World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Greetings,

As the Universal Church celebrates a day of prayer for vocations, we invite you to reflect on the first part of Saint Benedict's instructions on "The Manner of Receiving Sisters"...

When anyone is newly come for the reformation of her life,
let her not be granted an easy entrance;
but, as the Apostle says,
"Test the spirits to see whether they are from God."
If the newcomer, therefore, perseveres in her knocking,
and if it is seen after four or five days
that she bears patiently the harsh treatment offered her
and the difficulty of admission,
and that she persists in her petition,
then let entrance be granted her,
and let her stay in the guest house for a few days.

After that let her live in the novitiate,
where the novices study, eat and sleep.
A senior shall be assigned to them who is skilled in winning souls,
to watch over them with the utmost care.
Let her examine whether the novice is truly seeking God,
and whether she is zealous
for the Work of God, for obedience and for trials.
Let the novice be told all the hard and rugged ways
by which the journey to God is made.

If she promises stability and perseverance,
then at the end of two months
let this rule be read through to her,
and let her be addressed thus:
"Here is the law under which you wish to fight.
If you can observe it, enter;
if you cannot, you are free to depart."
If she still stands firm,
let her be taken to the above-mentioned novitiate
and again tested in all patience.
And after the lapse of six months let the Rule be read to her,
that she may know on what she is entering.
And if she still remains firm,
after four months let the same Rule be read to her again.

Then, having deliberated with herself,
if she promises to keep it in its entirety
and to observe everything that is commanded,
let her be received into the community.
But let her understand that,
according to the law of the Rule,
from that day forward she may not leave the monastery
nor withdraw her neck from under the yoke of the Rule
which she was free to refuse or to accept
during that prolonged deliberation.

Rule of Benedict Chapter 58

Discernment Retreat: Listening for God’s Call

The Discernment Retreat begins TODAY! 

Please pray for the women who will be joining us in this sacred time of seeking God's Will:

LORD of the Harvest, 

BLESS young people with the gift
of courage to respond to your call.
Open their heart
to great ideals, to great things.

INSPIRE all of your disciples 
to mutual love and giving—
for vocations blossom
in the good soil of faithful people.

INSTILL those in religious life, parish ministries, and families 
with the confidence and grace to invite others
to embrace the bold and noble path 
of a life consecrated to you.

UNITE us to Jesus 
through prayer and sacrament,
so that we may cooperate 
with you in building your reign
of mercy and truth, of justice and peace. 

Amen.

— Pope Francis

(National Religious Vocations Conference prayer Adapted from the Message on the 51st World Day of Prayer for Vocations.)

Lenten Preparation

Greetings,

As we approach the Lenten Season, the Sisters who serve in the Peace Center and Vocations ministry have been working to create studies and retreats to help you prepare for Easter!

• Monastery Scripture study events, prayer experiences, and retreat links available through our Facebook page.
• Peace Center: Benedictine Spirituality & Retreat

A Reminder from Pope Francis...

Greetings,

"Listen carefully, my child, to your master's precepts, and incline the ear of your heart (Rule of Benedict, Prologue: 1).

Are you seeking to listen more deeply? We would be happy to share our Benedictine life of prayer, offer times of listening and retreat, and walk with you on the way.  

Welcoming Postulant Terry!

Greetings,

The Postulant Theresa, escorted by our vocation director, knocked at the monastery door. Prioress Penny greeted her and asked, "Terry, what do you seek?" She responded, "I seek to live in loving service to God in this community." Each new postulant offers her own response to this question.  After the Postulant Director proclaimed a reading from the Rule of Benedict, the Prioress called upon the whole community to live as example and share our support with Terry as she begins this deeper discernment of our monastic life. With this simple ceremony at the front doors of the monastery, Terry became a Postulant and began her journey into our Benedictine life.  Almost two months later, she has begun settling into our daily life of the community.  How does someone settle into our family life?  Slowly… 

Terry recently shared that some of her new experiences were those that our Midwestern sisters had been living most of their lives. “Since I come from the East Coast (I’m a Philly girl), I have had some experiences that are new culturally. For one, I have never experienced a “corn party”. First we shucked and shucked and shucked some more, more corn than I have ever seen before. We also had corn on the cob for lunch and dinner for about two and a half weeks. Then we cut the corn off the rest of the cobs so we could enjoy it all year long. That’s a lot of corn. I will also be experiencing my first “pasta party”, wherein I am told the pasta will be flowing faster than I can imagine. I don’t even know how pasta is made, but I will be a professional before the end of the day, I am told! The pasta is being made for the Holiday Fair when the sisters sell homemade goodies made right here in the monastery.”

