Threshold Fall/Winter 2008

Plains and Mount Meet to Form New Horizon

On October 28, 2008, the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison and of Red Plains Monastery in Piedmont, Oklahoma, announced that the Red Plains sisters would join the Mount in March of 2009. The Sisters of Benedict have been an ongoing presence in central Oklahoma for 40 years. During the last decade, they have confronted the challenges of many small religious communities concerning vocations and the retirement/health care needs of the older members.

Upon completion of a five-year planning process, the sisters unanimously decided to affiliate with Mount St. Scholastica, with whom they felt compatible in spirit and in mission. Most of the sisters will remain in Oklahoma, where they have an active retreat ministry, but they will have the support of the Atchison community in administrative matters. Sisters Mary Beth Niehaus and Rita Claire Judge have also gone to Oklahoma to share in the ministry there.

The ten professed members of Red Plains will transfer their monastic profession at a ceremony in Atchison in March. Three women from Red Plains have moved to Atchison in recent months.

Sister Gertrude Nagel (left) arrived in August of 2008 and has been a welcome addition to the Mount. A former teacher and clay artist, she has talent for many artistic media. She spends much of her time creating delicate arrangements of pressed flowers, selling both originals and prints.

Christine Dormann (above), a Florida native, was received as a postulant
at Mount St. Scholastica on August 30. She had spent the past ten
months at Red Plains and now will continue her initial formation in
Atchison. Sister Anne received her request and the community gave a
blessing to her (center) and her director, Sister Cecilia Olson (right).









Sister Roberta Schachle (right) was seen enjoying a watermelon feed, one of the many activities at her new home. She is a former teacher and accomplished potter who moved into Dooley Center in July of 2008.