Sister Nancy Rose (third from left) joined seven other temporarily professed sisters and two directors for Vow Camp. Others include from left to right: Back row, Sr. Magdalena Craig (Cullman, AL), Sr. Nancy Rose Gucwa (Clyde, MO), Sr. Karen Rose (St. Joseph, MN), Sr. Julianne Gilbert (St. Joseph, MN), Sr. Karen Lynn Trespacz (Bristow, VA), Sr. Jennifer Mechtild Horner (Beech Grove, IN), and Sr. Lisa Maurer (Duluth, MN); Front row, Sr. Kathleen Persson (Bristow, VA), Sr. Linda Larkman (Pittsburg, PA), Sr. Madelyn Louttit (Bismarck, ND)

It’s affectionally called Vow Camp, but it serves an important purpose: helping women prepare to take their perpetual monastic vows.

Sister Nancy Rose joined seven other Sisters from June 21 to July 12 at Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, Alabama, host to the annual Benedictine Spirituality Workshop and Retreat sponsored by the American Benedictine Formation Conference.

The two-week workshop included a focus on community building and reviewing significant aspects of Benedictine life such as Benedictine charism, the three-fold monastic commitment of obedience, stability and fidelity to the monastic way of life, lectio and contemplation, monastic prayer, discernment, cenobitic community, celibacy, sexuality and personal wholeness, gospel ministry, reverence, stewardship and hospitality, peace and justice and humility.

Then the event concluded with a six-day directed retreat for prayerful reflection and one-on-one direction.

“Our classes on the vows, the Rule of Benedict and many other facets of monastic life brought me to a deeper appreciation of our life together,” Sister Nancy Rose said. “I look forward to continuing my journey toward and with Christ together with my Sisters.”

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