Greetings,
Keep our community family in your prayers as we gather for our August Monastic Chapter in July. Three times a year the whole community gathers to discuss the business of the monastery, progress of members (new and old) in their spiritual life, and other issues of importance.
These few days at the end of July will be quite busy with prayer honoring the anniversary of the dedication of Bishop Martin Marty Chapel, meetings, Eucharistic celebrations for our Diamond Jubilarians, and Vespers commemorating the transfer of a sister to our family.
Whew! We will rely on your prayers during these days!
Blessings,
.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Monastery Mystery Three Revealed!
Greetings,
The connection between the two items is the dough from our monastery bakery!
The large machine is a mixer for batches of dough that begin with 50 pounds of flour! The fresh dough from this near century old machine is enough to make 100 loaves of bread with enough left over for buns and sweet rolls too. The 'jaw' on the front opening is opened and closed by the handled wheel on the far left on the photo. The black knob determines the mixing speed and even the temperature (which is gauged with a thermometer on the front). More flour, water, sugar, etc. could be added via the odd globe with a hold cut out on the top of the machine. How is it still in use after so many years? It is cared for with respect not only for its use but also for whomever may need it next; it is cleaned, washed, and greased after each use. This follows the recommendation of the Rule; "Let him (the cellarer) regard all the utensils of the monastery and its whole property as if they were the sacred vessels of the altar. Let him not think that he may neglect anything" chapter 31.
The other mystery item is a roller for cutting dozens of buns at one time! We simply make a 'snake' of the dough to whatever size you would like the buns and then we roll the cutter over it quickly cutting at least a dozen buns which are then rolled into shape by hand. While this particular cutter may be 'new', the predecessor was around for a few decades preforming the same task.
The connection between the two items is the dough from our monastery bakery!
The large machine is a mixer for batches of dough that begin with 50 pounds of flour! The fresh dough from this near century old machine is enough to make 100 loaves of bread with enough left over for buns and sweet rolls too. The 'jaw' on the front opening is opened and closed by the handled wheel on the far left on the photo. The black knob determines the mixing speed and even the temperature (which is gauged with a thermometer on the front). More flour, water, sugar, etc. could be added via the odd globe with a hold cut out on the top of the machine. How is it still in use after so many years? It is cared for with respect not only for its use but also for whomever may need it next; it is cleaned, washed, and greased after each use. This follows the recommendation of the Rule; "Let him (the cellarer) regard all the utensils of the monastery and its whole property as if they were the sacred vessels of the altar. Let him not think that he may neglect anything" chapter 31.
The other mystery item is a roller for cutting dozens of buns at one time! We simply make a 'snake' of the dough to whatever size you would like the buns and then we roll the cutter over it quickly cutting at least a dozen buns which are then rolled into shape by hand. While this particular cutter may be 'new', the predecessor was around for a few decades preforming the same task. 
The outcome of these simple monastery tools, while a mystery to most, offer wonderful results to all the sisters, friends, retreatants, and family who come to our door. The bakery was one of the first works for many in the monastery during their novitiate and remains one of the favorite. The sounds, smells, and feel of the dough have a much loved place in our hearts.
Blessings,Saturday, July 21, 2012
Saturday Joy
Greetings,
Today the chapel was filled with joy as the words of Sister Julie's Perpetual Monastic Profession rang out...
In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
I, Sister Julie Peak, baptized in the diocese of Peoria, Illinois,
promise to God PERPETUALLY...
We will share more about this joyous day very soon!
Blessings,
In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
I, Sister Julie Peak, baptized in the diocese of Peoria, Illinois,
promise to God PERPETUALLY...
We will share more about this joyous day very soon!
Blessings,
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Monastery Mystery Three
Greetings,
Today's monastery mystery item is a duo! Two very different items that are needed to work with the same product. Both items seem to have odd wheels and handles, shapes and sizes, and may have been in the monastery for several decades, but both items are raised up to new heights in their work. Next week we'll post the answer, but offer any guesses as to these monastery mystery items or their common product in our comments below...hmmm...how could such dusty items be a daily part of our simple life?
Blessings on the guessings!
Today's monastery mystery item is a duo! Two very different items that are needed to work with the same product. Both items seem to have odd wheels and handles, shapes and sizes, and may have been in the monastery for several decades, but both items are raised up to new heights in their work. Next week we'll post the answer, but offer any guesses as to these monastery mystery items or their common product in our comments below...hmmm...how could such dusty items be a daily part of our simple life?
Blessings on the guessings!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Sister Volunteers!
