Spring 2012 Oblate Newsletter

SPRING 2012

OBLATES St. Benedict Monastery, 9535 Linton Hall Rd, Bristow, VA 20136

Phone: 703-361-0106 Email: [email protected]

Easter Greetings from Sr. Charlotte

and Kathy Frick, Oblate Co-Directors

On this beautiful Monday morning of Holy Week the flowers are in bloom and the trees are bursting

forth their blossoms. Lent is almost over and the

promise of Resurrection fills the air. We are

pondering all the wonderful blessings of the past year.

This May 12 we will receive 12 new oblates and 7 pre-candidates into the novitiate. For the first time

our novices attended a day of reflection to help

discern their final commitment. Presentations were

given on the Life and Miracles of Saint Benedict, Community, the Rule of Saint Benedict and under-

standing the meaning of the Oblation promises.

In February we had the privilege of having Esther

de Waal give the Oblate Retreat. About 150

people, including the Sisters, attended. Inside this issue we will have some great articles on her

presentation.

Our oblate community in Richmond moved from its original location at Saint Gertrude High School

to Saint Bridget Church. Thank you Saint Gertrude

for all the years of generous hospitality you have given us.

Sharon Hennessy- Bonas is the new Dean of our Nevada group and is doing a fantastic job. Valerie

Nunes and Mary Johnson made their oblation and

two novices, Sharon Maloney and Kim Shrum ,

were received last September. We look forward to our annual trip out west in September.

In September we had a pot luck supper for the Sisters. The oblates provided the food and Zac

Quintana, son of Gillian Quintana, provided

entertainment for us. The oblates will host a

picnic with the Sisters on July 14, 2012 in honor of the Feast of Saint Benedict.

We have added new members to our Oblate Coun-cil this year. In Bedford we have Ruth Bailey and

Nancy Eck. From Richmond we have Mary Jane

Hansen and from Bristow Gillian Quintana. Thank you for saying yes to this worthwhile

service.

This has been a year of growth and awareness of

what we as Benedictine oblates are called to be and to do. Esther reminded us to be good stewards

of the earth, and to listen with the ear of our hearts

to all the ways Benedict speaks to us and challeng-es us in our everyday lives.

In closing we would like to thank all of you for

your commitment to the oblate way of life and all you do to spread the charism and the ways you

have supported the Sisters of Saint Benedict Mon-

astery. May your heart be filled with joy as Easter breaks upon us and may you experience the full-

ness of the resurrection and be filled with peace.

A DAY WITH ESTHER AND BENEDICT

by Katherine Frick, Obl.S.B.

In a day filled with notable statements, Esther

de Waal offered one that has continued to

resonate with me. Esther visited Bristow in

February to lead a day of reflection for the

Oblates and Sisters of the Monastery, giving

three presentations on St. Benedict, the Rule,

and our relationship to stewardship and the

environment. In one of her morning presenta-

tions, Esther suggested that Benedict ought to

be considered a patron saint of the environ-

ment, along with St. Francis. The difference,

she said, could be seen in the choice of foot-

wear. “St. Francis wears sandals and sandals

encourage you to go wandering about. Bene-

dictines wear shoes. If you wear shoes instead

of sandals that is a statement of stability.”

She expanded on this by reminding us that as

Benedictines we are “rooted in one good

place,” as Thomas Merton once said. Our root-

edness makes us logical caretakers for the land

entrusted to us. The Rule calls us from the

very beginning to listen and it is a listening that

requires our full attention and our full response.

Chapter 66 admonishes the monastics to have

within their monastery the water, the mill, the

garden and the necessary crafts to support their

livelihood.

From this directive Benedict is also implicitly

stating their duty to care for that place and the

goods tied to it. “You cannot take the land

apart from the human beings who have lived on

it and formed it,” Esther explained.

Discussing Chapter 32 (the tools and goods of

the monastery), Benedict was asking his

monastics to care for what was entrusted to

them, not as personal possessions but as

something belonging to all.

Going deeper into the spirit of this chapter

Benedict is asking the uncomfortable questions

of “How do I handle tools and materials goods?

