July 26, 2012

When MacKenzie Visits the Monastery

MacKenzie enjoys spending time with 2 of her "grandmas," Sisters Michelle (left) and Mary Jean.

My sister MacKenzie is here visiting for a week … a vacation she’s been looking forward to. She loves to come to the monastery. As my father says, she has 30 grandmas to be with!

Mackenzie, who has a learning disability, is a great help here. She always offers to take the Sisters’ trays after meals. She helps Sister Anne prepare food bags for the food pantry. She has been helping me get ready for the new school year. Continue Reading

July 19, 2012

What a Wonderful Retreat!!

Hi everyone! I’m back from BSWR and on to a family get-away with my parents and sister, MacKenzie. Here’s a pic of us clowning at the Milwaukee County Zoo! MacKenzie will come back to the monastery with me for a few days next week, and we are both looking forward to it. She loves the Sisters and they love her. She’ll be very busy! Continue Reading

July 11, 2012

Benedictine Values: Community

Think it sounds romantic to gather in the chapel at 6:30 every morning to pray? Let me tell you, some days 6:30 comes way too early. But this, my friends, is one of the realities of life in community: you will be at prayers every morning, or you will be missed.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. Continue Reading

July 5, 2012

Benedictine Values: Hospitality

“I discovered, you see, that real Benedictinism requires us to pour ourselves out for the other, to give ourselves away, to provide the staples of life, both material and spiritual, for another. The question is not whether what we have is sufficient for the situation or not. The question is simply whether or not we have anything to give. That’s what hospitality is all about. Not abundance and not totality. Just sharing. Real sharing.” – Joan Chittister, Wisdom Distilled From the Daily Continue Reading

July 2, 2012

Benedictine Values: Silence

This may sound weird, but one of the biggest adjustments I had to make when I became a Benedictine Sister was to learn to be quiet. Now, don’t get me wrong. I was never loud and boisterous (well, not really). In fact, I was drawn to peaceful venues in nature and church. But for me, white noise was the TV and radio. Continue Reading