Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

There’s always time for a little recreation after prayer

It’s time! Participants are arriving to begin their Summer Monastic Experience at our Clyde, Missouri, monastery today! And we know it will be just as successful as the earlier event we held last month at our Tucson, Arizona, community.

This is such an exciting time for us – to help young women on their path of discernment, to guide them in prayer life and “show them the ropes” in regards to monastic life.

Experiences like this help delve into the mystery of our life, to show others who find themselves called to a life of prayer what we really do, who we are and how we live.

Throughout the next week, they will live in community with us, share our table, pray with us in our Adoration Chapel, discover the Liturgy of Hours and lectio divina, learn about our monastic works, spend time in personal prayer…and have a lot of fun. Games, recreation, hiking, paddle boating. God is good!

What a glorious time we had with our friends at this year’s Summer Monastic Experience in Tucson!

Learn more about how we spent our time by visiting Sister Ruth Elaine’s blog.

If you missed this great experience, please consider joining us June 30 – July 7 for our Summer Monastic Experience at our Clyde, Missouri, monastery.

Check out more great photos on our Benedictine Sisters’ Vocation Facebook page!

So God has been calling…have you been listening?

Maybe you need a little help with the message. Who better to lend an ear than someone who’s been there?

Join us for a weeklong Summer Monastic Experience in late June/early July at our monastery in Missouri. Click here to learn more about this amazing opportunity to learn about a religious calling and monastic life.

You’ll spend time in prayer, time in reflection, recreation and learning about our monastic works. How to listen with the ear of your heart as our St. Benedict instructs. And we’ll offer practical advice, if you desire. How to prepare for a religious calling, opening or improving communication with family and friends about your calling and a million other details that fill your mind right now.

Hope to see you!

Benedictine Sister Maria Victoria Cutaia, OSB (center) visits with two of the 10 participants in this year’s Summer Monastic Experience. The annual week-long event, typically held our Clyde monastery, took place at our Tucson monastery this year because of renovations. Some of our Clyde Sisters traveled to Tucson for the event.

Even with a new location, participants still had an amazing time spent with current women religious and others discerning a vocation.

“It was a bit different in Tucson because we don’t have as much outdoor space to take advantage of as we do in Clyde,” Vocation Director Sister Ruth Elaine Starman, OSB said. “However, both communities are always warm and welcoming to guests, so the women still achieved a better understanding of our Benedictine lifestyle.”

Ten participants, ranging in age from 18 to 45, spent the week delving into sessions on Liturgy of the Hours, adoration, vocation discernment and contemplative prayer. They also enjoyed playing games and took part in a variety of works such as food preparation, gardening and sewing.

Two participants joined Sister Lucia Anne Le, OSB (center) for some gardening and yard work

“They had the opportunity to learn what our total life in the monastery is like. It’s spent in prayer, in work and in enjoying each other in community,” Sister Ruth Elaine said. “Many of the participants wished the experience was longer and hope to visit Clyde next year. Several expressed that participating in lauds and vespers was a highlight as well as hearing vocation stories and meeting with other women on the same spiritual quest.”

The Benedictine Sisters’ Summer Monastic Experience is a companion retreat to several vocation weekends offered throughout the year and the Spring Break Monastic week-long experience. For more information, please contact Sister Elaine Ruth at vocation@benedictinesisters.org or (660) 944-2221.

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