Sister Dolores
Dowling O.S.B.
Presents Monastic Retreat
Presents Monastic Retreat
During the week of May 24
the monastic community made it’s annual retreat. Schedules that
are normally full with teaching, grounds works, maintenance, parish work,
and administrative tasks were cleared in order to make time for rest
and quiet reflection. In a series of morning and evening conferences,
Sister Dolores Dowling OSB outlined the visions and challenges of keeping
our monastic heritage alive in the 21st century. Sister Dolores began
by defining Monastic Heritage as a Gospel way of life with a strong sense
of the sacred and a rhythm of mindfulness. She then went on to detail
how the sacred is lived out in the monastic life. The monks were guided
on using lectio divina, mindfulness, community, and eucharist as tools
for extending our monastic heritage beyond the walls of the cloister.
On Wednesday there was a communal penance service, and on Thursday
evening we intered the ashes of Father Bernard. Friday morning the
retreat ended with Eucharist and the renewal of the monastic vows.