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Women for Others
Explore the Benedictines For a Life of Spirituality Learning & Service Personal Growth in a Caring Community
Saint Bede the Venerable, who lived during 673-735, was considered a Christian humanist. This great scholar was a prolific writer on topics spiritual, historical, scientific and poetic to name a few.
For example, scholars considered Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People among the distinctive chronicles of that period, making him the father of English history. Bede's highly valued Scriptural commentaries earned him the distinction of Doctor of the Church.
Who was
St. Benedict?
He
was a monk of the sixth century who saw the corruption of the world.
He left his home to live a life of solitude and prayer in a cave.
His reputation for holiness attracted many disciples, for whom he
built many monasteries, including the famous Abbey of Monte Cassino.
The Rule of St. Benedict describes life in a Benedictine monastery.
His sister, St. Scholastica, established the first Benedictine women's
community
What
is the Rule of St. Benedict?
The
Rule is a collection of teachings, St. Benedict's ideals for the
monastic life, which have been maintained by his followers for 1,500
years. The Rule of St. Benedict include payer, work, community life,
living together, and sharing all things in the Hospitality Study.
What's
the heart of Benedictine spirituality?
The
heart of the Benedictine spirituality is seeking God with others
in community and dedicating your life to prayer and work based on
the Gospel of Christ.
What
is the Benedictine tradition at Saint Bede Monastery?
Common prayer in the tradition of the Rule Sharing of resources,
decision-making, responsibility for each other, and service in hospitality
to God's people is the tradition at Saint Bede Monastery.
Benedictine Monastic Life
Explore the Possibilities The Benedictine Sisters of Saint Bede Monastery and Center continue a 1,500 year-old tradition of community prayer, learning and service to others.
In following the Rule of Saint Benedict, who urged monastics to "listen with the ear of the heart" to discern the will of God, the Sisters pursue spiritual and personal growth through silence and solitude, lectio divina (holy readings), prayer, daily liturgy of the hours and stability in the monastic life.
Sisters based at the monastery or elsewhere in their ministries remain faithful to these tenets, as well as the community's charism of hospitality. They practice in many ways their patron Saint's dictum that "All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ." (Rule 53:1) |
Spiritual enlightenment and service mark daily activities of Benedictine community.
Our Charism Statement
We, Benedictine Sisters of Saint Bede Monastery, are a community of professed Christian women seeking God through prayer and work. Our prayer takes the form of communal liturgical prayer, meditative readings of scripture, and personal prayer. Our work within community and in the church and society glorifies God while it promotes Gospel values. Reverence for all of God's creation engenders hospitality and wise stewardship in the use of our personal and corporate talents, goods and time as we live in our monastic way of life according to the Rule of Benedict.
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Today's Benedictines
 Sisters at Saint Bede are part of a worldwide community of Benedictine monastics. Saint Bede Monastery, for example, is part of 12-member Benedictine federation that includes monasteries in the U.S., The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Japan and Taiwan, Republic of China.
Over the years, ministries in education, health care, administration, parishes and other assignments have provided opportunities for Sisters to serve, learn and achieve spiritual growth in a variety of foreign countries. Continued education, always a hallmark of the Benedictines, has enabled the Sisters to gain graduate degrees in a variety of fields that enhance their lives and ministries.
Serving Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley and Beyond
 Benedictine Sisters have served the area since 1892 when members of St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, MN responded to a pastor's call for teachers. In 1948, 83 Sisters from St. Benedict's volunteered to establish a priory on Eau Claire's Wilson St. By 1964, the Sisters had established today's monastery complex south of the city. They sponsored a series of schools there and operated a hospital at Durand, WI. Today they welcome a wide range of ecumenical programs and activities at their distinctive Saint Bede Center, which adjoins their chapel and monastery. Some Sisters live and work at ministry sites elsewhere in Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, Kentucky, Jamaica, and West Indies.
Serving in Many Ways
Spiritual discernment, reaching out to others and personal growth
-- all mold the community's relevance to today's needs.
Learn more about vocations.
Take the Next Step
If Benedictine spirituality interests you as it applies to your current lifestyle, you might be interested in our Benedictine Lay Associates Program. If you want to experience the monastic life as a Benedictine sister, you may proceed at your own pace, prayerfully and reflectively through the discernment process. Learn more about vocations. |
