Threshold - Fall 2003

Spreading the Good Word
by Jeremy Dempsey, OSB

“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” is the seemingly simple start to John’s Gospel. “The world is charged with the grandeur of God,” declared Gerard Manly Hopkins, the English Jesuit poet.

We are so familiar with these quotes, yet we have not begun to exhaust their meaning. Writers of the Old Testament, too, have taught us about God in poetry and prose. Literary works that have stood the test of time reveal an endless curiosity about the origin and nature of this universe. Thus it follows that we also study and respect the Word and words.

For decades the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica have been nurtured by the Word in Scripture as well as words from the great writers of all civilizations. We have been educated to respect the Word, to be watchful of the words we choose. We are sincere when we give “our word.” We trust others will be equally honest. Because of this, many lives have been dedicated to presenting the Word through our daily witness to those with whom we have worked and to the thousands we have taught.

Benedictine monasteries have long been centers of learning. In these houses the Word was transcribed and illuminated by monks in order to spread the knowledge of God and preserve it for later generations. They have truly been “schools of the Lord’s service” as St. Benedict established in his rule. We followers of Benedict have not only been guardians of these treasuries of learning, but have continued to offer our own insights into Scripture and give interpretations of life experiences in varied form.

The bibliographies of the Mount sisters list numbers of thesis and dissertations written on diverse topics. Several books of poetry are listed. Books have been published recording our history and the history of other Benedictines. Works resulting from the study of Scripture are numerous. Articles and poems continue to be published in major journals.

Over the years many sisters have been recognized for their accomplishments. One award that hangs in a side hall of this monastery reads:

PARTNERS IN LITERACY AWARD 2001 PRESENTED TO
SISTERS OF MT. ST. SCHOLASTICA
for EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
by HAPPY HEARTS, INC.
and ATCHISON ADULT LEARNING CENTER

What greater honor could we receive than an award for being “partners in literacy”?

For more years than we care to count, we have been bringing literacy to a variety of ages. Teachers have had the thrill of seeing children and adults mastering the printed words. They have also taught them to form their own ideas and organize them. The more advanced students have been shown how to read more deeply, to interpret and judge the works of published writers. They, too, have written.

We know why Don Quixote encouraged the gentleman in the green-colored greatcoat not to worry about his son’s interest in poetry, telling him “The pen is the tongue of the mind.” We approve of Quixote’s encouraging the gentleman to allow his son “to follow his star.”

Participants in Elder Hostel programs and Shepherd Centers have been directed to record their own stories, “making permanent what is passing in time.” Some with whom we have worked have succeeded beyond our greatest hopes. Perhaps some have failed. We do not want to think so.

A few readers of poetry who call themselves “the Porch Poets” meet weekly. They share works from Homer to Goethe, from Jonathan Edwards to Billy Collins, and they read some of their own works.

We are bold enough to say we have helped keep literacy and an appreciation of the power of language alive in our generations. Mary Oliver, a contemporary American poet, claims that one of the rules of her works is, “They must have spiritual purpose.” We have found this “spiritual purpose” in the universality of master writers’ search for wisdom and truth. We have been rooted in the Word. We have treasured human language. Because of this we hope our world and the world of others will continue to know that “the world is charged with the grandeur of God.”

Some of the books published by sisters from the Mount.

Read All About It
Sisters from Mount St. Scholastica have published several hundred books, articles and poems. They have contributed to text books and professional journals in many academic fields and engaged in various kinds of creative writing. A list of many of the literary productions and research works by the sisters, from 1863 to the present, can be found on our website. Click on "Publications" from the menu on our homepage, or go to directly to: www.mountosb.org/publications/biblio.html

Benedictines magazine began as "The Benedictine Review" in 1946 as an outlet for the academic writings of Mount St. Scholastica College faculty and other Benedictines. Today, it continues to publish articles about contemporary Benedictine monastic life, especially that of women. Sister Barbara Ann Mayer is editor, assisted by Sister Mary Grace Malaney. It has a link on the publications page of our website or www.mountosb.org/publications.html

Magistra, a historical journal of women's spirituality, is not a community publication, but is currently edited by Sister Judith Sutera. Information about it can also be accessed from our publications page.

Members of the Porch Poets Society meet weekly on a sunporch at the
monastery. Sister Rosaria Schaefer (left) reads a poem to
Sister Deborah Peters, Sister Lillian Harrington and
Sister Jeremy Dempsey.