We concluded our summer Community Days with our annual "missioning" ceremony this morning — an official “commissioning” for each of us to go forth to serve. We each received a blessing from our prioress, Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau, and a card listing our ministry assignment for the year.

Sister Jane Becker receives a blessing and her ministry card from Sister Kristine Anne. Sister Jane ministers as a clinical psychologist at St. Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland.

After a few days of meetings during Community Days — presentations, reports, table discussions, open forum, reflection time, and other business — we relaxed with an afternoon of fun and entertainment at our annual Familien Fest celebration. For entertainment, the sisters in initial formation presented "The Year in Review" — a lighthearted presentation with photos, songs, narration, and dramatizations.

Today we honored Sister Michelle Willett and Sister Leta Zeller on the occasion of their silver jubilee. We celebrated and gave thanks for their 25 years of fidelity to their monastic vows and to lives of service.

Sisters Michelle Willett and Leta Zeller renew their monastic vows that they professed 25 years ago.

Sister Salete Rocha, a Missionary Benedictine sister from Brazil, is spending two months at our monastery in order to become more fluent in speaking and understanding English. Sister Salete speaks Portugese and is proficient in reading English, but she's hoping that immersion in an English-speaking environment will strengthen her speaking skills for a new position she has been assigned. In May, Sister Salete was appointed General Councilor for the Congregation of International Missionary Benedictines of Tutzing, Germany, whose administrative office is in Rome. The Prioress General and her four General Councilors, representing Missionary Benedictines in Brazil, Korea, Africa, and the Philippines, reside in Rome, but English is the common language they use. Sister Salete will leave for Rome on August 30. In the meantime, she will be studying and speaking English as much as possible while immersed in our monastic life here at Ferdinand.

Sister Mary Philip Berger is one of several sisters who are tutoring Sister Salete in English while she is at our monastery.

Yum, yum! We’ve sampled the springerle cookies and we consider them scrumptious. On July 4 at an open house for our “new” bakery, we sisters had an opportunity to sample the first batch of springerle cookies that our “bakers” made for this season. Last week, many sisters pitched in to help make more of the “labor intensive” springerle cookies, a unique German treat popular around the Christmas season. The sisters have baked about 1000 dozen so far and plan to make an additional 4000 dozen. What do we do with all these cookies? Eat a few, of course, but also sell them. They will be available soon in our monastery gift shop, For Heaven’s Sake, and online at www.springerles.org. They make a unique and perfect Christmas gift. And best of all, they can be kept frozen for weeks or months and still taste freshly baked. Some even say their taste improves when they’re frozen. So, buy early and save them for gifts and snacks and desserts at Christmas.    

Sister Dolorosa Hasenour samples a springerle cookie at the monastery bakery open house on July 4. She also celebrated her 93 birthday that day.

Today is the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia. St. Benedict is considered the founder of Benedictine monasticism. His Rule for monastics, written in the early sixth century, contains much spiritual wisdom that is still meaningful for today's world. For a commentary on the Rule of Benedict, see an article by our Sister Jane Michele McClure.

Painting by Ferdinand Benedictine Sister Gregory Ems

Five women attended the Benedictine Life Week sponsored by our Vocations Office from June 27–July 3. The women entered into the schedule and rhythm of our monastic life, praying, working, and recreating with us. The week also included input from our prioress, Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau, and the vocation directors on the theme “Following the Way of Benedict,” time for reflection and discussion, group lectio, a visit to Saint Meinrad Archabbey, and a visit to some of our sisters’ ministries in Evansville. For women discerning God’s call in their lives, Benedictine Life events offer opportunities to become acquainted with monastic life and our community and to visit with other women in discernment. The women attending this week were from California, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, and North Carolina. The next Benedictine Life Weekend will be October 17-19.

Sister Victoria Pohl explains the operation of the Saint Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Evansville to BLW participants. After serving as coordinator of St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and Office for Emergency Assistance for the past 13 years, Sister Victoria left that position a few weeks ago. Sister Donna Marie Herr became coordinator on July 1.