Sister Nancy Bauer, president of the Monastic Congregation of St. Benedict, celebrated the first week of Easter with the sisters of St. Placid Priory in Lacey, WA, a member monastery of the congregation. The April 11-15 visit marked Sister Nancy’s first trip to this far west Benedictine community which was founded in 1952 by sisters from St. Benedict’s Monastery in central Minnesota. 

St. Placid Priory has twelve sisters, two novices who will soon make their first profession, and a cat. The priory building is surrounded by towering Douglas fir trees which can stretch more than 300 feet into the air. The Pacific Ocean and Mount Ranier are not too far away. In other words, the priory sits in a sea of natural beauty. 

St. Placid’s is a community that balances contemplation with action. The sisters provide spiritual ministries through The Priory Spirituality Center. Sister Monika Ellis creates colorful designs in her art studio. Sister Laura Swan writes books on monastic topics. The priory is home to a gift shop that provides religious books and articles that can be ordered online.

Sister Nancy was treated to a photo expedition to Quinault Rain Forest which is about two hours from the priory. At the end of her visit, the congregation president was puzzled about just one thing. When she asked about the cat’s name, she got four or five different answers. It seems the sisters who hang out with kitty each have their own name for her.