How do I handle myself? Other people? How

do I handle my relationship with God?”

She went on to say that today we can live out the

spirit of the Rule as a practical protest against the

waste and damaging of creation. One way of

doing so was to repeatedly ask ourselves the

question: ”How did it flourish in my hands?

How did I treat it so it became more of itself?”

The it in the question can be material goods,

relationships, and the earth itself. If we do not

carefully tend whatever is entrusted to us, we

contribute to what is damaged and ailing in this

world. Again, she returned to the word listen,

quoting an apartheid bishop who encountered the

Rule and responded by saying, “Listen. How

much that is the key. How much of our pain and

suffering comes from our failure to listen to a

hurting people?”

It was a rare privilege to have such a notable

Benedictine among us. The day was filled with

wisdom and new images of the Benedictine life.

Members from three of our deaneries joined with

the Sisters in celebrating the Rule that makes us

one. Chapter 67 of the Rule states that “all ab-

sent (sisters) should always be remembered at

the closing prayer of the Work of God.” We of-

fer our thank, blessings and prayers for Esther’s

visit among us.

Our conversation touched on a number of

subjects including native plants, water,

ecology, family life, and Celtic traditions.

While she was by far the most knowledgeable

one at our table on these subjects, at the same

time, she was eager to learn anything from us

that we may have had to offer. We learned that

Esther is fond of botany and has a keen

interest in growing things. We made sure to

introduce her to Bristow’s Master Gardener,

Sr. Pat.

When it came to the Celts she was quite

passionate in wanting to clear up the myth that

the Romans tried to squelch the Celtic

traditions when in fact they embraced many of

their traditions. When asked about what book

she would recommend reading of hers on

Celtic traditions, she suggested starting with

“Every Earthly Blessing”. She explained that

she is of Scottish lineage, implying that this is

part of what draws her to the Celtic tradition.

When asked about a comparison between US

and English conservation efforts, she

commented that the English have made much

progress in saving gas by using smaller cars

and using them less often. She testified to

British recycle efforts and encouraged us to be

thorough in our own recycling efforts. Esther

was truly kind and giving, speaking in an easy

hospitable manner for all of our lunchtime

together. She commented about how much she

enjoyed lunch with the Richmond Oblates.

Lunch with Esther de Waal, Thoughts by John Votta, Rose

De Rango and Annie McEntee

Some of us from the Richmond group were

fortunate enough to sit at the same luncheon

table as Esther de Waal at the retreat at

Bristow on February 11. As all of you who

met her know, she is very endearing and

gracious, and we found her company to be

very stimulating. She talked about her four

boys and that when she visits one of her

sons, who lives in Washington, DC, it opens

up opportunities for her to visit places like

Bristow which she described as an oasis of

peace.

What being an Oblate of Saint

Benedict means to Me.

By Diane McGuire, Obl.S.B.

When I first became an Oblate the overriding

feeling was of being called and then coming

home. I still feel this way, but over the past sev-

eral months something has been added to the

feeling of coming home.

Being an Oblate of St. Benedict for me is being

part of something much bigger than myself. As

an Oblate, I share in what it means to be a mo-

nastic and take the monastery out of the sacred

monastery into the profane, secular world.

I see the Benedictine Sisters (and all who live in

monasteries) as being a group of special souls,

hand picked by God to mind and tend the sacred

in this holy place called the monastery. For the

sacred to grow throughout the world, it is im-

portant that we have these centers of holiness

where those who have been chosen to live lives

dedicated to keeping the sacred alive stay rooted

in their call. We must also have those who carry

it out into the world.

As an Oblate, I have been called to take a small

part of that sacredness with me wherever I go. I

feel called to show whoever I may meet a differ-

ent way to be in the world; one of love for God

and neighbor, prayer, hospitality, a way focused

away from the temporal, materialistic and self-

serving. That’s what being an Oblate means to

me. I’m humbled and honored by this every day.

And when you catch me not doing what I have

been called to do, please feel free to remind me

of who and what I am.

Suggested Benedictine Reading:

The Road to Eternal Life: Reflections on the Pro-

logue of Benedict’s Rule by Michael Casey, OCSO

Cistercian Fr. Casey examines the Prologue one verse at

a time to build a bridge between the 6th C. text and 21st C.

