Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

Sue McCrary (center) was honored by the Clyde community for her recent retirement after 26 years of cooking in the monastery kitchen. Pictured are (from left) BSPA employee Brenda Holtman, Sue, Sister Lynn Marie D’Souza and Sister Judy Neisen.

When Sue McCrary showed up in a short-handed kitchen at the Clyde, Mo., monastery, she had planned to help for just a couple of days.

Those two days turned into 26 years.

The Benedictine Sisters honored Sue with a dinner to recognize her recent retirement, thanking her for all her years of delicious meals and dedicated service.

“On the day of the shootings at (nearby) Conception Abbey we invited the monks to join us for dinner and Vespers,” Sister Lynn Marie D’Souza said. “We had been in the midst of a General Assembly, so there were already more than 100 Sisters at meals. Then we added another 40 monks, so we knew we needed to get started on dinner. However, when we showed up at the kitchen, Sue was already there. She had heard the devastating news on the radio and drove to the monastery to help. That simple act of charity shows the depth of her love and devotion to us.”

The Sisters will miss her wonderful cooking, but it will be Sue’s kindness, sense of humor and care of her Sisters that will “be in our hearts forever,” Sister Lynn Marie said.

Fortunately, Sue lives near the monastery and will remain a neighbor and friend after retirement.

“We wish her and her family all good wishes as she begins this new phase of her life,” Sister Lynn Marie said.

Sister Pat (left) and Sister Jane, the new superior and assistant superior, respectively, of the Clyde community

We celebrated Founder’s Day in style this year, installing the new leadership at our Clyde monastery after Lauds this morning.

We are excited to announce that Sister Pat Nyquist has been appointed superior of the Clyde community. She will be assisted by Sister Jane Heschmeyer.

Sister Pat was appointed Clyde superior, returning to the community leadership role she held as prioress from 2005 to 2008.

A native of Moorhead, Minn., she joined the Benedictine Order in 1974 and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame.

The appointment will last two years, during that time she will continue her job as prioress general of the Congregation. She takes over from Sister Sean Douglas, who worked tirelessly to steer the Clyde community through the massive Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories renovation.

Sister Jane is originally from Kansas City, Mo., and entered the Benedictine Sisters in 1980. She wrapped up her term on the  General Council in 2008 and since then has served as a baker in the low-gluten altar bread department and as the Clyde community’s sacristan, preparing all the articles necessary in the celebration of Mass.

Sister Jane received degrees in sociology and psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in addition to her monastic studies at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. She was also instrumental in helping develop the Sisters’ low-gluten altar bread. She takes over the assistant superior role from Sister Judy Niesen upon the completion of her term.

Our new Gift Shop at the Clyde monastery is open for business! This is a huge improvement, as many of you might recall with humor our Gift Shop Hallway from years past.

We now have an honest-to-goodness Gift Shop, stocked with many lovely finds, mostly created by our hands. All for sale to you, our friends, neighbors and guests. (Live too far away? You can also visit us and shop online with us at Monastery Creations!)

Sister Rebecca and Sister Jane were busy during the diaspora, and we now have many pieces of pottery that will beautify any home or office.

Sister Sarah has nimble fingers and crocheted a lovely baby set. Sister Cathleen and Sister Judy, as always, stay busy making lotions and soaps with holy water.

And Sister Lucilla has been making mug rugs.

Old tin ceiling tiles have been re-crafted into vases, picture frames, shelves and mirrors for the new shop space.

Come see our new look and our many offerings. We wait to welcome you and the blessings you bring.

Prioress General Sister Pat (left) joins Novice Erma and Sister Lynn Marie, novice director

The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration celebrated a special moment when Erma Relunia became a novice during the Rite of Admittance ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 11, at the Sisters’ Adoration Chapel in Clyde, Mo.

Novice Erma, who entered the postulancy in 2010, was formally granted admittance into the Sisters’ novitiate during Lauds. Prioress General Sister Pat Nyquist, OSB congratulated Novice Erma on her passion for Christ and assured her that the Benedictine Sisters are thrilled to support her as she continues her spiritual and monastic journey.

During the ceremonial rite, Novice Erma pledged her desire to the Benedictine way of life and that she will follow Christ “wholeheartedly in this community.”

She was presented with a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict, the Congregation’s constitution and a Benedictine medal.

Sister Pat prayed, “Loving and merciful God, through the humility of your Son you show us the way of return to you. Look upon this woman who wishes to follow him. Open her eyes to your divine light and her ears to the voice of your Spirit. Ready her heart for obedience to your commands, and where human nature is powerless, give her the help of your grace.”

As a postulant, Novice Erma spent the past 18 months learning more about the Benedictine monastic life, participating in communal prayer, taking classes, assisting in monastic works such as altar bread production, and developing her personal prayer life.

As a novice, she will immerse herself more deeply into monastic life for the next two years, continuing to discern her religious calling through prayer, spiritual guidance, instruction and the lived experience of the Benedictine life.

Celebrating the special day are (from left) Vocation Director Sister Ruth, Sister Lynn Marie, Sister Pat, Novice Erma, Sister Judy and Sister Sean.

Novice Erma is a native of the Philippines and spent several years in Toronto, Canada, before entering the Benedictine Sisters. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and management from FEATI University in Manila and a graduate degree in human resources management from Seneca College in Toronto.

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!