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"That's so nice of you!" I stood at the other end of the phone dumbfounded as the nurse said these words to me. I had called the clinic asking for a copy of my positive COVID-19 test results because I...
Like other religious congregations, the Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Atchison, Kansas, has had to strictly limit visitors since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. The separation has particularly difficult because hospitality is a key Benedictine value. (Courtesy of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison) When I guide retreats for Benedictine Oblates — those who like me who are lay associates of a monastery — I often end by playing a song called "You Will Be Found" from the Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen." The song has become an anthem of sorts for yo...
Novice Siena Fisk, OSB Sister Judith Timmerman, OSB, St. Scholastica Monastery’s vocation director, prepares to lead a virtual vocations retreat Jan. 23. Novice Siena Fisk, OSB Sister Judith Timmerman, OSB, St. Scholastica Monastery’s vocation director, prepares to lead a virtual vocations retreat Jan. 23. FORT SMITH -- Sister Judith Timmerman, OSB, combines the power of prayer and technology in her new role as St. Scholastica Monastery’s vocations director. Sister Madeline Bariola, OSB, who made her monastic profession in 1954, described the challenge vocation directors like Sister Jud...
Two women in the winter of their lives sit in regal high-backed chairs before a stained-glass backdrop. At a glance, they could be neighbors or bridge partners; charming, witty elders who have seen much in life and each other through the years. “I see her all the time,” said Charolette Tidwell of her counterpart, Sister Pierre Vorster, OSB, of St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith. She pats her mentor’s hand. “She still pushes me to be involved in the community.” “I’m exceedingly proud of her and appreciate what she’s doing,” replied Sister Pierre, beaming. “She comes to...
Former abbot hospitalized as well as two religious sisters from the virus Published: January 7, 2021 Aprille Hanson Msgr. Scott Friend stands outside the House of Formation in Little Rock Dec. 30 while under quarantine for COVID-19. His results were negative and no seminarians in the house have been positive for the virus. Aprille Hanson Msgr. Scott Friend stands outside the House of Formation in Little Rock Dec. 30 while under quarantine for COVID-19. His results were negative and no seminarians in the house have been positive for the virus. With a spike in coronavirus cases in Ark...