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April 2019
Volume 13, Issue 4
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Dear friend in Christ,
"Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)
This is a time of year when there is a lot of opportunity to rejoice. The long, hard winter is over, and we're seeing signs of new life and growth all around the monastery campus. We're now in the second week of Eastertide, so our liturgies are filled with invitations to rejoice as we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ through the 50 days leading up to Pentecost.
This coming Saturday, May 4, we'll have an opportunity to rejoice with sisters celebrating the 75th and 60th anniversaries of monastic profession. I'm sure you'll want to know who these sisters are because many of you will remember them as teachers and health care and parish workers:
75th: Ss. Jonathan Herda and Mary Jane Slaney.
60th: Ss. Adelia Sirek, Alice Imdieke, Bridget Donaldson, Cecelia Prokosch, Christine Manderfeld, Elizabeth Theis, Georganne Burr, Geraldine Zierden, Gracemarie Maiers, Ione Jesh, Jean Juenemann, Joan Schafer, Katherine Kraft, Lucy Miller, Marina Schlangen, Marlene Meierhofer, Mary Mandernach, Mary Reuter, Patricia Ostrander.
We'll be able to share photographs of the day in the next issue of
Monastery
Musings. For now, we ask you to say a prayer of joyful gratitude for their lives and service.
On the subject of anniversaries, I've been asked to put in a reminder about my 10th anniversary of profession blog. You can read it on my Blogspot,
Seeking God: One Woman's Journey
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Karen Rose, OSB
Director of Mission Advancement
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In Loving Memory: Grace Donovan, OSB
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Sister Grace Donovan entered eternal life on Friday, March 29, 2019. She will be dearly missed, but we rejoice with her in her coming home to God. Read her full
obituary.
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A new page dedicated to peace and social justice has been added to our website. We express a sincere thank you to the Benedictines for Peace and Justice Administrative Task Team for putting this page together.
Explore this web page now!
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Mother Benedicta Riepp Award
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We are now seeking nominations for the 13th annual Mother Benedicta Riepp Award, which will be presented at Gratitude Day on August 11, 2019. This award honors a lay woman who has a relationship with the sisters and manifests Benedictine and Gospel values in her daily life.
Nominations are due Friday, June 7, 2019.
To learn more about the award and nomination process, visit our
website.
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Thank you to all who joined us in celebrating the Easter Triduum. Many people think Easter finishes with the public holiday on Easter Monday, but the Church’s celebration lasts for 50 days, right up to the feast of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. We will continue to pray over the prayer cards you have sent us throughout the rest of the Easter celebration. If you would like to submit a prayer request, you can do so on our
website
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New Issue:
Benedictine Sisters and Friends
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Job Opportunities: Nursing Assistants
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We have opportunities for certified nursing assistants to join our team of dedicated and compassionate caregivers in serving our sisters at Saint Scholastica Convent. Nursing assistants provide home care tasks assigned by the home care coordinator and RN case managers and provide direct personal care and health-related services to sister residents.
We have a variety of day, PM and night shifts available with full-time or part-time hours. There is a $500 sign-on bonus for night shift!
Apply now!
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Conversation with Sister Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ
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Earlier this month, we enjoyed a compelling conversation with Sister Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, about her latest book,
Creation and the Cross: The Mercy of God for a Planet in Peril. Sister Elizabeth is a member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY, and has a Ph.D. in theology from
Catholic University of America (where Sister Nancy Bauer teaches canon law!) and was not only the first female to graduate from CUA, but was also the first female faculty member.
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SBM Volunteer Recognition Event
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On Wednesday, April 10, we held our annual Volunteer Recognition Event at Saint Benedict's Monastery. The theme was "Above and Beyond." We are so grateful for the many gracious volunteers who volunteer their time with us in various capacities. In 2018, volunteers served Saint Benedict's Monastery for a total of
10,395 hours—talk about going above and beyond!
If you would like to learn more about being a volunteer, visit our
website.
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Thank you to all who stopped by our booth and visited with Sisters Nina Lasceski (second from right), Tamra Thomas (right) and Pat Ruether (not pictured) at the St. Joseph Showcase on April 13. This annual event is put on by the
St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce. We enjoyed engaging with others in our community and sharing our mission, ministries and Benedictine values.
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Outstanding Biologist of the Year Award
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Congratulations to
College of Saint Benedict senior Ellen Munshower (right) for receiving this year's Sister Phyllis Plantenberg Outstanding Biologist of the Year Award, named after Sister Phyllis Plantenberg (left), a retired biology professor. Ellen's faculty adviser, Professor Kristina Timmerman, is pictured between them. Way to go, Ellen!
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Bingo, Blessings
and Byes!
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Sisters and
College of Saint Benedict students gathered for Bingo, Blessings and Byes, the Benedictine Friends program's yearly closing event. Benedictine Friends pairs CSB students with a sister Benedictine Friend.
During this event, seniors receive a blessing by all those in attendance, and each shares her amazing story of what she will be doing in the future and receives a handcrafted graduation card made by Sister Renee Rau. This blessing is joyfully followed by several rounds of bingo.
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Being, Belonging, Becoming in Our Benedictine Community
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Would you like to learn about what life is like at Saint Benedict’s Monastery? If you are a single, Catholic woman under the age of 45, you are invited to come and spend a day with us on Saturday, May 18. The day will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. We will begin with a tour, followed by celebrating the Eucharist and experiencing a meal in our dining room. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions.
To register, please contact Sister Lisa Rose, director of vocations, at
lrose@csbsju.edu or
(320) 363-7180.
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Thank you for sharing your time, talent and treasure with us as we respond to the needs of the world. Your partnership is vital to us as we strive to bring a ray of hope to a dark world.
If you'd like to partner with us to support our mission and ministries, you can make a secure online donation to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict below.
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With steadfast gratitude,
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Karen Rose, OSB
Director of Mission Advancement
Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict
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