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Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA
Benedictine Sisters of Bristow, VA
Benedictine Sisters of Glendora, CA
Benedictine Sisters of St. Leo, FL
Benedictine Sisters of Boerne, TX
Benedictine Sisters of Chicago, IL
Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, AL
Benedictine Sisters of Colorado Springs, CO
Benedictine Sisters of Tulsa, OK

Federation of St. Scholastica 1922 - 2022: The same call and gift of the Spirit that came to Benedict of Nursia early in the 6th century came to the women who formed the Federation of Saint Scholastica early in the 20th century. This same call and gift of the Spirit comes to us today, inspiring and animating us to respond to the gospel with the good zeal of Benedict, with listening hearts, with clarity of spiritual vision, and with hearts impelled by love. In the years leading up to our centennial celebration in 2022, we intend to publicly celebrate the vision and dedication of Benedictine women over the past 100 years while at the same time supporting current works as well as new and wider efforts to bring the peace of Christ and the justice of the gospel to today’s turbulent world.

Weekly Reflections

Week of October 13: The Photographers

Week of October 13-19
Elisabeth Meadows, OSB, Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, AL

The Photographers
I answered the Retreat Center phone yesterday and a voice said: “Come to the Sunken Garden, and bring the camera!” A little family of wood ducks was wandering by, and that called for a photograph.

Several of our Sisters enjoy photography, but three of us - Sister Regina, Sister Therese, and myself - are currently the ones most likely to seen with camera in hand as we go about our daily rounds of work and prayer. We take photographs for our website, newsletter, bulletin board, archives - and of course, as a way to experience and enjoy God's beautiful creation. Two cameras float between the three of us and we are constantly passing them back and forth, swapping out USB cables, trading jump drives – and making quick phone calls when a unique shot presents itself, such as a family of wood ducks wandering by.

Although we share equipment and subject matter, each of us peers through the lens with a slightly different perspective. Sister Regina enjoys taking nature photographs. She is a gardener of roses, vegetables, and saplings; a birder who can identify at a glance just about every winged creature under heaven; and is so at home amongst the blossoms, blooms, and birdhouses on our grounds that you can almost say that she doesn’t take pictures, she grows them . Many of the landscape shots on our website were seen first through her lens.

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Podcast Series

Judith Sutera, OSB

Judith Sutera, OSB, is a Benedictine sister of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, KS. She holds degrees in psychology and sociology, with master's degrees in counseling and in monastic theology. A magazine editor and the author of True Daughters: Monastic identity and American Benedictine Women's History and other books, she is a director for oblates, teaches courses in monastic spirituality, and gives presentations, retreats, and workshops for monastic communities, academic conferences, formation groups, and retreat centers across the United States. For additional historical background and an introduction to Benedicta Riepp and Boniface Wimmer, both mentioned in this podcast, click here.

Sister Anne Stedman, OSB

Sister Anne Stedman has ministered as educator, liturgist, retreat leader and in leadership during her years in monastic life and is currently monastic formation director. She was a founding member of Benet Hill Monastery in Colorado Springs, CO, having originally entered at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, KS. Sister Anne served as prioress of Benet Hill Monastery for 14 years (1991-99 and 2005-11). She held fast to two concepts during her time in community leadership: “Hope sees what is not but yet will be,” from Hebrews 11:1 and Sister Helen Lombard’s analogy of the monastic leader likened to the director of a small string ensemble: “in the center, giving the beat.”

Centennial Prayer

The same call and gift of the Spirit that came to Benedict of Nursia and his sister Scholastica early in the 6th century came to the women who formed the Federation of Saint Scholastica early in the 20th century. This same call and gift of the Spirit comes to us today, inspiring and animating us to respond to the gospel with their good zeal, with listening hearts, with clarity of spiritual vision, and with hearts impelled by love. And so we pray:

Audio recording of prayer by Sister Lynn McKenzie, OSB, President of the Federation of St. Scholastica

Loving God, we give you thanks
for our Benedictine heritage,
and for the expression of this call and gift in the
communities of the Federation of St. Scholastica.

May our celebration
of the Federation's first 100 years
strengthen us in our spiritual tradition,
deepen our capacity to listen,
widen our hearts with your love,
and sharpen our spiritual vision
that seeks to see Christ in the heart of all Creation
and at the center of our common life.

One in Christ,
may the communities of the Federation,
oblates, benefactors, and friends,
share the peace of Christ,
show the love of Christ,
and make Christ known in our world.

Amen FOR SPANISH TRANSLATION, CLICK HERE