February 8, 2017

Finding God amid a Lesser Spirit of Fear

sky-with-light-and-trees

By Amy Carr

In my early 20’s, my inner ears pricked up over a certain theme I kept noticing in spiritual writers ranging from evangelical Christian Walter Wink to Zen Buddhists I was reading for class:

The potential we see in the worst of human behavior lies within each of us as well.  Continue Reading

January 16, 2017

The Spirit Intercedes Between Heart and Mind

psalm

By Amy Carr

Last week while  having dinner with two friends, one said that she is an INFJ on the Myers-Brigg and she finds that it is true, what is said of this personality type: that she has trouble just sitting and being with her feelings. She has a regular spiritual practice that keeps her centered, but she can take her bearings so much from her mind that she doesn’t always know what to do with her emotions. Continue Reading

November 13, 2016

Bearing Witness in Trump’s Time

bell-tower-with-fall-leaves

By Amy Carr

I want to begin with the words of John Dorhauer, President and General Minister of the United Church of Christ:

“Because this election sharply separated us over matters of race, gender, human sexuality, faith, economic inequality and political persuasions we all bear a heavy burden moving forward. It is our call, our shared mission, to heed the call of God’s Spirit and to work to repair damages in our deeply wounded and fiercely broken body. Continue Reading

October 27, 2016

Oblate Conference on Shared Leadership

oblates-at-conference-with-ruth

Pictured at the conference, left-to-right: Sister Ruth Ksycki, OSB; Jean Wolf; Madeleine Callahan, Deena Pavinato.

On October 2-4, 2016, Oblates Madeleine Callahan, Deena Pavinato and Jean Wolf attended the Regional Conference of Benedictine Oblate Directors and Oblates with Sister Ruth Ksycki, OSB.

The theme was “The Gift of Shared Leadership.”

In the future, Oblates will be called to assume more leadership in their Oblate programs.

The conference was a first step in assisting directors and Oblates to listen, look, learn and share about the future of their programs. We began to identify how to continue to make the Oblate program vital, both in the formation of new Oblates, and in the ongoing formation of current Oblates.

September 19, 2016

A Psalm for the Standing Rock Sioux

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By Madeleine Callahan

St. Mary Monastery Oblates have started our second year of studying psalms more closely so as to deepen our experience of them.

A Jewish friend asked me if we were studying the psalms for content, form and their history or contemplatively. I answered, we do a bit of everything with the psalms to make them feel “alive” and significant in our lives. Continue Reading

September 3, 2016

The Rule for Disappointed Idealists

claudia receives Rule

Sister Claudia Scharf, OSB receives a copy of the Rule of Benedict in her entrance ceremony at the Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, Illinois.

By Amy Carr

I’ve come to believe that the Rule of Benedict is about a way of living with the failure of our ideals to manifest in fully satisfying ways.

Like many oblates, I have always been drawn to the visionary –especially to pondering what kind of world around us we could make, and seeking to make it real in the company of others. Continue Reading

July 24, 2016

Oblate Advisory Board meets

oblate boardLeft-to-right front row:  Laura Cain and Jean Wolf; back row:  Jan Weyhrich, Sister Ruth Ksycki, Deena Pavinato, Toni Wilken, Nancy Houston

By Sister Ruth Ksycki, OSB

On July 15, 2016 the Oblate Advisory Board met to continue working on Future Planning for the Oblate Program as part of the Strategic Planning the Sisters are doing.  Continue Reading