The only constant in life is change, and women religious are no strangers to change.
In 1965, Vatican II brought about major changes in the Catholic Church.
In 2010, sisters from St. Bede Monastery in Eau Claire, Wis., experienced change when their community merged with Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minn., and those sisters said goodbye to their homes, ministries and friends. In 2012, the sisters from Mount Benedict Monastery in Ogden, Utah, did the same.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in how we minister and interact with those beyond our monastery walls when we had no choice but to stay inside.
A reality that congregations of women religious face today all over the world is the trending decline in the number of women discerning religious vocations. Once the largest community of Benedictine women in the world, this affects how we adapt our ministries and make decisions pertaining to the future of our community.
One of the major changes within Saint Benedict’s Monastery is that we are currently in the planning stages of building a new, smaller monastery. After years of discussion and discernment, the community decided this was a vital way to focus our energies on carrying out our ministries and stewarding our physical resources. Make no mistake: Our future is bright!
Throughout times of change, Catholic sisters remain rooted in tradition. As Benedictine women, we continue to pray Liturgy of the Hours three times per day, celebrate Eucharist, practice the values, and engage in the traditions that our community was founded on.
#LikeaCatholicSister, we embrace change while celebrating tradition.
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