Threshold Winter 2011

From the Prioress

Dear Friends,

The world, it seems, is getting smaller. In one of his recent homilies during a weekday Mass, Father Blaine Schultz told us the story of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne voyaging to the United States by boat, a trip that took eleven days. Given the technology now, as well as the better modes of transportation, travel is so much better, faster and available. We are more able to host people from other countries and to journey ourselves.

Our community desires to expand our cultural awareness so that we may be more sensitive and responsive to women and men of ethnic groups other than our own. To that end we had a weekend in August where we invited two speakers, Martin Martinez and Antonio Ramirez, from the Mexican American Cultural College in San Antonio, Texas, to be our teachers. They led us to a greater awareness of our responsibilities and roles in widening our perspectives and living the gospel mandate to be inclusive.

In this issue of Threshold, you will be reading about Sister Esther Fangman, who served as President of the Federation of St. Scholastica for twelve years. A woman of wisdom and compassion, of strength and humor, she led the 21 Benedictine communities of women to realize that in this day and age, we must be realistic in our planning while deepening our monastic roots. She traveled globally and grew in the love of our Benedictine sisters throughout the world, especially in Africa. She is a woman of faith and courage, and while she will be missed as the leader, she will be remembered as a mentor par excellence.

Sister Eliene Batista Gouvea, who entered the community of our sisters in 1984 in Mineiros, Brazil, came to the Mount for the first time this summer. Her five-week stay included attending the meeting of the Federation of St. Scholastica, visiting Kansas City and St. Joseph, learning English more deliberately, praying and laughing with us. As the superior of the dependent monastery, she has been the spiritual and temporal leader as she prepared sisters to make profession as well as oversaw the construction of their monastery expansion.

Sister Mary Rardin, another very gifted sister, was chosen to be the secretary of the Communio Internationalis Benedictarum. This position had her traveling the globe in service to the international leadership group of prioresses and abbesses from every continent. One whom she met, Sister Joachim Nnunduma prioress general of Bendictine Sisters of Our Lady help of Christians in Tanzania visited us here for five weeks this fall.

In August, Abbot Notker Wolf, Abbot Primate of Benedictine monasteries and abbeys worldwide, attended the American Benedictine Academy Convention held in Atchison. While visiting the city, he came over to greet us, thank us for our witness as monastics and promised us his ongoing support and prayers.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann presented the three religious communities in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas the Gaudeamus Award for our commitment and service to the children in Catholic schools. Benedictine College honored both St. Benedict’s Abbey and the Mount with a “Doing Something Beautiful for God” Award for our service to the college since its founding.

We continue to serve at the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kansas, which is growing in services, volunteers and excellent reputation. Our spirituality centers in Red Plains, Oklahoma, and Sophia Center in Atchison serve many who seek to find God in private or group retreats.

Recently, as I was teaching about the role of Benedictine authority in a class at Benedictine College, I was asked what it is that we sisters do to address the problems of this world. Without any hesitation I said that we are intentional in our prayer and we remain women of hope by our example and by our service. Our world needs both.

Thank you for your support. Accept our words of appreciation and count on our continued prayers for you. We plan to remain hopeful. Will you?

God bless you each day,
S. Anne Shepard
Prioress