During the last full week of July each year, we gather as a community, to review various aspects of our life during the past year, attend to important current issues and vote on those that need community approval, and we look forward and begin planning for the coming year. We engage with one another, listen deeply, share insights and ideas, discern the movement of the Holy Spirit leading us to God’s will. And, of course, we celebrate one another and have some fun together.
See below for some of the highlights of this year’s meetings.
Meetings
We reviewed budgets, listened to department reports, and engaged in processes related to building our new monastery.
This year, we also elected sisters to our monastic council, which consists of eight community members including the Prioress, Subprioress and Treasurer. The monastic council serves as advisor to the Prioress on various community issues.
Celebrating Sr. Antoinette's Retirement
Benedictine Oblates are men and women who live the Benedictine values in their home setting. The Oblate program offers the participants to seek God with a religious community. Sr. Antoinette has been the Oblate Director for our community for the past 31 years. She loved this ministry of walking with Oblate candidates, helping them discern their call to become an Oblate. She found joy in providing on-going formation of the Oblate community, helping them discover ways to live the Benedictine values in their everyday lives.
Thank you, Sr. Antoinette for your faithful and loving service to our Oblates!
Missioning Service
On the last day of our Chapter meetings, we gather for our Missioning Service. The prioress shares with the community a particular theme that she believes that we are called to pursue in the coming year. This year’s theme is “Let peace be your quest and aim” (RB Prologue:17).
We receive our “Mission slips” which lists the specific ministries and various other assignments and activities that each of us has discerned with our prioress for the coming year. Our engagement in these ministries gives witness to our vow of obedience. Our prioress blesses the Mission slips and calls each of us by name to come and receive our Mission from her. This is a sacred annual ritual for us.
This year we also blessed our outgoing monastic council members, thanking them for their years of service. We then blessed our new monastic council members who will serve for the coming three years.
Finally, we all renewed our monastic profession together, once again professing our commitment to live the monastic way of life with this community.
Family Feast
Of course we found time for a little fun. Our Chapter culminated with our rendition of the Paris Summer Olympics.