Christians.

The Radical Christian Life: A Year with Saint Bene-

dict by Joan Chittister, OSB

Sr. Joan reflects on twelve stories from Benedict’s life in

leading the reader through the year to a clearer under-

standing of the saint.

Conversations with Saint Benedict: The Rule in To-

day’s World by Terrance G. Kardong, OSB

Renown scholar Fr. Kardong reflects on aspects of mod-

ern culture he finds troubling and how the Rule can help

in dealing with them. He also considers specific aspects

of the Rule he finds difficult to embrace. Some of the

topics explored are laughter and tears, security, work,

monastic dress, cell phones, zeal, hierarchy and channel

surfing.

Lessons from St. Benedict: Finding Joy in Daily Life

by Donald Raila, OSB

This book contains 26 letters Fr. Raila has written to the

oblates over his 20 years as Director of Oblates for Saint

Vincent Archabbey. Using his own experiences and his

reflection on the journey of daily life, he provides a very

readable and useful book.

The Blessings of St. Benedict by John Michael Talbot

Well-known Catholic singing artist and member of the

Brothers and Sisters of Charity, John Michael Talbot has

created a devotional book that provides short reflections

on the Rule.

For several months, I had “Oblate Retreat”

marked on my calendar. With much

excitement and eagerness I looked forward

to this special day for the oblate novices. As

the day drew closer I wondered, what

would we hear and experience. When

asked if I would be willing to write a few

words on my experience of that day from a

novice point of view; my first reaction was

oh no, why me. But Kathy Frick and Sister

Charlotte Lee gently mentioned Chapter 68

and after reading, I took a deep breath and

said yes.

We started with the life of St. Benedict with

a slide show. As a novice I had never seen

pictures of Benedict’s place of birth in

Nursia or his monastery in Subiaco where

his sacred cave is or where he built his

home in Monte Cassino with the woman’s

monastery just down the road. The

presentation was fun and informative. Next

we were reminded that the Rule is a guide-

book for the beginning of our journey not

the end and how to live life in relationship

with God and each other.

As I listened, it became apparent we were

being encouraged to grow as novices

through knowledge of the Rule and at the

same time being drawn together as fellow

companions following the Rule. Like older

siblings teaching younger ones what it takes

to cross the street safely; stop, look both

ways; take my hand and walk.

A Wonderful Rule-Filled Day! by Cathy Boga

There was time for reflection and sharing with

fellow novices. I sat with an oblate from

Bedford and realized we all have questions and

sometimes the same obstacles to work through

as part of the journey. When they talked about

having a relationship to a Benedictine commu-

nity my heart began to warm. The Benedictine

Sisters of Virginia Monastery in Bristow is our

community. This is our “Spiritual Home”, a

place where we come to serve; be refreshed by

the Spirit and just “Be”. As we go about our

daily lives we are the faces of our “Spiritual

Home”; we do not walk this journey alone. For

those who travel, there is always room at the

inn and a Sister to hug and welcoming us back

home. As the day drew to a close, like all good

novices in training, we ended with prayer and

helped clean up!

A Day of Reflection

by Margene Rivera

In some cases the 12 months in the trusty

old calendar fly by like a winter’s cold

breath, and we scurry thru our daily routine

just to make sure we can check off every-

thing which we feel needs to be done in a

certain time period. Without realizing what

exact day you’re on, WHAM, you realize

that it’s here, that long awaited retreat week-

end. The weekend that you get to slowly

stroll through the grounds of the Monastery,

watching the cherry blossom trees dropping

their flowers on the ground and watching the

squirrels running and chasing each other.

You take a deep breath and look up and then

you see her, there’s Sister Charlotte standing

in the Chapel door way with a big old grin

on her face, giggling as she asks “Margene,

Do you realize that it’s raining?”

Yes, it was raining that day, but it didn’t

seem to matter. Saturday morning, the 24th

of March was finally here and I was so

excited about the weekend. I was on a

mission, I was told that this weekend was

going to be just for the Novices.

