Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

There was a time when our correspondence department looked like this:

The early years of the correspondence department when it was a large network of Sisters working together to bring the word of God to the people.

In the beginning, the correspondence department worked closely with our former printing house and sold booklets, leaflets and our magazine Tabernacle and Purgatory (later called Spirit & Life). For most of the 20^th century, the department and the Benedictine Publication Center were two branches of one large, important ministry.

It’s undergone many changes over the years, but the message remains the same: God loves you. Today it answers prayer requests, handles direct mailings regarding prayer intentions and keeps the records for the Association of Perpetual Adoration, an affiliation of those who are remembered daily in our prayers and ministry.

Technology has helped this ministry immensely! Gone are the days when Sisters pecked on typewriters. We still receive handwritten letters (always a treat!), but many people take advantage of the Internet, sharing their prayer needs through our website and e-mail.

Today’s correspondence department

“We get messages from people of all faiths, even atheists and agnostics,” Sister Dawn Annette Mills said. “We answer them all. God isn’t bothered by your background.”

The CD Sisters refrain from giving medical, psychological or financial advice. Instead, they serve as a sounding board for those in need. It is important that those asking for prayer know we hold them in our prayers. They write about having cancer, needing a job, their marital problems and taking care of aging parents. And we think we have problems in our community?

Sr. Cathleen Marie visits with Northwest Missourian reps, explaining her job making handcrafted soap

We frequently receive media requests from reporters and producers working on stories, but it’s usually on a specific topic: altar bread production or renovations or our prayer ministry.

Then, on occasion, we have someone who just wants to learn more about the monastic way of life. So today we welcomed two members of the Northwest Missourian, a student publication at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.

The students spent the morning with us, beginning with our Ash Wednesday Eucharist, and stayed through Day Hour. They met Sisters, learned about our altar bread production, our soap shop, the correspondence department, our daily schedules and tasks and just listened to funny and interesting stories Sisters shared.

They observed our life in a way that isn’t quite normal for us as we’ve been a bit displaced during renovations. That means our prayer services are held in different areas rather than in our Adoration Chapel. Our offices are carved out of larger areas, creating cubby holes in which to work. However, we’re glad they’ve promised to return once the grass turns green, the flowers and trees bloom and we’re back together under one roof in our newly renovated monastery.

The Rule of Benedict instructs that we treat each guest as if he or she were Christ himself. So we treasure the moments, these opportunities, to share our lives and our homes with others. It is one of our greatest blessings!