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Conference of Benedictine Prioresses 2020

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The Conference of Benedictine Prioresses held their annual meeting from January 28 – February 3, 2020 at Sacred Heart Monastery, in Yankton, South Dakota. The theme for the meeting was “Called To Serve”. In addition to the business meeting, the prioresses and presidents had two days of retreat with Sister Michaela Hedican of St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, MN. The topic of Sister Michaela’s retreat was the Sermon on the Mount and Leadership.

Sister Susan Rudolph, prioress of St. Benedict’s Monastery, was elected to the CBP Coordinating Committee for a three year term. Sister Nicole Kunze, prioress of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, ND, completed her term on the coordinating committee and will continue to serve as treasurer for the group. Sister Aileen Bankemper, St. Walburg’s Monastery, Covington, KY was elected chair of the committee.

Sister Kerry O’Reilly, President of the Federation of St. Benedict, giving a presentation.Sr. Kerry O’Reilly giving a presentation at the business meeting.

L to R: Nicole Kunze (Annunciation, Bismarck, ND), Sandra Brunenn (St. Mary, Rock Island, IL), Catherine Nehotte (St. Paul, St. Paul, MN), Kerry O’Reilly (Federation President), Susan Rudolph (St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN), Marva Coakley (St. Martin, Bahamas)

L to R: Sandra Brunenn, Marva Coakley, Nicole Kunze, Catherine Nehotte, Susan Rudolph, Michaela Hedican, Kerry O’Reilly

AFBC 2019

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The American Benedictine Formation Conference Symposium at Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, SD May 5-10, 2019.  ABFC is attended by those in initial and ongoing formation ministry, as well as vocation ministry at women’s Benedictine monasteries throughout the country, including members of the Federation of Saint Benedict.AFBC 2019.

Lenten Rituals

SrJacquelineOSB Monastery News, Uncategorized


During Lent  at St. Paul’s Monastery we observe a tradition of each member choosing a special book for her spiritual reading.   The book will enrich her prayer and  unite the community in a special way to celebrate the Paschal Mystery.   On Ash Wednesday the books are blessed.  We  are united with you in prayer and wish a blessed Lenten season to you all.   We invite you to share with us here your special Lenten traditions.

Lent期間中、セントポール修道院で、私たちは霊的な読書のために特別な本を選ぶ各メンバーの伝統を観察します。本は彼女の祈りを豊かにして、Paschal Mysteryを祝うために特別な方法で地域社会を結びつけます。灰の水曜日に本は祝福されています。私たちは祈りの中であなたと団結しており、皆さんに祝福されたレンテンの季節を願っています。私たちとあなたの特別なLentenの伝統を共有してください。

Durante la Cuaresma, en el Monasterio de San Pablo observamos la tradición de cada hermana que elige un libro especial para su lectura espiritual. El libro enriquecerá su oración y unirá a la comunidad de una manera especial para celebrar el Misterio Pascual. El miércoles de ceniza los libros son bendecidos. Nos unimos a ustedes en oración y deseamos una bendita temporada de Cuaresma para todos ustedes. Le invitamos a compartir con nosotros aquí sus tradiciones especiales de Cuaresma.

在四旬期期間，在聖保羅修道院，我們觀察到每個成員為她的精神閱讀選擇一本特別的書的傳統。這本書將豐富她的祈禱，並以特殊的方式團結社區，以慶祝逾越奧秘。在星期三的灰燼上，書籍很幸運。我們在禱告中與你們團結在一起，祝你們一個受祝福的四旬期。我們邀請您在這裡與我們分享您特別的Lenten傳統。

BEAO in Taiwan

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The BENEDICTINES in EAST AFRICA and OCEANIA (BEAO) gathered at Saint Benedict Monastery in Taipei, Taiwan November 26-30, 2018.  Representatives from monasteries of this geographical area gathered to discuss topics related to monastic life and their monasteries in this region.  Abbot Primate Gregory Polan participated as well as Brother Nicholas Koss of Wimmer Priory in Taiwan, a good friend of the Sisters of Taipei.

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31,33,342,354.139587
Good Food – Good Company

33,35,255,268.758087
Walking Monastery Grounds

Be ‘Open-Source’ Communities

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Sister Linda Romey, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, addressed the delegates, prioresses, councilors, and visitors gathered at Annunciation Monastery for the 2018 General Chapter of our Federation.

Taking up the Chapter Theme of Tending the Benedictine Charism, she offered a new and creative model for creating the futures for our monasteries: the “open-source” process that grew up in the software development world.  The analagy is apt, with clear and direct applications to our monastic futures.

Do you wonder what “open-source”  means? Here’s how Sister Linda defines it:

“Open-source,” in the context of software development, is a specific approach to creating computer software. The idea is that making code openly available for developers will create better code, and making it freely available to end users will increase adoption, result in ongoing evaluation, more use cases and a continuous cycle of improvement, development and new releases.

Open-source is an attitude, a mindset, a pattern of action that shares, builds on what has been shared, and offers the results to the world.

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image from Global Sisters Report

Wonder what it would look like in real life? Sister Linda gave us a prime example: her presentation to our Federation was shared with the world as an article in the Global Sisters Report.  Click on this link to her article and become part of the Benedictine open-source movement. 

Websites mentioned

Monasteries of the Heart

Abbey of the Arts

Keep Todas Familias Together

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We welcomed the public and members of diverse religious and cultural communities to our grounds to pray for immigrant and suffering families Sat. July 14.

Rabbi Linda Bertenthal from Temple Emanuel, Davenport, IA prayed a Shabbat children’s blessing.

Rev. Jerome Green from Anchored in the Lord Ministries, Rock Island, IL prayed “We Live Above Nature” by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Lisa Killinger, Muslim Community of the Quad Cities, prayed a Sufi prayer for peace.

Olivia Best, Alleman High School 2018 graduate, shared a story of an immigrant child’s horrific experience.

We also read a lovely Native American prayer submitted by Josie Ironshield, Sage Sisters of the Quad Cities.

The bells rang, the sun shone, and – during the Native American prayer – the Lord spoke volumes in thunder.

The rains were holy waters of God’s love at the end. If you have a Facebook account, Watch now!