This is a joyful weekend for the Benedictine Sisters: 2 women are making Monastic Profession with us!

Stefanie MacDonald (above) will make her First Monastic Profession tonight at Vespers, while Sr. Claudia Scharf (top photo, far left) will make her Final Monastic Profession Saturday morning at Mass.

This means each woman promises Obedience, Stability and Fidelity to the Monastic Way of Life, after being immersed in our lifestyle for several years already. Living in community with us is part of the discernment process, which continues after entrance as a postulant and through the novitiate and years of First Profession (usually 3-6).

That is, postulants, novices and First Professed Sisters continue to discern their call both to monastic life in general, and to life with our community in particular, throughout the period (which makes a total of 6-9 years). Once you make Final Profession, don’t think you quit learning or growing, though! We continue to study spirituality, Benedictinism, theology and social justice issues throughout our lives together!

To learn more, come to a no-strings-attached vocation retreat August 15-20, or choose an upcoming weekend this fall: Sept. 17-19, Oct. 22-24, and/or Nov. 12-14. You will find that we: Pray together three times a day. 
Take our meals together.
 Enjoy leisure together.
 Serve in ministries from social work to education 
and parishes to food pantries 
that never take us far from home.

Hope to see you soon!