The monastery welcomed some very special guests this weekend. Alumnae Day 2008 brought over 150 Academy alumnae and their families back to “the hill” for their annual reunion. Many from the anniversary classes gathered on Saturday to celebrate and reminisce with classmates and faculty members. On Sunday, alums attended Mass in the monastery church, followed by a dinner, meeting, and more visiting and celebrating. We sisters consider the alumnae part of our “extended family” and appreciate their visits throughout the year, as well as on their reunion weekend.

Faculty members, 1998 graduates, and children pose for this photo at a cookout the 1998 class had by the former Academy Art Studio.

In many rural areas in the United States, baling hay could be considered a summer ritual. Fields of new-mown hay evoke feelings of nostalgia for the pastoral setting immortalized in the lyrics of Indiana’s official state song, "On the Banks of the Wabash," composed and written by Indiana native Paul Dresser. "Oh, the moonlight's fair tonight along the Wabash; from the fields there comes the breath of new-mown hay. Through the sycamores the candle lights are gleaming; on the banks of the Wabash, far away.”

Camp Marian Junior High Camp was billed as “an experience of God and nature and friends.” The camp theme, promoted in song and on t-shirts throughout the week, was “Go Light Your World.” More than 70 girls in grades five through eight, 10 high school counselors, one young adult counselor, and a team of nine Ferdinand Benedictine sisters participated in the event held at Camp Marian, a recreation area located on the grounds of the monastery. Campers came from as far as northern Indiana and Kentucky. Sisters Kathleen Marie Cash, Agnes Marie Dauby, Judy Dewig, Catherine Marie Duenne, Teresa Gunter, Rebecca Mathauer, Jill Reuber, Doris Schepers, and Michelle Catherine Sinkhorn comprised the team. When being picked up by her mother at the end of the camp experience, one of the girls was overheard saying, “Mom, can I go again next year?”

Swimming was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity through the week.

Golden Jubilee — With great joy and gratitude, our community celebrated the golden jubilees of four sisters, giving thanks for their 50 years of fidelity and commitment to the monastic life and a life of service. A song used as part of the prelude music for the ceremony appropriately expressed the jubilation of the day and reasons for celebrating these women. "Women of the Church, how rich is your legacy! Women of the Church, how great is your faith! Women of the Church, well-springs of integrity, we rejoice with you this day! Companions and disciples of Jesus, chosen and called by name; witnesses of wisdom, weavers of the Word: we rejoice with you this day!" (By musician and composer Carey Landry and Carol Jean Kinghorn, brother-in-law and sister of jubilarian Sister Mary Carol Kinghorn)

Sisters Kathryn Huber, Romaine Kuntz, Mary Carol Kinghorn, and Mary Longtine renew their monastic vows that they professed 50 years ago.

We are happy to share the news that we have re-elected Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau to serve as our prioress for another five years. We completed our days of discernment this morning with the official election in our monastery church. Sister Kristine Anne will begin her second five-year term as our community's 12th prioress on July 12.

More than 130 sisters gather in the sanctuary around Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau to sing the "Te Deum," a hymn of praise to God, at the conclusion of the election ceremony.