Christmas at the Monastery was such a delight this past holiday season. From the new
trivia experiences to the silent auction, every part of it demonstrated Benedictine hospitality at its finest.

I had the opportunity to bring in new friends and some of my family to experience the preparatory work and the final results in the closing celebration on December 9th. Between several hours spent wrapping many incredible silent auction items to seeing the final results in Riepp room and knowing it was going to raise money for the sisters, it was nothing short of amazing.

My mother helped to wrap the gift baskets, her first-time setting foot in a Benedictine
Monastery. Her enthusiasm for the event only grew seeing the donated items and experiencing the environment with the sisters. She has committed herself to coming back next year to help more with decorations and collecting items. In every aspect of preparatory work, you see what a special place St. Paul's Monastery is for everyone that touches the space or walks through the doors.

Several of my friends also came for the closing celebration. For them, Trivia Mafia was the major draw. Our friend group plays trivia weekly at another location that uses Trivia Mafia. Admittedly, there was some hesitation that they would know the answers for the Benedictine round but we managed to make it through and place better than we had expected. The energy in the dining room for trivia was infectious. We played against teams filled with other friends and met some wonderful new people along the way. While we were ultimately not victorious, we are excited to return to the event next year better prepared for sound rounds and general knowledge. We also loved the time between rounds to explore the silent auction and the wine wall. Several of my friends were so excited about their wins on the wine wall and brought them to our next holiday gathering to share with the group!

Christmas at the Monastery has always been a special event. I think this year was the best of all. The new faces were especially welcome as we seek to be the monastery in the world. It is so inspiring to see new people drawn in by Benedictine spirituality.