Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

Welcoming friends and neighbors, the monks of Conception Abbey, for the Solemnity of St. Scholastica

Once a year, usually on or right before the Solemnity of St. Scholastica, we Clyde Sisters invite the monks from Conception Abbey to come for Vespers and dinner.

We honor the story of the yearly visit of St. Benedict to his sister’s monastery to talk and pray and to keep the friendship between our two present-day monasteries refreshed.

Last year we could not host the traditional gathering at our monastery because of the renovations. Instead, the monks hosted us at their home.  No matter where we gather together we always seem to enjoy the company as well as the prayer and meal.

Friday evening we again welcomed our brother monks into our home, many for the first time since we began the renovation.

Sister Ruth points out some of the monastery renovations

The Spirit was with us as we caught up on events with one another, processed into our  Adoration Chapel to chant Vespers together, and as we gathered around a very festive common table for a meal of choice foods.

We thank God for the opportunity to once again celebrate the life of St. Scholastica, to host our brother monks and for the blessings of their friendship and spiritual guidance.  God indeed has blessed us abundantly.

One of the advantages our Tucson, Ariz., monastery has over the communities in Missouri and Wyoming is the mild winters!

Exchanging their habits for some walking clothes, Sister Joy Ann (first photo) and Sister Joan enjoyed God’s beautiful world on a recent hike.

Everyone was all smiles today, including our formation director, Sister Lynn (left) and our new postulant, Maria, who entered our community during a ceremony at our Clyde Adoration Chapel.

Please join us in prayer for Postulant Maria as she continues her monastic discernment of God’s calling.

Today we honor the life of St. Scholastica, St. Benedict’s sister. We will observe a Sunday schedule, meaning we are excused from many of our daily tasks to focus more intently on prayer.

It’s also a day of celebration as we welcome our newest postulant! This is such a happy day, as Maria has discerned her decision for years and has been called to enter our Congregation. It will be an honor to help her continue her monastic journey.

Later this evening we will observe Vespers with our neighbors, the monks at Conception Abbey, and enjoy a meal.

This is a new addition to our Adoration Chapel at our Clyde monastery. Visitors may remember it from our Relic Chapel, but with the move back into the main house after renovations, we thought we’d place it in the chapel.

This is a dress once worn by St. Maria Magdalene de Pazzi, a Carmelite nun who lived from 1566 to 1607. It is considered a Second Class Relic. This differs from a First Class Relic, which includes part of a saint’s body or blood. Looking at it, you’ll notice she was a tiny woman! But with a big heart devoted to Christ!

St. Maria Magdalene holds a special place in our hearts as she was dearly devoted to the Blessed Sacrament. Her love of Christ and of the Eucharist brings us such inspiration. Learn more about her life by visiting this link.

Sister Lucia Anne created this beautiful flower arrangement, which accented the altar on Candlemas Day feast at our Tucson monastery last week.

It was inspired by a drawing of a futuristic building called Light of Peace by our dear friend, John Bielinski. Sister Lucia Anne received many wonderful compliments, and several people asked where it was made, thinking it was professionally done. Perhaps Sister Lucia Anne has a new career calling!

Another interesting note, Lucia is Latin for “light.”

As always, it is amazing how the Lord finds ways to inspire us!

Arizona Public Media visited our Tucson Sisters this week and interviewed Sisters about their life, their works and the monastery.

“As a person, I’m extremely happy to be part of this life, part of this community of sisters, and part of the broader community of Tucson,” Ridley says. “We attract people to this lifestyle because it is a life of meaning, and it gives joy–I really can say that about this life for me, and it’s a grace and a gift.”

Please visit this link to see the video.

Today we remembered St. Blaise, bishop and martyr of the Church. On this day, we received a blessing of our throats, given to each of us by the priest with a special prayer and a pair of blessed candles.

This is a long-standing tradition, not only for us, but for many Catholic communities. It is a lovely reminder that prayer and grace have healing powers, stronger than any pharmaceutical.

May grace keep you from throat ailments through the intercession of St. Blaise.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple by James Tissot, courtesy of the Online Collection of the Brooklyn Museum

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

We will observe a normal day, which means scheduled prayer and work hours. The Feast of St. Scholastica on Feb. 10 is coming up, so we will observe a Sunday schedule (a day devoted to prayer and community) then.

Learn more about why Jesus was presented by reading Sister Sarah’s Bible Byte.

In January, several of our Sisters attended a workshop hosted by the Sisters of Mount Scholastica in Atchison, Kan. The workshop focused on the benefit and drawbacks of limitations in the life of a Benedictine monastery.

(Foreground from left) Sister Jane and Sister Virginia Anne; (standing) Sister Cathleen Marie

Sister Marietta (left) and Sister Laurentia

Sister Manuela Scheiba, OSB, from Alexanderdorf, Germany, spoke at the gathering of Benedictine Prioresses in Norfolk, Neb. Then on Monday, two sisters from Atchison drove Sister Manuela over the Missouri River to view our monastery and Conception Abbey.

Hopefully this will be the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Sister Manuela and her wisdom. We welcome both wholeheartedly.