Catholic Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Ill., blog with inquirers discerning their religious calling to monastic life.
Posted in Benedictine practices on May 9th, 2013
The Road to Eternal Life by Michael Casey, OSB, is filled with gems. One line that struck me today is, “Monastic life, spiritual life is all about becoming a learner, a disciple.” Read preschool teacher Sister Stefanie’s reflection on being a life-long spiritual learner!
Posted in Benedictine practices on Apr 28th, 2013
Wednesday last week was one of those days where you want to go home, go back to bed and start over. (I sometime think if we could get a free restarts in life it would be great. Then again, maybe not – it might end up being a rewind of what just happened. ) Read [...]
Posted in Benedictine practices on Jan 19th, 2013
By Sister Stefanie MacDonald Each month my Benedictine Sisters devote a day to silent prayer. They observe silence, spend time in reflection and engage in private prayer on the first Wednesday of every month. It’s heaven! Read the rest at Sister Stefanie’s ABCs!
Posted in Benedictine practices, Benedictine video, Benedictine vows, monastic life, monastic profession, religious life, video on Aug 19th, 2012
Sister Stefanie MacDonald made her First Monastic Profession to our Benedictine community in Rock Island, Ill. 2 years ago. Here, she signs her monastic promises during a simple but beautiful ceremony in our chapel. One of the differences between apostolic communities (like the Franciscans and Dominicans) and Benedictine monastic communities is our vows. In fact, [...]
Posted in Benedictine practices, monastic life, religious life, retreat on Jun 10th, 2012
The retaining wall outside the dining room is a highway this morning. Chipmunks of all sizes scamper first one direction and then the other, tails and spirits high. A rabbit lopes along and stops to peer in. Goldfinches dart among the grasses that brush the wall, and purple martins dive at insects above them. High [...]
Posted in Benedictine Sisters, Benedictine practices, Benedictine values, Benedictine vows, monastic life, religious life, retreat on Jun 7th, 2012
That’s a mouthful of a title! Although the path to holiness can be lived out in other ways – marriage, singlehood – we Benedictine Sisters have chosen religious life (St. Scholastica, left, founded the women’s community to follow her twin brother’s Holy Rule, which we follow 1,500 years later). Today, Bishop Joe – a member [...]