Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

After the devastating storm last month, casualties included the soap molds Sister Cathleen Marie uses for Monastery Scents handcrafted soap. Hail blew out the shop windows and left the molds covered with shattered glass and water.

A friend connected Sister Cathleen Marie with John Monjar, a woodworker in nearby Maryville, Mo. John was a blessing! He donated his time and materials to make new molds for Sister Cathleen Marie!

Sister Cathleen Marie admires the new soap molds crafted and donated by a local woodworker after hers were damaged in the storm.

Sister Cathleen Marie only needed 20, but John made 30! So she’s busy creating new shelving for the extra molds.

We are so grateful to John for his craftsmanship and compassion. We are so very blessed! Read more about Sister Cathleen Marie’s thoughts on the storm and of John’s gift by clicking here.

Sister Cathleen Marie demonstrates the hot process of soapmaking

On Monday, Sister Cathleen Marie and Sister Judy, the force behind Monastery Scents, hosted a group interested in learning about the soapmaking process.

The group of nine men, women and one child arrived with Betsy Keenan and Brian Terrell, oblates and friends of the Clyde, Missouri, community, who have been hosting a craft retreat at their Catholic Worker community in Iowa.

Sister Cathleen Marie, who uses industrial vats and mixers for her own soapmaking, demonstrated the process on a lesser scale in order to show how retreatants can copy the methods on their own by using common household appliances.

They spent the day learning the differences between cold and hot process soapmaking, types of fragrances and ingredients that are used, how Sister Cathleen Marie began making handcrafted soap 10 years ago and the story behind her addition of holy water to each batch.

Sister Judy demonstrated how she makes the shea butter lotion.

Betsy Keenan remarked how excited the retreatants were to learn about the process of making handcrafted soap. She asked them, “Are you empowered to make your own soap?” Several nodded “yes” with excitement. They left with samples of lotions and soaps, hopefully inspired to create their own in the near future. We had such a great time sharing this ministry!

Sister Rita (left) and Sister Cathleen Marie at the Good Shepherd Festival

Our Sister Rita and Sister Cathleen Marie had a great day yesterday at  the “Shoppers Showcase” hosted by the Good Shepherd parish in Shawnee, Kansas.

Thanks to everyone! What a delight it was also to see good friends.

To learn more about the products sold at the festival, please check our online store at http://www.monasterycreations.com/.

Our Monastery Scents soaps

Our Sister Cathleen Marie (aka the Soap Sister) learned her handcrafted soaps will be featured in the Victorian Trading Company this holiday season!

So feel free to shop a little early at Monastery Creations.

Sister Cathleen Marie receives many notes from customers who share their appreciation of her work. They often remark about their pleasure in learning she uses holy water and prayer when making her handcrafted soaps. They make wonderful gifts for friends and family and are often purchased as gifts to be mailed overseas to our brave men and women serving in the military.

Our Sister Cathleen Marie is one of 24

When she opened the package Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake, OSB felt she had just received a “wonderful, beautiful present.”

The gift was a copy of the book, “Art of Soap,” which showcases the lives of handcrafted soapmakers from around the world. Sister Cathleen Marie, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and affectionately called the Soap Sister, is one of 24 artisans profiled in the book.

The chapter that tells Sister Cathleen Marie’s story details how she became interested in soapmaking 10 years ago, how she weaves a life of prayer into her craft and how creating that first bar turned into a successful business for her contemplative community.

“It was very exciting to see the book for the first time and to see – in writing – where my journey as a soapmaking monk has taken me,” she said.

Editor Debbie Chialtas said the book was inspired by and was written for “those who love to make and use soap, and anyone who appreciates handmade arts.”

“In ‘The Art of Soap’ I wish to represent a little of everything: Philosophy, Inspiration, Technique, and Presentation,” she writes on her website. “Artisans from all over the world have contributed their work and personal stories to the book.”

Meanwhile, Sister Cathleen Marie, whose soaps sell under the Benedictine Sisters’ Monastery Scents brand, continues to be amazed by how her soap has been received and is excited about what the book will offer.

“I hope people will realize the beauty and talent that goes into making something as ordinary as soap,” she said. “As can be seen through the photos and writings of others, we approach it from many varying points of view, but there is also a commonality that brings the 24 of us together and that is the love for the craft and the experience of creating something so precious.”

To learn more about Sister Cathleen Marie’s soaps, please click here. “Art of Soap” is available for purchase here.

The Art of Soap book features our Sister Cathleen Marie

Congratulations to our Sister Cathleen Marie (affectionately called the Soap Sister) for being included in the new Art of Soap book!

This beautiful book features gorgeous photos of handcrafted soap, along with personal stories of 24 unique soap artisans from around the world.

In the chapter featuring Sister Cathleen Marie,  she shares how a simple hobby turned into something so unexpectedly wonderful, why she decided to include holy water in her soaps and the joy she receives from customers.

You can learn more about the book here.