Greetings,
The sisters are preparing for the fall "Holiday Fair" with many of their best crafts and talents. Sisters have been crocheting, sewing, cooking jellies, arranging stained glass, and beading rosaries as well as necklaces (whew!). But there is one work we all share together, we make dried noodles. This has been a community effort since our first endeavor back in 2010. The sisters signed up in shifts to help all yesterday... they kneaded, cut, and separated the noodles all around the monastery refectory. After they have dried a few days, another group of sisters will go about breaking them apart and arranging them in bags for the "Holiday Fair" this fall.
However, noodling nuns aren't the only volunteers this week! The gardening sisters have been picking their way through the field of sweet corn. A group of sisters gathered this afternoon to begin shucking and cleaning the corn for our first 'sweet' meal. The sounds of the sisters voices, laughter, and corn husks echoed out and around the work room. There is a joy in sharing some simple work together. Unfortunately, the yield of sweet corn has been small due to the drought in our area, and we aren't anticipating the chance to prepare and freeze our usual pounds for many meals throughout the winter.
Blessings,
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Feast of Saint Benedict!
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| A window dedicated to Saint Benedict in our main Chapel at the Monastery. |
"Come let us join with the angels and saints in offering thanks and praise to the Lord on this solemnity of our Father Benedict."
~Vespers Antiphon
Today, we joined with our Sisters, employees and friends in celebrating the Feast of Saint Benedict. All throughout the house we could hear well-wishes of "Happy Feast!" As a part of our celebration we welcomed our employees to lunch and supper with us in the dinning room. The homemade pizza from the kitchen was made more festive with the lively laughter of mechanics next to Sister Professor who was next to a nurses assistant who chatted with an Elder Sister who was next to an administrative assistant and so on. It was a wonderful opportunity to share this festive day with those who are a part of our everyday lives.
"We listen to the words we hear God speak, a promise of life and light we seek: In love run ways we cannot clearly see until our hearts expand and set us free."
~Lauds Responsory
"Let us rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord for a feast in honor of Benedict, at whose triumph the angels rejoice and give praise to the Son of God."
~Lauds Antiphon
"Let us love one another with fervent love, endure one another's infirmities; patiently serve and obey one another, and prefer nothing whatever to Christ."
~Vespers Antiphon
Blessings,
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Blessing Those Who Serve
Saint Benedict makes a point that everyone in the monastery serves the other through the work of the house. At our monastery, these 'house charges' are part of each sister's schedule. Everyone from Prioress to Postulant shares in the care of our home. These house charges vary according to the sister's abilities: dishwashing, serving, receptionist, dusting, paper shredding, and on the list goes...
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| Detail from the stained glass windows in Bishop Martin Marty Chapel depicting different works by the sisters. |
Greetings,
Benedict devotes a whole chapter to the Kitchen Servers of the Week. In chapter 35, he instructs how the servers are to be cared for and how they are to care for others. Essential to this chapter is Benedict's bringing the week's incoming and outgoing servers forward for a blessing at prayer.
Immediately after the Morning Office on Sunday, the incoming and outgoing servers shall prostrate themselves before all the brethren in the oratory and ask their prayers. Let the server who is ending his week say this verse: "Blessed are You, O Lord God, who have helped me and consoled me." When this has been said three times and the outgoing server has received his blessing, then let the incoming server follow and say, "Incline unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me." Let this also be repeated three times by all, and having received his blessing let him enter his service.
RB 35: 15-18
Within our community, we don't serve by the week, but often have specific charges on certain days for the summer, spring, or fall. We can't bless each server for her variety of house charges each week, but the community recognizes and celebrates this service to each other during Vespers on the first Sunday of every month. At the end of prayer on those Sundays, the Prioress blesses the community and all our communal service to each other with a simple prayer and a sprinkling with Holy Water.
Blessings,
Immediately after the Morning Office on Sunday, the incoming and outgoing servers shall prostrate themselves before all the brethren in the oratory and ask their prayers. Let the server who is ending his week say this verse: "Blessed are You, O Lord God, who have helped me and consoled me." When this has been said three times and the outgoing server has received his blessing, then let the incoming server follow and say, "Incline unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me." Let this also be repeated three times by all, and having received his blessing let him enter his service.
RB 35: 15-18
Within our community, we don't serve by the week, but often have specific charges on certain days for the summer, spring, or fall. We can't bless each server for her variety of house charges each week, but the community recognizes and celebrates this service to each other during Vespers on the first Sunday of every month. At the end of prayer on those Sundays, the Prioress blesses the community and all our communal service to each other with a simple prayer and a sprinkling with Holy Water.
Blessings,
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