Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

New storage lockers located near a back entrance to the motherhouse of the Sisters’ monastery in Clyde, Mo., were brilliantly crafted by members of the maintenance staff, including Larry Jensen, Jared McQueen and Jeremy McQueen.

Sister Ruth Elaine stands next to her new locker, crafted from salvaged pine trees.

After coworker Don Combe renovated the space, the trio built the new lockers for Sisters to store coats, hats, gloves and other weather-related items.

In addition to their daily use, the lockers represent a part of Benedictine history. They were built from Austrian pines, once part of a large stand of trees planted under the direction of community chaplain Father Lukas Etlin, OSB in the early 1900s.
“Some of the trees gradually died from too much moisture after the floods in 1993,” Sister Sean Douglas, OSB said. “The excess moisture led to a fungus, and over the ensuing years, they all died.”
All was not lost, as the Sisters saved the wood, cut the logs in their saw mill, stored the lumber and use it for various projects around the monastery.
“As Benedictines, even in loss, we find beauty and a new purpose,” Clyde Prioress Sister Pat Nyquist, OSB 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.

Please keep our Clyde Sisters in prayer as they begin the discernment process today to elect their new prioress for the community. Sister Sean has led them nobly throughout her term of service.

During the next three days, they will make the choice on who will lead their community during the next four years.

Click here to learn about St. Benedict tells us about what qualities a Benedictine leader should possess.

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!

Prioress General Sister Pat and Clyde Prioress Sister Sean recently traveled to Arkansas to help some very dear friends celebrate their 125th birthday!

Sister Sean (seated far right) and Sister Pat (seated, third from right) join friends from Holy Angels Convent. Photo: Arkansas Catholic

As part of a yearlong celebration of their 125th anniversary, the Olivetan Sisters of Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, Ark., celebrated a special Solemnity of St. Benedict on March 21.

We share a special connection to these wonderful women – our monasteries were founded by sisters who traveled from Maria Rickenbach in Switzerland.

Learn more about this special day with this article from the Arkansas Catholic.

Benedictine leaders discuss concept that monasteries are oases of hope and renewal for all

Even leaders need someone to lean on.

The Conference of Benedictine Prioresses held its annual meeting earlier this month at Immaculata Monastery of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters in Norfolk, Neb., bringing together dozens of women religious leaders from monasteries across the United States.

Benedictine Sisters’ Prioress General Sister Pat  and Clyde Prioress Sister Sean attended the conference.

“The best thing about this annual meeting is getting together with others who are serving as leaders of their communities to talk about the challenges and joys that are part and parcel of such a position,” Sister Pat said. “Away from the day to day demands of our work, it’s a time to relax a bit in the company of people who have a keen understanding of those demands.”

“Getting together to share thoughts, concerns and hopes is important and provides an avenue to explore how something might be done better,” Sister Pat said. “We discussed how our communities can be oases of hope and renewal of spirit for any and all who long for them in the midst of our world’s current reality as well as being a voice for those who may not otherwise have much influence in the public arena.”

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.

Hours of meetings with architects, Sisters, engineers, plumbers, electricians and a multitude of others. Pouring over plans. Deciding on everything from heating and electrical systems to deconstruction to reconstruction to the color of the carpet in the hallway.

The Sisters who served on the building committee for Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories have spent so much time helping us realize our new home. So we hosted a little party to share our gratitude for their dedication, decisiveness and sacrifice to help make this day possible.

“Sadie,” an old friend, and her shy helper, “Linda,” came for a brief visit to help us say a BIG thank you (below).

The five Sisters on the building committee shared funny stories from their many trips to the architects’ office in Dubuque, Iowa.  After the community thanked the Sister committee, the committee members thanked us in turn for our patience and willingness to undergo what we have.  We all had a good laugh and ended the evening with praising God for his providence at Compline.

Those whom we honored were (from left) Sister Cheryl, Sister Valerie, Sister Sean, Sister Rebecca and Sister Pat.

On occasion, the volunteer fire department of the Tri-C area (near our Clyde, Mo., monastery) visits and performs a walk-through of our buildings to get reacquainted with the layouts of each floor plan. They did this for us on Sunday.

Here they join Clyde Prioress Sister Sean (far right) at the new fire suppression system control panel in the recently renovated main house.

A young volunteer joined the group but was more interested in playing with his electronic toy.  Soon he had an audience, including our Sister Denise.

We are very grateful to all the area first responders (some of who are our own employees). We pray for their safety and that God watches over them during any emergency.

As we approach Thanksgiving, it gives us a chance to show our gratitude to one of our favorite groups of people: our employees!

Each year we host an employee dinner to give thanks to our lay friends. As Prioress Sister Sean told the crowd, “You don’t work for us. You work with us.”

Sister Maria Victoria shares a table with Tabitha, a lay employee in the altar bread business office.

It is our honor to share our lives with these very special people, to hold them and their families in prayer each and every day. Many of them have worked with us for decades, some beginning while still in high school.

Our employees are part of our family, and we are very happy they share their time, talents and lives with us. These are some of the many, many things we thank our Lord for each day.