Postulant Terry’s room is in the monastery hall dedicated to the new members in formation.  The new members are allowed to settle-in to feel comfortable in their bedroom, “I brought a guitar, computer, and some stuffed animals. Recently I used one of the stuffed animals as a doorstop to keep the door from slamming shut in the wind. One of the sisters saw it (it is an eagle) and she said she saw a giant mouse in my doorway. Ever since the “giant mouse” has taken to stalking her –outside her door in the middle of the night, checking out her office desk, and even reading from her book of the Divine Office.” However, not everything from home can be brought to the monastery. Postulant Terry needed to leave her dog, Samson, in the loving care of a new family.

As a Benedictine family, we also work to care for our home together and even the Postulant has a household charge or two, “My charges include Friday evening and Sunday brunch dishes and cleaning the Peace chapel,” as well as charges taking care of the monastery hall and group room for formation members. “I’d have to say that washing the dishes is my favorite among these current tasks.” These daily tasks are on top of Terry’s continued work teaching as a Professor of Theology at Mount Marty College and new work learning in her beginning formation classes. “I am currently reading a book and discussing it with two sisters on the topic of transitions – this is helpful to me in facing some of the facets of transition. I am also taking singing lessons each week and a liturgy class based in the Church’s teaching and Liturgy of the Hours.”  With all this juggling around the monastery, it has been important to remember “how thoughtful St. Benedict was in incorporating time for everything in any given day: prayer, work, leisure, communal and private time, rest and refreshment – and it all seems to work!”

Central to our Benedictine life is the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist.  Soon after entering, even Postulants begin to fall into the liturgical rhythm, “I really enjoy the chanting of the prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. My favorites come from the chanted renditions of the Benedictus.”  Personal prayer is also an essential part of the prayer life of new members, “I have long been aware of and tried Lectio Divino in the past, but since entering this is a prayer that I practice every day.”

“Don’t forget to breathe.” This advice was shared with loving prayer from another sister as Postulant Terry began to settle in to our monastic life.  As Terry continues her discernment, she offers this wisdom, reminiscent of Pope Francis, to women who are considering religious life, “Make sure you are happy with the decision to enter religious life. The Church needs happy religious.” This advice is a reflection of her own response when sisters ask how she is doing, a quote from Tobit, “brimming over with joy!”

Please pray for Postulant Terry's continued discernment in our Benedictine Community!

Welcoming Rites of Postulant & Profession!

Greetings,

The start of August has traditionally been marked with celebrations honoring not only the milestone moments but also the beginnings of our Benedictine life.  Friday, August 1st, was filled with joy as we celebrated Diamond Jubilarians: 75 ~ 70 ~ 60 years of religious life.  Among the twelve sisters being honored, we recognized a milestone of 775 years of professed life and loving service to the Church and all God's people.

Sister Vocation Director,
Postulant Theresa, and
our Sister Prioress

The beginning of our religious life was honored on Saturday evening as the whole community gathered at the front doors of the monastery to welcome Terry into the Postulancy. The Rule of Benedict teaches us, "Do not grant newcomers to the monastic life an easy entry, but as the Apostle says. Test the spirits to see if they are from God. Therefore, if someone comes and keeps knocking at the door...then she should be allowed to enter...A senior chosen for her skill in winning souls should be appointed to look after them with careful attention" (RB 58: 1-6). 

The newcomer, escorted by our vocation director, knocked at the monastery door. Prioress Penny greeted her and asked, "Terry, what do you seek?" She responded, "I seek to live in loving service to God in this community." Each new postulant offers her own response to this question.  After the Postulant Director proclaimed a reading from the Rule of Benedict, the Prioress called upon the whole community to live as example and share our support with Terry as she begins this deeper discernment of our monastic life.


Finally, Sister Penny dressed Postulant Theresa with a Benedictine medal as a sign of our acceptance of her desire to seek God in our community.  The community processed on from this entrance rite to the Chapel to Vespers while singing: "What can be sweeter to us than the voice of the Lord inviting us? Behold in his loving kindness, the Lord shows us the way to life."

Our community symbol & sign waiting to be
blessed and given to N. Peggy as a sign of our unity.

Novice Peggy chose a line from Jeremiah for the theme of her first Monastic Profession, "For I know the Plan I have for you, says the Lord."

Sister Penny, Prioress, looks on while N. Peggy
declares her first Monastic Profession.

The dialogue within the rite of profession reminds us that while the community tests and receives the new member, the initiative is hers. Sr. Penny, Prioress, asked, "Novice Peggy what do you ask of God, of the Church, and of this community?" And Novice Peggy responded, "Mindful of God's merciful love, I ask to share in the life of this community by making my first Monastic Profession."

Following the instruction of the Rule, she was then invited in the name of the Church to declare her promise of profession before God and His Saints. After this, Sister Peggy and our Prioress signed her profession document on the altar as an offering to God where it remained throughout our Vespers prayer.

