truth, beauty, goodness, and love.

Research and Resources.

Explore the Research and Resources section to discover my posts offering background and insights that support and enrich the mission of The House of New Bethany.


St. Mary Magdalene’s presence permeates Provence

About Walter Emerson Adams

My writings are deeply personal reflections on my spiritual journey through the Catholic Church.

I hold an undergraduate degree in economics from Princeton University and a master’s degree in public and private management from Yale University. I am married and the father of one child. Though I grew up a Methodist in the Bible Belt, surrounded by evangelicalism, I converted to Catholicism before my 1985 marriage.

The life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux has touched me profoundly, inspiring a filial love for Mary and a lifelong spiritual pursuit to “seek first” Christ’s Kingdom, with Thérèse as my guide. Over time, my journey led me to a profound confrontation with my innermost being on the lonely, mystical hill of Calvary. Through Mary’s maternal guidance and Thérèse’s sisterly care, I discovered Jesus had called another mighty saint to walk with me and protect me during the dark and transformative night of self-confrontation that leads us to true freedom in Christ. That saint, a spiritual sister to Thérèse, was Joan of Arc.

You can read more about my journey and reflections at my sister Substack, The Dove and Rose. All content here is free. If you would like to support my work, you can upgrade to a paid subscription or visit my support site through the link in the menu above.

May St. Joan, St. Thérèse, St. Mary Magdalene, and the Blessed Virgin Mary pray for you always!

~ Walter Emerson Adams


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A spiritual narrative delving into the sacred charism of St. Mary Magdalene’s silent Being, woven with the poetic mysteries of her bond to Mystical France.

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Unveiling the bright-eyed Being of St. Joan of Arc and St. Thérèse of Lisieux in the world by sharing poetic, philosophical, and mythological expressions grounded in Catholic devotion.