National Catholic Sisters Week ~ Golden Jubilarians

Greetings,

Each day of National Catholic Sisters Week, we will be sharing the story of one of our new members or Jubilarian Sisters, those celebrating significant anniversaries in religious life!

Sister Jeanne  grew up on a farm near Tyndall, SD, second in a family of  four children.  After graduating from Tyndall High School,  S. Jeanne attended Mount Marty College. graduating in 1962 with a BA in Social Science.  She says attending Mount Marty opened for her worlds academically and spiritually. That fall she entered Sacred Heart Convent.  

After first profession, S. Jeanne taught at Mount Marty High School until its closure in 1969.   This was followed by graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame where she earned a Masters and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.  S. Jeanne’s ministries have included teaching at the college and graduate levels, counseling, serving as consultant and facilitator for numerous religious communities and leadership roles in the American Benedictine Academy, Association of Benedictine Retreat Centers and Monastic Interreligious Dialogue.  

Since 1990, S. Jeanne has been engaged in full-time retreat ministry and continues to serve as Director of the ecumenical Spiritual Direction Ministry Formation Program.  In 2000, S. Jeanne earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in Spiritual Direction through the Graduate Theological Foundation including a summer attending Oxford University in England.  S. Jeanne continues as Director of the Benedictine Peace Center established in 2001 with the completion of a new wing of the monastery.  

S. Jeanne writes:  “Fifty years have passed quickly, filled with experiences and opportunities I hadn’t dreamed would be mine.  Whatever the years before me hold, my hope is that I will be ever more attentive and responsive to the profound and amazing gift of God’s loving Presence among us.  I am deeply grateful to my family, my sisters and all those whom I have been privileged to serve in a variety of ministries.  With a long way to go yet, my hope is to attain what St. Benedict promises to a disciple after  long years of fidelity in our monastic way of life, that is:  “to run with heart enlarged on the way of God’s commandments.”

Sister Mildred Busch was born in Luverne, MN.  She joined three brothers and three sisters growing up on a farm northwest of Luverne.  St. Rose of Lima parish in Garretson, SD was an anchor in her family’s faith life as her father became the first layman to lector and serve as communion minister in their church following the reforms of Vatican II.  

S. Mildred graduated from Garretson High School in 1961.  She attended Mount Marty College for one year before she entered Sacred Heart Convent in 1962.  In 1967 she received her BA in history from Mount Marty and MA in education from the University of Nebraska in 1981.  For 33 years S. Mildred taught in elementary and high school levels in parish schools of Tabor and Yankton, SD; and Cedar Catholic High, Hartington and Cathedral of Risen Christ, Lincoln, NE.   She was principal for 20 of those years and she states her years in education have brought great joy and satisfaction for the privilege of being involved in the lives of hundreds of children and young people.    

Throughout her years in religious life, S. Mildred was involved in community administrative areas, serving terms on the Council and numerous committee and task forces.   In 1999 she entered a new phase of ministry by serving on the task force for co-sponsorship of our Benedictine health system with the Aberdeen Presentation Sisters health system now known as Avera.   She continued to serve the health system as a member of several Avera  Hospitals Board of Directors and has been a System Member Chair for Avera Health.   In 2005 S. Mildred was appointed Community Procurator.  She loved these years of serving the community very directly, adding that “the learning curve was huge, but the challenge was enjoyable.”   

Currently S. Mildred is Pastoral Administrative Assistant at St. Michael’s Parish in Lincoln, NE.  Her newest venture has been writing and sharing Guided Visualizations on Gospel passages, stories and events.   In closing S. Mildred  says,  “On my Jubilee, I celebrate with everlasting gratitude my call to the Monastery and thank God for His faithfulness.”

Blessings and return tomorrow for a string of Diamonds...

Curious about more of our stories? Follow this link to our "Meet the Sisters" page. You can 'click' on different sisters names to find out more about their story, our vows, and living as a Benedictine Sister! Or follow the "Vocation" link at the top of our blog to request more information! 

Fun on the Feast of Saint Benedict!

Greetings,
We began our celebration of Saint Benedict last evening with first Vespers.
We processed in Statio into Chapel, then entered into the feast with chanted prayer.  The prayer continued this morning with Lauds and the Eucharist.  

However, our celebration of Benedict includes his joy of community.  We invite our employees into the monastic dinning room to join us for lunch and dinner (depending upon their working hours).  It was wonderful to sit down, pray, and see the maintenance man, care center nurse, sister and secretary all enjoying the day and the meal together.


The fun continued with the sisters from our Riverview living group (small groups of 5-15 sisters) inviting all the sisters and employees to an afternoon celebration.  Sisters at the door offered you a playing card and cryptically reminded you to keep it close.

More sisters from Riverview dished up the ice-cream for rootbeer floats!  All throughout the room sisters and employees filled the room with laughter. Then another sister began to call-out playing cards by number and suit!  Door prizes!  The sisters had collected a variety of 'white elephant' grab-bag surprises...no peaking.

Sharing the joy of community...Sr. Marie Helene (celebrating 70 years of profession) and Novice Peggy (soon to profess her first profession).

Now...back to Chapel for prayer!

Blessings!

The Narrow Way

Greetings,

Pope Francis' Sunday Angelus invited us all to pass through the narrow gate into life with Jesus.

"The image of the gate recurs several times in the Gospel and is reminiscent of home and hearth, where we find safety, love and warmth.  Jesus tell us that there is a gate that allows us to enter into God's family, into the warmth of the house of God, of communion with Him.  This gate is Jesus himself.  He is the gate.  he is the gateway to salvation...Don't be afraid: He's waiting for you.  Be lively, have the courage to enter through His gate.  All are invited to pass through this gate, to pass through the gate of faith, to enter into His life, and to allow Him to enter into our life, because He transforms it, renews it, the gifts of full and lasting joy."

The loving call of the Holy Father is reminiscent to us of how Saint Benedict closes his Prologue to the Rule of Benedict.  He challenges the monks and nuns to follow the narrow way of love through life in the monastery, the school of the Lord's service.

"And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord.  In founding it we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome.  But if a certain strictness results from the dictates of equity for the amendment of vices or the preservation of charity, do not be at once dismayed and fly from the Way of Salvation, whose entrance cannot but be narrow.   For as we advance in the religious life and in faith, our hearts expand and we run the way of God's commandments with unspeakable sweetness of love.  Thus never departing from His school, but persevering in the monastery according to His teaching until death, we may by patience share in the suffering of Christ and deserve to have a share also in His kingdom."

Blessings,