The profession document is signed on the altar as a
sign of Sr. Peggy's offering of self.

Sister Peggy singing the Suscipe with her sisters.

"When she is to be received, she comes before the whole community in the oratory and promises stability, fidelity to the monastic life, and obedience. This is done in the presence of God and the saints to impress on the novice that if she ever acts otherwise, she will surely be condemned by the one she mocks. She states her promise in a document drawn up in the name of the saints whose relics are there, and of the prioress, who is present. The novice writes out this document herself...puts her mark to it and with her own hand lays it upon the altar. After she has put it on the altar, she begins the verse: Uphold me, O Lord, according to Your word that I may live; and let me not be disappointed in the hope I cherish. The community repeats the verse three times, and adds the 'Glory be to the Father'" (Rule of Benedict 58: 17-22).

As a sign of her Profession and commitment, Sister Peggy received the symbol of our community. The Benedictine cross with the Sacred Heart of Christ in the center, and the flowing love of His mercy and our ministry of prayer and service. This pin (and pendant) stands as a uniting sign of her membership in our community and a reminder to her of our life together in Christ.

As a vowed member of our community, Sr. Peggy will continue to discern God's call in her life throughout the next four years of temporary profession. She will continue to engage in lighter schedule of monastic classes while returning to her service as a nurse in ministering to the needs of God's people. Follow this link to read more about Sister Peggy.

Please pray for Sister Peggy and Postulant Terry as they continue to discern God' call in their lives.

Blessings,

Profession Prayers...

Greetings,

Please continue to pray for Novice Peggy as she nears an important day in her life as a Benedictine. A year ago this weekend, Peggy was received into the Canonical Novitiate within our Monastery. After a year of Benedictine study, service to community, prayer and discernment, she will promise her first Monastic Profession on Sunday before God, her sisters, and immediate family as a part of our Vespers Liturgy of the Hours.  Blessings,

The Rite of Transfer: "My heart is ready, O God, My heart is ready."

Greetings,

 Benedictine women and men profess three vows from the Rule of Benedict: Obedience, Fidelity to the Monastic Way of Life (celibacy & poverty are inferred here), and Stability. The profession or vow of Stability reflects the importance of our commitment to one Benedictine community. Stability is about more than the physical place of the Benedictine monastery or abbey. That one group of sisters or monks becomes our family; our life of prayer, community, and service is centered in the life of that community. If a Benedictine nun or monk were to feel called to transfer (move) from one community to another, they would need to officially profess their change of stability from their previous community to their new Benedictine community.

Prayerful environment at the Chapel

Our Sister Lynn began her Benedictine life with the sisters at Mother of God Monastery in Watertown, SD. She promised her first profession on July 29, 1988 and her perpetual profession on June 14, 1992. After some years, she began discerning God's call to our Benedictine community. She began the transfer process in 2011, which included continued discernment, classes in our history and traditions, as well as time to grow in relationship with our Benedictine family.

Sr. Lynn signing her profession document
on the altar.

Prioress of Mother of God Monastery, Sr. Lynn,
Prioress of Sacred Heart Monastery, and
Formation director at SHM.

Sr. Lynn's request for permanent transfer was brought before our June Chapter and the vote was an overwhelming acceptance of her desire to become a full member of our community.  During Sunday's prayer of Vespers, we celebrated the ceremony of transfer. Her theme of "My heart is ready, O God, My heart is ready" reflected not only the Psalms, but also her own readiness to commit fully to our community. Sister read her statement transferring her profession of Stability and renewing her perpetual monastic profession. She then signed the document upon the altar as a symbol and reminder of her life in Christ. 

As a sign of her full membership within our community.  Sr. Lynn received the symbol of our community.  "Sister Lynn, receive this symbol as a sign of fidelity to God and to your profession. May you faithfully adhere to Christ and persevere in your commitment to this monastic community," proclaimed by the prioress as she places the pin in Sr. Lynn's lapel. Sister retained the ring she received at her perpetual profession within Mother of God Monastery.

Please keep our Sister Lynn in your prayers as she begins her role as a full-member in our monastic family.  You can learn more about Sister's discernment and religious life in this reflection from her Silver Jubilee last year.

Blessings,

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Greetings,

On this 51st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, our Holy Father, Pope Francis has shared a message to all those disposed to being laborers for the harvest!

