Sister Elisabeth, AL; Sister Catherine, OK; Sister Colleen, MD & Sister Bridget, KS
(Click on each house at left and visit these wonderful communties.)
I returned last night from Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, in Atchison, KS. I had the privilege of working with four Benedictine sisters whose houses are within our federation. Our task was to begin planning a meeting of North American Benedictine women who are "55 & Under" - a daunting task, but exciting at the same time! Friday afternoon we dug in. Evening Praise and Supper came soon, so we decided to do some reading that evening and "sleep on it."
Saturday was magical! (The Spirit always comes when we call.) The five of us reached a total consensus on our theme. The "when," the "where," and the "who" were the next issues to resolve. (There is nothing like the moment when a keynote speaker says, "yes." We got the good news literally moments before the Sunday Eucharist. After doing a spontaneous "happy dance," we found our places in Chapel - just in time to sing the gathering hymn!) After that beautiful Eucharist with the monastic community, we happily reported to our federation president, that we had the "bones" of the program set.
We left in the afternoon to return to our respective monasteries. There is much left to do, but we've got a plan. We will reconvene again before the 2011 event. Today, I have a smile that defies the travel "hangover." I have four new friends - and we listen well to one another. That, in itself, is a foretaste of Easter.
Blessings and love to you all...
- Sister Vicki
