Governor on monastery: "can't think of a more peaceful place"

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels sat in the Benedictine Parlor recently at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Indiana, talking about the challenges of his upcoming new job as president of Purdue University.

Sister Sylvia Gehlhausen, 88, sat nearby, listening intently. Then, flashing the grin and facial expression that has warmed so many hearts through her years as a minister of hospitality, Sister Sylvia said, “We could be your getaway place.”

Governor Daniels smiled, “I can’t think of a more peaceful place to get away to.”

It was the second time Daniels has visited the monastery during his eight-year term. The first visit came in 2008 after Sister Sylvia invited him. She remembers him saying to her, “I’ll come back,” as he left.

When the governor greeted Sisters Sylvia, Kristine Anne Harpenau, Jane Will, Betty Drewes, and Jean Marie Ballard on the monastery steps this time, Sister Sylvia said, “Oh, you did come back.” The governor replied, smiling, “I always keep my promises.”

Women of the Rule awards grants

Women of the Rule, a philanthropy circle affiliated with the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, awarded its annual grants September 8 to these proposals:

• $16,000 for a van for the sisters in Peru
• $9,407 to upgrade equipment in Hildegard Health Center
• $5,000 for start-up costs to partner with the Family Scholar House program
• $2,272.68 for water harvesting equipment at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand
• $1,955 to begin a “For You Are Our Hope” youth festival at the monastery

Women of the Rule is dedicated to making a difference in the world by supporting the mission and ministries of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand. Members provide financial support for strategic initiatives of the sisters.

Members of Women of the Rule make an annual donation of $1,000. Two women may join together to make the gift. The group has 60 individuals, making up 40 member units.

For more information about the awards banquet and Women of the Rule, contact Sister Barbara Catherine Schmitz at barbarac@thedome.org or at 812-367-1411, ext. 2649, or visit www.thedome.org.

Learning to trust God - through Spain, pain, rain

Trudging on along the 500-mile “Way of St. James,” through the heat, blisters, barking muscles, rain, and a seemingly never-ending trail, Sister Jeana Visel said the seeking of God kept her going for those 21 days.

It had been a 12-year dream of hers to walk the ancient path in northern Spain, the most popular Christian pilgrim route in the world. Also known as the Camino de Santiago, it’s patterned after a trek in the year 950 by a French monk to visit the remains of the Apostle St. James in Santiago de Compostela.

Over 100,000 pilgrims tackle the Camino annually, most wishing to find physical and spiritual renewal.

Sister Jeana, 33, a graduate student in Monastic Studies at St. John’s University – School of Theology in Collegeville, Minnesota, was in a group of seven from the college who undertook the pilgrimage.
She correctly anticipated the journey would be sacred. And even though that’s what her monastic life is all about as a Benedictine, her recent trip still proved to be a huge life lesson.

The first lesson – that she could live on a lot less -- came early, after a long day of walking in extreme heat with a too-heavy backpack that culminated in the humbling experience of puking in front of her fellow travelers. She took it as God grabbing her attention, telling her to get rid of excess baggage, that she couldn’t complete the journey without a lot of help and support. Kind of like life itself.

(Read more on our web site.)

Scouts on the hill

The Archdiocese of Louisville Catholic Committee on Scouting held their 2012 Flaget Trail at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Indiana, on August 17 and 18. After the event, Tom McGrew, one of the coordinators, sent a thank you email to Sister Christine Kempf that included a top ten list.

McGrew named number ten as “Location-Location-Location. The campsite and facilities were excellent.” The 239 campers, including 155 scouts, 66 leaders, and 18 staff from the Archdiocese of Louisville, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and Diocese of Lexington, set up their tents in the area around Madonna Lake.

(Read more on our web site.)

Welcome, Postulant Rachel!

On Sunday, August 19, Rachel Geracitano was officially accepted by the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, into her postulancy, the first stage of incorporation into the religious community.

A 22-year-old native of Louisville, Kentucky, Postulant Rachel is a recent graduate of Bellarmine University with a major in theology and a minor in psychology. Her parents are Karen Hobbs and Mickey Geracitano, and she has one older sister.

Postulant Rachel says: “I was born and raised Catholic. I went to Catholic grade school and was very active in my parish. Through my recent years of theological study at Bellarmine University as well as actively participating in Bellarmine’s Campus Ministry, I have grown deeper in my faith and want to continue to search and explore God’s will for me. The past two years especially I have increasingly been attracted to religious life. I have had the opportunity to work with Sister Michelle Sinkhorn not only in my discernment process, but also with retreats and service trips. She, along with the entire community of sisters, has been incredibly welcoming to all my visits and questions about their life. I feel drawn to the Benedictine community in Ferdinand and am excited to learn and experience religious life with them.”

Founded in 1867, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand currently number 160 and serve in the areas of education, parish work, health care, retreat and spirituality work, social services, counseling, and mission work in Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Italy, and Peru.

Founders Day!

On August 20, 1867, four sisters arrived to teach the German settlers of Ferdinand, Indiana. Today we celebrate 145 years of prayer and ministry. Happy Founders Day, everyone!

 

Learn more about our history on our web site: http://www.thedome.org/about/history/

Sisters and people learn from each other in Peru

Sure, the lifestyle is a little different in Peru than in the United States.

Cold showers are common in many areas. Sometimes the water doesn’t work at all. Some villages are unreachable by car, or even by bicycle, so you walk. Living room furniture might be a lawn chair or two. Some entire families use just one bed.

But for the Sisters of St. Benedict who are serving the local people, much of their ministry is the same as in the U.S. They help the poor and needy as best they can. Or work patiently with school children struggling to understand math. Or help the journey of those of strong faith, or those of lesser faith looking for more.

Sister Kathy Cash, a teacher at Trinity High School in Louisville, completely loved her recent stay there.

Sister Kathy admits she has “never been totally comfortable with living completely in a United States frame of mind.”

Even as a child, she yearned to have the chance to live and work outside the friendly and familiar confines of the U.S. So she jumped at the chance recently to spend nearly five weeks living and working at the monastery operated in Peru by nine Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand.

(Read more on our web site.)

Beautiful!

What a beautiful site at the monastery this morning!