 ... "Many times we have prayed with the words of the Psalmist: "It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture"; or: "The Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession"... Hence the way of belonging to God is explained:  it comes about through a unique and personal relationship with Jesus, which Baptism confers on us from the beginning of our rebirth to new life.  It is Christ, therefore, who continually summons us by his word to place our trust in him, loving him "with all the heart, with all the understanding, and will all the strength".  Therefore every vocation, even within the variety of paths, always requires an exodus from oneself in order to center one's life on Christ and on his Gospel...Therefore, we are all called to adore Christ in our hearts in order to allow ourselves to be touched by the impulse of grace contained in the seed of the world, which must grow in us and be transformed into concrete service to our neighbour.  We need not be afraid:  God follows the world of his hands with passion and skill in every phase of life.  He never abandons us!  He has the fulfillment of his plan for us at heart, and yet he wishes to achieve it with our consent and cooperation.

Today too, Jesus lives and walks along the paths of ordinary life in order to draw near to everyone, beginning with the least, and to heal us of our infirmities and illnesses. I turn now to those who are well disposed to listen to the voice of Christ that rings out in the Church and to understand what their own vocation is.  I invite you to listen to and follow Jesus, and to allow yourselves to be transformed interiorly by his words, which "are spirit and life".  Mary, the Mother of Jesus and ours, also says to us:  "Do whatever he tells you".  It will help you to participate in a communal journey that is able to release the best energies in you and around you.  A vocation is a fruit that ripens in a well cultivated field of mutual love that becomes mutual service, in the context of an authentic ecclesial life.  No vocation is born of itself or lives for itself.  A vocation flows from the heart of God and blossoms in the good soil of faithful people, in the experience of fraternal love.  Did not Jesus say:  "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"? ...

Are you considering a call to the consecrated life?  We invite you to learn more about our Benedictine Life and discern with us in an upcoming retreat May 24-26:  
Exploring Benedictine Life:  Listening in Context.

Blessings,

Holy Triduum Retreat

Greetings,

Experience the liturgy and silence of Holy Week by attending the Paschal Triduum retreat at Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, SD.  Join us in praying the Liturgy of the Hours and celebrating the rich liturgies of Holy Week.  While pausing for this time of personal prayer with Christ and our community, you will have the option of conferences with a spiritual director to reflect on the rich symbolism of these sacred days.  You will also be invited to join the sisters for meals, to walk our monastic grounds, and to your personal reflection in the Peace Center prayer room or our Chapel.  This silent retreat begins on Holy Thursday, April 17th at 4:00pm and ends on Easter Sunday.

Follow the Paschal Triduum retreat link for more information, contact details, and registration forms.

Welcoming the Guest to Retreat

Greetings,

The Peace Center at our monastery seeks to: "Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for He is going to say, "I came as a guest, and you received Me". And to all let due honor be shown, especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims (Rule of Benedict 53: 1-2).

As the Liturgical season of Lent approaches, the sisters of our Peace Center are reaching out through Scripture studies, theology institutes, and Holy Week retreats.

The sisters are offering two series of Lenten Scripture studies for all those seeking prepare for Christ's Paschal Mystery at Easter.  Study of the Prophet Isaiah will take place on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM beginning on February 26 and continuing throughout the Lenten season.  Study of the Passion and Resurrection Narratives will take place on Wednesday mornings from 10:15 to 11:45 AM beginning on March 5 and continuing throughout the Lenten season.

Our spring Theology Institute will be held on Saturday, March 15th beginning at 9 AM.  Father Leslie Hoppe, OFM  will be speaking about "Religion and Modernity: The Fundamentalist Response".   He will address how the terms "fundamentalism" and "fundamentalist" were first coined to describe conservative American Protestants who rejected the tenets of early 20th century liberal Protestant theology.  The presentation will begin with a description of the basic beliefs of Protestant fundamentalism before describing the fundamentalist impulse in Roman Catholicism and other world religions such as Judaism and Islam.

The Benedictine Peace Center will also be preparing for Holy Easter with one of our Catholic mystics.  Guests are welcome to join us for "Reflections with Julian of Norwich: A Lenten Retreat" on Saturday March 29th.

The final welcome to guests is a Holy Week Retreat over Triduum for women who are discerning a religious vocation.  The retreat begins the afternoon of Holy Thursday and continues through Easter Sunday afternoon and includes celebrating Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic liturgies with the monastic community, sacred silence, and reflection on sacred symbols of Triduum and God's call.

We welcome you as a guest in our retreat center...come to pray, to listen, and continue to deepen your faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Retreat: Seeking God, A Pause to Discern

Greetings,

If you are a young, single, Catholic woman who desires to deepen her faith and is considering the call to religious life, we invite you to discern with us.

Our Vocation Sisters and all our Benedictine family will be hosting a discernment retreat on the weekend of January 3rd.  On that Epiphany weekend, we will invite you to seek Christ along with the wise men of old.

For more information about "Seeking God: A Pause to Discern"  please contact our Sister Phyllis.  To register for the discernment weekend, please print the registration and know that our prayers are with you.

Blessings,