Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

The elves have hijacked Santa’s reindeer and sleigh! They are offering free delivery on orders at Monastery Creations this weekend, Dec. 8-9. To take advantage of their sly ways, enter coupon code ELF2012 during checkout. Shhh! Don’t tell Santa.

Looking for that one-of-a-kind gift for someone special – a new parent, a friend in need of some uplifting cheer, the birthday gal or guy, the priest, mail carrier or teacher who has been a true blessing?

Think about giving a custom-made candy bouquet made by our Sister Dawn!

You choose the color, the candies and the container.

Need other ideas? Have a book lover in the family? These lovely book baubles to mark a page are just $5 each.

For someone really special, a gift box of our handcrafted soaps, lotions, lip balm and other goodies! Boxes start at $15.

And our handcrafted soaps make lovely stocking stuffers!

For a complete line of gifts available, please visit us online at www.monasterycreations.com or call toll free at (877) 672-7627.

Your patronage helps to support our ministry of prayer, and we appreciate your business.

For the candy bouquet and book baubles, please contact our Clyde Monastery at (660) 944-2221 as they are only available in our gift shop.

Sister Dawn serves as a General Councilor for our Congregation, is the director of development and also heads our correspondence department.

When she’s not doing all of those things – or in prayer – she enjoys being crafty. And not just being creative but doing so in a way that helps keep our beautiful earth green.

We are thrilled to introduce her line of Faerie Flowers!

These cute little things can be magnets, adorable hair clips or window hangers to catch the sunlight on a beautiful day.

And want to know a secret? These beautiful pieces are handcrafted from recycled plastic soda bottles!

If you find your way to our monastery in Clyde, Mo., you’ll find them in the gift shop. As always, you can find all sorts of wonderful items made by monastic hands at our online shop, Monastery Creations. Handcrafted soaps, lotions, scrubs, salves, religious books, greeting cards and much more!

Sister Rita (left) visits with Sister Laurentia in our altar bread department

This week, the Small Business Administration is hosting National Small Business Week with a conference in Washington, D.C. to recognize and support all those who help make America great!

First and foremost, we are monastics with a distinct dedication to the Eucharist and offer the world our ministry of prayer. In order to do that effectively, we employ several works that support our contemplative life.

Our vow of conversatio (which predates the more recognizable vow of poverty) includes a commitment to embrace all of monastic life as a path to holiness and conversion. This includes poverty and a simplicity of life. So, no, we’re not striving to become Donald Trump. But we still need to provide a roof over our heads and food for our table.

Prayerfully Popped: Corn from the Cloister

Like most monastic orders, we are not funded by local dioceses. Instead, we persevere through sound business planning and common sense. We routinely laugh, “Marketing budget? What marketing budget?” when advertising representatives suggest multi-thousand-dollar campaigns. Instead we rely on quality goods and great customer service to brand our businesses.

ScriptSure Ink and Toner

As a small business, we also strive to support our fellow monastics. We offer wholesale altar bread services to many religious orders so they too may sell a quality product tied to their charism, enabling them to keep their doors open during these trying times.

Monastery Creations, handcrafted soaps, lotions and salves

Whether you’re buying altar breads, handcrafted salves and soap with a drop of holy water, gourmet popcorn, recycled ink/toner cartridges or liturgical vestments, your purchase directly supports our Sisters and their monastic goals.

Liturgical Vestments and Linens

So please join us in celebrating all small businesses this week and throughout the year!

Three young women interested in deepening their spiritual relationships attended the annual Spring Break Monastic Experience held in March at the Clyde, Mo. monastery.

A young participant learns about soapmaking from Sister Cathleen Marie (right).

Sister Deanna (left) shows a participant her work in the altar bread department

The participants, hailing from Arizona, Texas and Oregon, spent time in prayer, immersed themselves in monastic life, ate meals and prayed with Sisters and learned about the variety of their monastic works.

The Sisters also offer a similar program in the summer. For dates and locations, please visit our vocations page.

Planning a wedding and looking for that special gift to share with friends and family to honor your magical day?

Let Sister Cathleen Marie create a personalized and unique gift for you! These beautifully packaged favors can be personalized with your name and wedding colors.

Choose the fragrance of your soap, which includes all-natural ingredients and even a drop of holy water and prayer to bless your new life together.

Learn more at our online shop, Monastery Creations.

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.

It is with sincere gratitude we thank all those who purchase gifts we make – you help support our life of prayer for you and for the world.

Sister Cathleen Marie (aka the Soap Sister) delights in the wonderful smells with which her handcrafted soaps fill the air.

If you’re looking for a sweet gift for someone special, please visit us at www.monasterycreations.com. We have several types of handcrafted soaps, lotions and salves in tons of pleasing scents for men and women. Looking for something really special? Check out Sister Cathleen Marie’s soaps that include a drop of holy water.

Several of our Sisters who make handcrafted gifts have been very busy this holiday season! That includes our San Benito Sisters in Dayton, Wyo., and Sister Cathleen Marie in Clyde, Mo. Many thanks to our volunteers who help prepare the gifts for delivery.

Gift boxes are very popular, in several sizes, offering a variety of items.

As always, all our gifts are made by monastic hands while we pray for those who use them. Thank you for helping us celebrate this very special time in our monastery and welcoming us into your homes and hearts.

Aren’t these too cute! Sister Cathleen Marie has created these beautiful gift boxes to echo the sights and smells of autumn.

Two bars of our delicately scented handcrafted soap are wrapped in a gorgeous Sinamay box and topped with fabric leaves that remind us of the beautiful colors we see in the fall.

The boxes are crafted from Sinamay fiber, a free trade item made by workers in the Philippines who receive a fair wage for their work. And the boxes can be reused!

Gift boxes are available in the scent combination of Gingered Pumpkin and Appleberry Cream.

Cost is $18 (plus shipping) and will only be available for a limited time. To order or for more information, contact Sister Cathleen Marie at soap@bspa.us.

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 Dawn Annette (above) and Sister Maria Victoria enjoyed hosting a booth at the Nodaway County Fair in Maryville, Mo., this past weekend.

Our booth included information about our ministries of prayer, altar bread production and handcrafted soap making and renovations to the monastery. Almost 200 people entered to win a free gift box of handcrafted soap.

“This was the first year we hosted a booth at the local fair, and we had a marvelous time!” Sister Dawn Annette said. “We met so many new people, those who attended the fair as well as those who hosted their own booths. It was a special time of fellowship in many ways.”