Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

On Thursday at our Clyde monastery, we welcomed a group from the Novice and Director Institute, a conference sponsored by the American Benedictine Formation Conference.

They are having their annual meeting at Mount St. Scholastic in nearby Atchison, Kan., and motored over for an afternoon. They joined us for a variety of activities, including Day Hour and a hayride around the monastery grounds.

Our Novice Erma provides a helping hand

Clyde Prioress Sister Sean leads her group out for a ride

Enjoying blue skies and great friends

Many thanks to God for providing this wonderful opportunity to share this beautiful day!

NADI 2012

It’s an exciting two weeks for Sister Lynn Marie and Novice Erma as they attend the Novice and Director Institute sponsored by the American Benedictine Formation Conference.

The annual event is hosted this year by Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kan., so they didn’t have to travel very far. In fact, a large group of participants will visit our Clyde, Mo., monastery tomorrow, and we’re so excited to share our home and time with them for a few hours.

The Novice and Director Institute gives novices the opportunity to learn about the similarities and differences among various Benedictine communities, allows them to explore essential elements of the Rule of St. Benedict and receive support from fellow novices and feedback on monastic formation.

For directors, like Sister Lynn Marie, it allows them to share programs, resources, ideas and concerns and support their novices in the NADI experience.

This year’s theme is “Exploring Monastic Treasures,” so we look forward to hearing about all they’ve learned!

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.”