It’s finally here! The 75th anniversary of the founding of St. Paul’s Monastery. You read at the start of this newsletter the prophetic words of Archbishop Byrne’s address to the Sisters 75 years ago: There are countless souls already in this world and many more that are yet to come into this world who will be affected by what we are doing this afternoon. The good Bishop was too right! How many of us have had the privilege, the joy, and the grace to know our Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery—and to have received the wisdom of St. Benedict from their loving hearts.
It is time for us to celebrate our Sisters in a special way! Will you join them in their celebration?
75th Anniversary Mass on the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Our celebration begins on Sunday, June 18 at 11:00am by praising God celebrating the Eucharist with Abbot John Klassen of Saint John’s Abbey. Please call Travis at 651-777-8181, ext. 403 if you’d like to attend the Mass and the brunch.
Sisters’ Annual Retreat
The Sisters will spend the week on retreat with Sister Anne McCarthy of the Erie Benedictines. The Sisters will spend their anniversary week meditating on the ways of the Christian Mystics. Please pray for our Sisters during their retreat June 18-23.
Join us for Benedictine Festival
Here is where you come in! Join us on Saturday, June 24 from 12:00-3:00pm for the 3rd Benedictine Festival. We’ve planned a very special afternoon of family and friends, food, music, and fun! Potter’s Pasties is our featured food truck, joined by Nelson’s Ice Cream, Mike’s Mini Donuts, and Roseann’s popcorn. There’ll be a BINGO tent with prizes, a bucket raffle with chances to win travel, a smoker, or a TV. Music is provided by Patty and the Buttons. There’ll be a scavenger hunt, tours of the Monastery grounds, and ministry tents featuring our Oblates, the Benedictine Center, a Fair Trade market, and more. Entry is free, but bring cash for all the fun!
Make a Gift to the Benedict Appeal
If you’re unable to attend, we hope that you’ll join us in supporting the mission and ministries of our Sisters with a financial gift. Every dollar supports the Sisters in their effort to promote the Benedictine way of life. Visit www.stpaulsmonastery.org and click on Support for ways to give. We strive to raise $50,000 for this appeal in this anniversary year!
The Gift of You: Volunteer with the Sisters
And we’d love your help to make all this possible. Volunteering at the Monastery is exceptionally rewarding. We are seeking volunteers for Benedictine Festival—and several upcoming events in the fall and at Christmas. If you can gift your time as a volunteer please connect with Jason Wittak at jwittak@stpaulsmonastery.org or
651-777-8181, ext 409).
Your prayers are so important to our Sisters! Please continue to pray for them. The Sisters pray three times a day for all of us and hold our needs close to their hearts. What a gift to the world St. Paul’s Monastery has been these last 75 years. Together, let’s take bold steps into the future so that the Benedictine way of life is better known, loved, and lived.
St. Benedict and St. Scholastica: Pray for us!