Community News

By Katie Mahon, Communications Manager

As we prepare for Thanksgiving and the holiday season, where many of us will enjoy delicious meals with loved ones, it is important to remember, pray, and donate time, attention, and resources to those in need.

One way you can do that is by observing Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

From November 12th – 20th, people throughout the country will raise awareness about the problems of hunger and homelessness by participating in educational, service, fundraising, and advocacy events. (1)

Journey with the sisters of Saint Benedict's Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn., during the four weeks of Advent. Each week, we will share a recorded reflection from a sister via email and on our website and social media channels.

If you sign up for the email series, you’ll receive an email at 7 p.m. on the Saturdays of November 26, December 3, December 10, and December 17. We have chosen this specific time because it’s the same time a reflection will be given in the Oratory during our Saturday Vigil.

Join the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, for a weekend Discernment Retreat - from 5:00 pm on October 28 through 1:00 pm (Central Time) on October 30. Women between the ages of 30 and 55 are welcome to share in the prayer, work and meals, while getting to know the community.

The North American Vocation Team (NAVT) of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) is hosting an online “Joyful & Alive Conversation” Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST). Single women ages 18-45 interested in how to discover God’s will for their life and/or who are curious about religious life are invited to attend and bring questions. More information and registration for the Zoom link is available at ssnd.org/events/10-20-22/.  

 Linger Over Breakfast-Kansas City

From Trauma to Transformation with Journey to New Life

Saturday, October 29, 2022, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.)

with Rose McLarney, CSJ, Founder & Board Member, and Susie Roling, Director of Operations

Avila University, Whitfield Center

Our friends from Journey to New Life will share how we can join—in action—in healing both ours and our neighbors’ lives.

The North American Vocation Team (NAVT) of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) invites young adults ages 18 and older to a monthly online evening prayer on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST) via Zoom. The remaining dates for evening prayer during 2022 will be September 27, October 25, November 22 and December 20. More information and registration for the Zoom links is available at ssnd.org/events/.  

The Religious Formation Conference (RFC) in Chicago is looking for a Program Recruiter for its Compromiso de Vida program. This is a paid, contractual ministerial position beginning November 1, 2022, and concluding June 30, 2023. The position is remote and can be done from anywhere in the U.S.A. 

Everyone’s favorite fall tradition is back in-person! Uncorked! returns to St. Louis and Kansas City. Enjoy wine, hors d’ oeuvres, dessert and live entertainment. Learn pairings and tasting from expert sommeliers. A special highlight for Kansas City guests – Kansas City whiskeys, and performances with St. Therese Little Flower Gospel Choir.

All the fun is brought to you by Muehlebach Funeral Care, St. Joseph Medical Center and Ward on Wine. Tickets are $40.

After five years in the making, “Hope and Firm Faith: The Story of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph,” is available for purchase.

This book brings to life the amazing women who have served God’s people since arriving at Maple Mount, Ky., in 1874. Readers will learn how the Ursuline Sisters operated Mount Saint Joseph Academy for more than 100 years, and also opened Brescia College – now University – in Owensboro, Ky. The Ursuline Sisters opened countless elementary and high schools in Kentucky, Nebraska, Missouri and other states, as far away as New Mexico.

Congratulations to our 2022 Angeline Award Recipients!

Congratulations to Carmen de la Cuba Laurel of Carmen de la Legua, Peru, and Joy Green of Cumberland, Maryland, our two Angeline Award winners. This year’s nominees were exemplary and made our nominations committee job very challenging. We chose two women for 2022 only, as we have not given the award out since 2018. Carmen and Joy will be celebrated at a Mass at the Motherhouse on October 23.

Sister Nancy Bauer (pictured left) of Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn., was installed as president of the Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict, formerly the Federation of Saint Benedict, on Sunday, July 24. She will serve for a six-year term. She follows Sister Kerry O’Reilly, also of Saint Benedict’s Monastery, who served as president for the past seven years.

The Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict is an international monastic congregation of 10 Benedictine women's monasteries.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Shillong Province celebrated the 150 years of the foundation of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) on 6 August 2022 at the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, Shillong. Marking this beautiful event 16 Sisters made their Perpetual Profession offering their life as permanent members of the Institute. The Eucharistic celebration on this twin celebration was presided over by Most Rev.

