Catholic Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Ill., blog with inquirers discerning their religious calling to monastic life.
Posted in Uncategorized, discernment on Jun 30th, 2009
Today a young woman, ”E,” arrived for a 10-day visit at the Monastery. She is from Toronto and found our Benedictine community through VISION Magazine and the internet. She has been discerning religious life for nearly 5 years and has visited quite a few communities. We have been in contact since August 2008.
Posted in community life, discernment on Jun 26th, 2009
In Spring Green, WI, there is an attraction called the House on the Rock. When I was a kid my family went up there for a visit. I remember being awed by the architecture and how the house really was oddly shaped yet intriguing. In addition, it was build on a huge rock and part [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, discernment on Jun 23rd, 2009
Pamela wrote a response to my last blog. She is caring for her mother during cancer treatment and just started a new position working with special needs adults. Her realization is ”I cannot do it alone”. It struck me from yesterday”s Gospel that the apostles had to learn to trust Jesus and realize they had [...]
Posted in community life on Jun 19th, 2009
The third Thursday of the month is when a group called the Challenge meets. Everyone in Challenge attended a retreat I helped direct in January that was about finding peace in difficult experiences or turmoil in life. I never dreamed that the 10 participants would find so much meaning in the retreat. Two women experienced [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jun 13th, 2009
Watch Jackie Walsh as she became a Novice last night in a simple but beautiful ceremony during Vespers.
Posted in Benedictine practices, community life, monastic life on Jun 10th, 2009
Gardening is contemplative activity. We have beautiful grounds at the Monastery and many Sisters have their own gardens. You can often see a Sister here or there tending her garden. I have a great flower/herb garden at the Monastery and am also working with some friends to plant a new veggie and flower garden to [...]