Greetings,
As Benedictines we profess a vow of stability; we commit
ourselves to living among members of one community in one place. This promise ties us closely to the tradition
of our monastic ancestors to care for and stewardship of the place where we
live in community. Pope Francis shared this reflection in his encyclical Laudato si’: “We can also look
to the great tradition of monasticism. Originally, it was a kind of flight from
the world, an escape from the decadence of the cities. The monks sought the
desert, convinced that it was the best place for encountering the presence
of God. Later, Saint Benedict of Norcia proposed that his monks live in
community, combining prayer and spiritual reading with manual labour (ora
et labora). Seeing manual labour as spiritually meaningful proved
revolutionary. Personal growth and sanctification came to be sought in the
interplay of recollection and work. This way of experiencing work makes us
more protective and respectful of the environment; it imbues our relationship
to the world with a healthy sobriety” (126).
As the years progress, Sister Gardener plans to continue
this slow shift from garden to habitat.
Encouraging these species that are native to our monastery grounds will
take time. It all begins with the ground
being tilled and raked to break up the earth, and next a mixture of seeds is
broadcast (sown) by hand over the dirt; then, we pray for rain. During the
first year, the habitat looks a bit awful. The weeds grow faster than the newly
sown flowers and grasses. These quick growing weeds
aren’t pulled out or doused with herbicide…the whole plot gets mowed! The mower is placed on its highest setting and
the weeds' leaves are shredded away leaving room for the newly sprouted grasses
and flowers to peek through. Even by the end of the first season, the weeds
seem to have won their rights to the plot of land, but the prairie habitat is a
mix of perennial and self-seeding annual species. 
The second year, the flowers sprout up quickly throughout
the habitat. They break into bloom and
celebrate God’s cathedral of creation! The prairie grasses hidden below the
abundant flowers slowly take deep root, over the next few years the grasses to
spread and thin the flowers. Early each spring, Sister Gardener will mow the pollinator
habitat. Creating an area of land call a 'carbon sink' that will hold the carbon the plants take-in and store in the soil. Soon after, the native plants spring to life in an abundance reflecting God's great blessings in Psalm 65: You crown the year with Your bounty. Abundance flows in your pathways; in pastures of the desert it flows (12-13). The challenge of this beautiful habitat is reminding our sisters that it was planted for the pollinators alone! It is so tempting to pluck a bloom or two for the chapel or refectory, but each flower and grass needs to be left in place for bees and bugs. Left in its beauty, the pollinator habitat is becoming a wonderful place of peace to wonder at all God's creation.Hello, Please allow me to introduce myself as I transition into a role that Sister Mary Jo and others have initiated, which is serving as Sacred Heart Monastery’s Communications Director! I am a Rapid City native, who grew up in a small family (we all share an R to begin our first names) and Mount Marty Alumni of Yankton, SD. This survey is dedicated to finding out ways to be more effective in getting the word out. In the spirit of Pope Francis #twitterfeed Today the Church is a Church of martyrs, so many heroic witnesses. May we learn from their courage. Be courageous, take the quiz! Thank you smile emoticon Raelynn Coldwell
Greetings, |
| Sr. Mary Kay, procurator, and Sr. Penny, prioress, joined the recognized employees for a picture. |
Greetings,