Sister Hélène Mercier is celebrating 25 years of monastic life at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. The public is invited to join us in celebrating this milestone on Sunday, July 31. Eucharist will take place at 10:30 a.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel, and there will be a reception from 2–4 p.m. in the Gathering Place. If you are unable to join us in person, the celebration will be livestreamed on our website. Visit the liturgy page and scroll to the “Community Celebrations” section at the bottom of the page.

Single women are invited to attend a weekend of self-discovery and vocation discernment at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. During two separate Come and Be Discernment Retreats, participants will learn and discover some of the Benedictine and Christian values that shape the monastic community, listen to personal reflections to help them understand if God is calling them to explore religious life, and learn about the sisters whose prayer and lifestyles are rooted in faith.

Five Sisters of the Precious Blood recently celebrated milestone anniversaries of entrance into the Congregation:

Sister Mary Garascia 60 years
Sister Carolyn Hoying 60 years
Sister Nancy Kinross 60 years
Sister Marie Kopin 60 years
Sister Rosemary Laux 80 years

All the Sisters were recognized at a Mass and banquet July 3 at Salem Heights, the Congregation’s central house in Dayton.

Sister Ephrem Hollermann recently published a new book titled Like a Mustard Seed: A History of the First Benedictine Women’s Monastery in North America. It is available for purchase in Whitby Gift Shop at Saint Benedict's Monastery's Art and Heritage Place or online.

In 2020, Richard Bresnahan, pottery director at Saint John’s University (SJU), Collegeville, Minn., and Mary Bruno, local artist and owner of Bruno Press, St. Joseph, Minn., embarked on a nine-month-long collaboration to produce a letterpress-printed scroll of the Rule of St. Benedict that measures 32’ long and contains 36 pages. The scroll, which had been on display at the Alcuin Library at SJU, will be displayed in the Gathering Place of Saint Benedict's Monastery during the month of July.

Amityville Dominican Associate Angela Belsole has been involved with a not-for-profit called Songcatchers for more than two decades! She is currently the interim director of the program. The organization provides affordable access to music education and enrichment for families in New Rochelle, NY. Most recently, she, her son Christopher and members of Songcatchers were part of a special effort to call attention to those suffering in the Ukraine.

More than 30 participants braved a very cold and windy evening to pray and commemorate World Refugee Day and Juneteenth at an event sponsored by the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in Amityville.

The Religious Formation Conference (RFC) seeks its next Executive Director to lead the National Office. Full-time position to begin January 1, 2023. Intention is to fill the position by early fall of 2022.

The Conference is an animating resource for initial and ongoing formation in religious life on a local, national, and global level for both women’s and men’s congregations. The RFC boldly creates spaces for discernment that shape and inform formation now and into the future.

Benedictine Sisters from 17 monasteries across the United States and Mexico gathered at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, from June 15-19 for the Federation of St. Scholastica Chapter. Besides the Sisters conducting their regular meeting, held every four years, to discuss matters of concern, plan for the future, and elect new leaders for this union of autonomous monasteries, they also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Federation’s official approval by the Vatican on February 25, 1922.

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release:  June 7, 2022

Sisters of the Holy Cross celebrate jubilee anniversaries

Notre Dame, Ind. – Five Sisters of the Holy Cross will celebrate their jubilee years of consecrated life during a virtual ceremony on July 16, 2022. One sister is celebrating 50 years since her initial profession, and four are celebrating 25 years.

The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph elected four Sisters to lead them during the next four years, including two who have previously served in office.

Sister Sharon Sullivan was elected congregational leader, a position she filled from 2010-16. Sister Sharon is celebrating her 40th year as an Ursuline Sister, with most of her time in ministry serving at Brescia College/University in Owensboro, Ky. She is currently coordinator of special education and a professor at Brescia.

By Katie Mahon, Communications Manager

For 21 years, Cathy McCann has been a Blauvelt Dominican Associate.

On the most recent episode of the Hearts Afire Podcast, she reflected on what the program means to her and its connection with the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Blauvelt, New York.