Guests from Benetwood

Twenty-five years ago, through the HUD federal program, a 75-unit apartment complex for low income or handicapped seniors, Benetwood, was built behind the Mount---on the other side of the back woods. Each year we invite our "neighbors" for evening prayer and supper. Wednesday was this year's event as 57 men and women from Benetwood Apartments came over for an evening with the community.

Currently four sisters minister at Benetwood, which has also been the home to many oblates and parents of community members. When BenetPress was active, ladies from Benetwood would come over to the Mount to collate printing projects. Nowadays the most consistent Benetwood visitors are two women who help out as aides in our infirmary and another who is a faithful member of our Friday night card club that meets weekly in the community room. I think their #1 favorite is a rummy/canasta game called Hand and Foot!

AIM USA

The AIM USA Board of Trustees meets at the Mount today. AIM, the Alliance for International Monasticism, was founded by a retired French abbot in the early 1960s to offer assistance by Benedictine and Cistercian communities in what used to be called the "first world," to Benedictine and Cistercian communities in what used to be called the "third world," now more commonly referred to as the "developing world."

Although the international office remains outside of Paris, today there are national secretariats in six countries bringing alliances between 100s of monastic communities in Europe and North America with those in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The US secretariat, which has been in Erie and sponsored by our community since 1990, coordinates fund raising, used book distribution, spirituality magazine subscriptions, mass stipends and yearly trips to women's Benedictine communities in sub-Saharan Africa for US monastic women.

This fall AIM USA has responded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic by producing a "Prayer of Monastics in Response to the AIDS Pandemic" and distributed it to communities worldwide calling for a common prayer on December 1, World AIDS Day. Special awareness is focused on monastic communities who minister to HIV/AIDS patients. The Prayer Service will be posted on the the AIM USA website soon or contact them at aim@aim-usa.org and ask for a copy.

Care of the Soul

What a gift! Thomas Moore, author of the huge best-seller Care of the Soul, was in Erie this week for a lecture at Mercyhurst College...and, yesterday, he came to the Mount for a question and answer session with community members, prayer, supper, and then a public presentation. In response to the most frequent subject that people talk to him about: that they have left formal church membership because it holds no meaning for them yet they are on a continual search for the spiritual in their lives, he is writing a book on the Gospels, looking at the original Greek that he studied as a collegian, to uncover fresh and original meanings. He is concentrating on four words that he believes are the basis of Jesus' message: kingdom, metanoia, healing and agape.

If you have the time, this link is a short but very good interview with him that's worth reading.

Two more things: a) He has been a psychotherapist for 30 years. His definition of psychotherapy? "Care of the soul." b) Was he as great as you'd think he would be? Yes....maybe even better!

October Art Show

Our Chapter 57 Gallery opened a month long art show Sunday, as Sister Margaret Ann hung nearly 50 of her latest pieces, including numerous color photographs of our chapel windows and their reflections on the bordering ceramic tile. Titled "The mystery of it all," she explains her new works as "seeing light in a new way, seeing nature in a new light and seeing what is ordinary and celebrating life."

The Gallery, which is a long inner hallway, is highlighted by an 8' by 2' glass exhibition case cut out of one wall. One side of the case is on the hall/gallery side, the other is in the adjacent community room. It's perfect for displaying three-dimensional pieces. We are fortunate to have a number of talented artists and crafters and two or three times a year Margaret Ann organizes a showing of their latest creations. This show is unique, however, as it is all her own work.

The name Chapter 57? It's a reference to chapter 57 in the Rule of Benedict where he discusses the role of artists in the monastery.

Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah

The Tent of Abraham, Hagar and Sarah, a group of Jews, Christians and Muslims who have joined together to promote shared concerns for peace, justice and care for the earth, have designated Monday, October 8 as a day of fast and prayer: "a day to come together, to turn attention to spiritual depth and communal sharing."

The month of October brings holy days for many faith traditions: the month of Ramadan and the Night of Power; the High Holy Days and Sukkot; the feast of Francis of Assisi and Worldwide Communion Sunday; Pavarana/Sangha Day; and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday.

Our community will hold a special evening praise at 6:30 p.m. Monday followed by a meal to end the all-day fast. Rabbi Leonard Lifshen will open the Vespers service with the playing of the shofar. The public is welcome and invited to join us.

A Motley Crew

Another word about this year's jubilee celebration, as it did encompass the entire weekend--a special supper Friday night, the jubilee Vespers on Saturday, and special inclusions at liturgy on Sunday morning. Being another "first" in our renovated chapel, there were lots of new rituals, two of which were particularly nice: the Sisters' seven title banners were hung in the cloister walk from chapel to the dining room, and, after renewing their vows, the jubilarians stood in two rows to sing the "Suscipe" as they moved from the ambo to the altar. All in all everything was lovely--and shared by 200 friends and relatives, in addition to the community.

I always thought the phrase, "What a motley crew!" was one of those hidden compliments that says: We're not all the same, Look at our diversity, We've got a little bit of everything! Well, this jubilee group has a good claim on being a motley crew, not to be confused with the rock band, Motley Crue, of course! Only four of the seven entered this community originally. Two were part of the Benedictine Sisters of Benet Lake, WI, whose community merged with ours in 1991 and the seventh was a Sister of St. Joseph before transferring here 25 years ago.

In fact the whole community has this flavor. Out of the 112 members, 30 (over 25%), were novices or professed members somewhere else. Some came directly from their first community, others were out of religious life for some years and then re-entered here. This certainly qualifies us as a motley crew...and it does make for an interesting variety of backgrounds. No cookie cutter cutouts are we!

The First is Paper

Jewelers have a list of gem stones for every anniversary. There are the traditional remembrances and modern ones. There are jewels and flowers and house gifts that we use to commemorate years of commitment. Some of the more unusual ones are: 1st-paper or clocks; 6th-candy or wood; 9th-bronze or linens; 15th-crystal or watches; 20th-china or platinum; 35th-coral or jade.

This weekend we'll celebrate our 50 and 60 jubilarians...golden and diamond. It's a very moving ritual, especially for those of us who haven't reached that point. All those weeks and months and years on the journey: ups and downs, joyous highpoints and difficult low times...all wrapped into what has become, when suddenly you just seem to turn around, 50 or 60 years.

Congratulations to our 2007 jubilarians and to all who reach a milestone on their path through life this year....a cause to celebrate no doubt.