In the News: Our 15 (+) Minutes of Fame

If the saying is true that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame, the sisters at the Mount have been way over their quota recently. In early summer of 2024, the community was contacted by an Associated Press (AP) religion reporter in Washington, D.C. She said that their business reporter had heard about sisters being involved in socially responsible investing and suggested that she pursue the story.  

After further conversations, a reporter and photographer arrived in Atchison, where they conducted extensive interviews with Sisters Rose Marie Stallbaumer and Barbara McCracken about their longtime work related to ethical investing. The Mount is part of a coalition that not only encourages the support of corporations that are socially and environmentally responsible but suggests holding small investments in companies with questionable practices so that as shareholders they can file resolutions that call attention to injustice.

While the reporters were here, they also got a sense of “a day in the life” in the monastery by attending prayers and meals, having a tour of the property, and talking to various sisters. On August 15, the story was published and went viral. Many of the newspapers that get feeds from the AP featured it not just in religion sections but gave it front- page coverage in such large markets as Seattle. Sisters received messages that it had appeared in Spanish and in Chinese and also was carried internationally by The Canadian Press affiliates, The Independent, Voice of America, and EuroNews. In the end, it also did become a business story, featured in Newsday Business, INC Magazine, and other financial websites. Read our investments story here.

The press coverage led to interest by National Public Radio in a comparable audio story, so Kansas Public Radio correspondent Rose Conlon was the next visitor. Her story was heard nationally on “All Things Considered” on October 23, 2024. Read her story here.

Just when it seemed that the spotlight would fade, a crew from ABC News inquired about a video version of the story. Elizabeth Schulze, known for her reports on “Good Morning America” and other ABC news programs, arrived from Washington along with a producer from New York and a crew from the Kansas City ABC affiliate to spend a day interviewing and filming. Because the potentially “slow” season in news at the end of the year was anything but uneventful, this story is tentatively scheduled to air on February 19.  

For more information about socially conscious investing, see the story about a presentation on this topic at Oblate Renewal Day and resources suggested by Sister Barbara McCracken.