Summer 2009

The Journey from Oklahoma. . .
by Mary Agnes Patterson, OSB

The welcome of the sisters of Red Plains on the Feast of St. Benedict was the culmination of a long, prayerful process. The community, located in Piedmont, Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City, was founded in 1968 by sisters from St. Joseph’s Monastery in Tulsa, Okla., and has served the people of their area by their presence, their arts, and their spiritual ministry.

The Sisters of Benedict of Red Plains Monastery faced their reality of increasing age, lack of new members, and inadequate funds. Against this background, they began their intensive strategic planning sessions in early 2000. The sisters wanted:

• To maintain a Benedictine presence in Oklahoma
• To continue their retreat and spirituality ministry
• To continue their ecumenical spiritual direction training program
• To provide for long-term care of the elder sisters within a Benedictine community

With these goals in mind the community studied various options for their future. When, in 2003, the community decided that it needed to affiliate with another Benedictine community, the search began in earnest. The sisters considered several communities for a good fit and settled on three for fuller and mutual consideration. When asked what they were looking for, Sister Joanne Yankauskis mentioned they considered the prayer style and spirituality, ministry, social justice work, interest in women’s issues and the availability of an infirmary.
After times of visiting, praying and sharing with the three communities under consideration, the eleven sisters decided that joining Mount St. Scholastica was “the right fit.” After visiting the Mount, Sister Miriam Schnoebelen reflected: “There was such a joy in the house. I sensed it during my visit. That spirit of joy was attractive to me.”

Members of the Red Plains community are (seated) Roberta Schachle, Eunice Ballmann and Joanne Yankauskis (standing) Janice Futrell, Benedicta Boland, Melissa Anna Letts, Miriam Schnoebelen, Elena Hernandez, Marie Ballmann, and Gertrude Nagel.



Chapel at Red Plains


. . . To Kansas
by Bridget Dickason, OSB

Sister Janice Futrell, prioress of Red Plains, hands symbols of her authority to Sister Anne Shepard, prioress of Mount St. Scholastica, as part of the transfer celebration.


Sister Janice Futrell, prioress, reflected: "We believe we have a good fit. Each Benedictine monastery chooses its own ministry. Like us, Atchison has a long reputation for its commitment to spirituality and education, with a special focus on the needs of women. It was a difficult, but good, decision that our community has made. We are so very blessed that the Atchison sisters have voted to welcome us. Through this significant step, we are able to continue living and ministering here in Piedmont.”

There have been many connections with Mount St. Scholastica over the years: an exchange of teachers, Oklahoma members who studied at Mount St. Scholastica College, young sisters who joined in the sister formation program at the Mount, and several sisters who attended the summer Monastic Institutes held in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Sisters of Benedict of Red Plains Monastery have a legacy of over 118 years of presence and ministry to the people of Oklahoma. In earlier years, the sisters were in formal teaching in the parish schools. An important commitment was the establishment and development of “Peace House” in the 1980s in Oklahoma City.

In the past 30 years they have focused their ministries on retreats, educational workshops for adults and children, spiritual direction, and “Retreat in Daily Life,” a seven month prayer experience, introduced in 1983. Hospitality is an important ministry as groups and individuals come for meetings, days of reflection and prayer, and for overnight retreats at the Benedictine Spirituality Center in Piedmont.

On the weekend of March 21, 2009, the Solemnity of the Passing of St. Benedict, Sisters Gertrude Nagel, OSB, Benedicta Boland, OSB, Roberta Schachle, OSB, Eunice Ballmann, OSB, Miriam Schnoebelen, OSB, Marie Ballmann, OSB, Janice Futrell, OSB, Elena Hernandez, OSB Joanne Yankauskis, OSB and Melissa Anna Letts, OSB of Red Plains Monastery in Piedmont, Oklahoma once again entered into the paschal mystery by transferring their monastic profession to Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas.

In preparation for the weekend, Sisters Mary Collins and Susan Barber from the Mount visited the sisters at Red Plains to plan the weekend. Trying to meet the Red Plains community’s needs, it was decided that a single liturgical event would not capture what was to take place. In order for the members of both communities to fully absorb the meaning of the suppression of the monastery and the transfer of the stability of their monastic profession, a progressive approach would be needed to unfold the full paschal mystery of the merger.

To mark the solemnity of the occasion, three liturgical celebrations punctuated the weekend reflecting the paschal mystery lived out in their lives.

The weekend started with first vespers of the feast of St. Benedict on Friday night. Sister Janice Futrell, the prioress of Red Plains Monastery, gave a reflection on the gospel of Matthew 19:27-29. Following her reflection, Sister Anne Shepard, prioress of Mount St. Scholastica, received Sister Janice’s copy of the Rule of St. Benedict, signifying the conclusion of her ministry as prioress of the Sisters of Benedict, Red Plains Monastery.

After vespers everyone gathered in the dining room to listen to the history of Red Plains Monastery. Each Red Plains sister told a piece of its story. Sisters from the Mount appreciated the sharing, knowing that more stories would be told informally throughout the weekend and coming years.

The second and central liturgical celebration was the Eucharist on Saturday. The natural beauty and ritual of the Eucharist filled the hearts of all present, and filled the eyes of many with tears, as the sisters did a group transfer of their monastic profession and took an active participation in the rest of the mass.

The spiritual grace and dignity of the Red Plains sisters radiated as they participated in the gospel book procession and in the preparation of the gifts and the altar.



Sister Eunice (left) gives an overview of the community’s history and



























Sister Elena shares a funny story about her own formation experiences at the evening of sharing.
















Morning light streams in on some of the sisters making their transfer of monastic profession.

(below) A long line of sisters joyfully welcome their new members.


As Sister Benedicta carried their vow formulas in a bowl made
by Sister Roberta, the pain and glory of the paschal mystery was personified.


The third liturgical celebration took place at second vespers on
Saturday night. Sister Esther Fangman, president of the
Federation of St. Scholastica, read the decree of the dissolution of
Red Plains Monastery before the beginning of prayers.


“This is a day we won’t forget,” said Sister Mary Ethel Burley. The experience of the weekend was one flowing unit. By slowing the process down, ritualizing different elements separately, and allowing each community member to experience the depth of the occasion, ritual and mystery met.

Now, a few months after the celebration, Sister Joanne Yankauskis says, “We are still adjusting to our new identity as we continue our usual routine in our beautiful environment at Red Plains Spirituality Center.”

(below) While Sister Paula Howard waits her turn, Sister Florentine Motichek offers words of encouragement to Sister Joanne from her own experience. Sister Florentine was part of a group that transferred from Covington, La.