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Sunday, August 26, 2012

Monastery Mystery Four Revealed

Greetings,

Our sisters dutifully held back while some interesting considerations were given via Facebook and a good guess on our blog.  The mix of metal and wood patterning reminded some of choir stalls and others of decorative church railings.  But these are combined elements of our Reservation Chapel in the Peace Chapel at the monastery. 

We hold our daily Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic prayer in the Peace Chapel while we celebrate feasts and Sundays in the Bishop Martin Marty Chapel.  As we gather for prayer early every morning and return too prayer again every evening, our sisters pause to reverence Christ present among us in the Reservation Chapel.  Throughout the day, sisters have the opportunity to come and sit in the cool quiet to reflect and pray.  If you find the opportunity to visit us, consider taking time in your day to rest in this prayer spot for some silent listening with God.


In the dailiness of our processing in and out of chapel, we can easily forget the work that it took to create the beautiful simplicity of this prayer space.  The Tabernacle and the stands were all designed by our Sr. Mary Kay, who now serves the monastery as procurator.  The icon of our Blessed Mother was written by an artist who at one time was also a sister of our monastery.  Even the stained glass (unseen on the right of this photo) was designed by one of our sister artists at the time the chapel was being constructed. 

Blessings,

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Monastery Mystery Four

Greetings,

Monastery Mystery Four is a place! There are places in our monastery that are so ingrained in the daily of our life that we don't always recognize the beauty.  This mystery place is seen by the sisters and our retreatants and guests several times a day.  The swirls that highlight this mystery place were designed by one of our own sisters of the monastery.  The clues of location are all in the images!...If you think you have a guess as to where this is in the monastery, just drop us a note in the comments below!

 Blessings!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Celebrations of New Promise!

Greetings,

We celebrated Sr. Julie's Perpetual Profession on Saturday, July 21st!

During her novitiate, Sister had made this clay piece "Hesed".  This Old Testament term of God's loving mercy for each of us; it became the theme of her Perpetual Profession "O God, Your Faithful Love Upholds Me".  She celebrated answering this faithful love with her family, monastic sisters, and lay-folk with whom she serves.

According to Benedictine Tradition, the sister writes out the profession statement in her own hand and reads it before all the sisters in the oratory or chapel of the monastery:

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
I, Sister Julie baptized in the diocese of Peoria, Illinois
promise to God perpetually stability in this monastery,
fidelity to the monastic way of life,
and obedience according to the Rule of Saint Benedict,
the norms of the Federation of Saint Gertrude
and the living tradition of this monastery. 
I make this monastic profession before God and the saints,
before Sister Penny, prioress, and the sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery.

In witness thereof, I have written this document and
have signed it here at Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, SD
on the 21st day of July in the year 2012.

Sr. Julie and Sr. Penny, prioress, then sign the profession statement on the altar and leave the profession document on the altar throughout the rest of the Eucharistic Celebration.  This is an important connection to the professed sister offering her life in connection with that of Christ and for the Church.

Sr. Mary Jo singing the Suscipe
after signing her transfer
documents on the altar.

Sr. Mary Jo reading her transfer
document before the Federation
President, our Prioress, and our
Formation director.















A week after celebrating the perpetual profession of Sr. Julie; our community gathered again to celebrate the perpetual transfer of Sr. Mary Jo's vow of stability to our monastery.  She commemorated God's continued love and care for her religious call with the theme "You Will Show Me the Path of Life". 


A week after Sr. Mary Jo's celebration, the community gathered to welcome a new seeker of God's love in our Benedictine life.  On Friday, August 3rd, Peggy followed our 1500-year-old-tradition, knocked on the monastery door, and was asked "What do you seek?".  She then answers the prioresses question and steps across the threshold of the monastery doors into her new life as a postulant in our community.  A sign of this new direction is the blessed Benedictine medal that the prioress gives to the postulant.

Blessings,