We started the morning in the chapel, the

sunlight coming though the stained glass

windows were so peaceful, the sisters were

filing into their chairs and the silent prayers

started to rise as the organ played softly. I

know things are right when the hair stands

up on my arms and a tingle starts from the

top of my head then goes down to my toes.

The presence of our Lord was definitely

there.

Following the morning prayers, the Novices

were taken to a basement class room where

tables had been prepared with snacks, break-

fast goodies of all kinds and other tables were

set in small group study tables.

Rita Zimmermann, Dean of the Bedford

Group, handed out name tags and instructed

us that the groups would be mixed (what she

really meant was don’t sit with anyone that

you know). As we settled in and met our

table mates for the day, a young sister took

her place at the front of the class. Sr. Vicki. I

have heard of Sister Vicki, but had never had

the pleasure of meeting her.

Sister Vicki started talking about St. Benedict

and his twin sister, Scholastica. She told of

the history of St Benedict, of his studies in

Rome and the cenobite life he chose so that

he could live and give praises to our Lord.

She also talked of the ways that the Lord

intervened when St. Benedict’s life was in

danger. The further she got into her story the

more she started talking with her hands, and

then she would go down to her toes and when

she talked of the stormy night when Scholas-

tica begged her brother not to return to his

home, Sister Vicki got really quiet and

reminded us about the prayer that Scholastica

prayed with the greatest of love. This prayer

of faith trusted in an answer that caused the

Heavens to open and the storms to came, and

just like a big brother, St. Benedict

said ,”What did you do?” As Sr. Vicki con-

tinued giving an animated history about the

twins and the miracles that our Lord had

shown and worked through St. Benedict, she

was glowing! I realized at that point, that I

wasn’t alone.

Next, Kathy Frick took the stage, and did an

excellent job breaking down the Rule which

St. Benedict wrote. I kept listening to her and

asking myself, “How does this apply to me?”

She started out by reminding us of the turbulent

times that St. Benedict lived in, about the

breakdown of morals and the chaos of the

Roman Empire. One could find similarities in

our culture in a heartbeat! But, I’m afraid that

living by myself has no appeal in any way,

shape, form or fashion. So running to the

desert is not an option for me, as a matter of

fact, thanks to St. Benedict’s Rule, I don’t even

have to reinvent the wheel.

In order to live in community you must have

respect, respect for yourself, as well as others,

you must learn to work together and accept that

there may be changes that have to be made.

And maybe you need to make the first move.

It’s called compromise. Community has a

multitude of personalities within it, and with

those personalities come wisdom and

experience that may never happen in another’s

lifetime.

St. Benedict said, “Do not be daunted im-

mediately by fear and run away from the

road that leads to salvation. It’s bound to

be narrow at the outset, but as we progress

in this way of life and in faith, we shall run

on the path of God’s commandments, our

hearts overflowing with the inexpressible

delight of love.”

In other words, relax, God has made the path.

He’s given us the rules to follow; St. Benedict

has simplified it and it has proven to still work

1500 years later.

Now at this point I was feeling a little more

knowledgeable about the background and

reassurance was building and then came the

questions, Why do I need a rule for living my

life? What have I found in the Rule that makes

me want to use it for my daily living?

Well, the first question was a piece of cake;

most rules are put into place to keep you safe

and make things run smoother without chaos.

In my life, that’s important. I have two grown

boys, a beautiful daughter-in-law, the perfect

9 yrs. old grandson, and at work I run two

different apartment complexes with my

husband as my maintenance man.

What have I found in the Rule that makes me

want to use it daily? Among St Benedict’s

teachings he talks about a Spiritual Growth;

Growth thru prayer, and studying the paths of

Humility and Grace. There are times that I

get in my quiet little space, and look around at

the beauty that was given so freely, and I

think “Why Me?” “What have I done to

deserve this?”

In the Bible Jesus was telling a story to the

people and he said (paraphrasing) “I was

hungry and you feed me, was naked and you

clothed me.” This is why I need the Rule; I

want to be able to act instead of being scared

and reacting. I feel that the only greater

strength than the power of prayer is prayer

with another; which lead to the next section of

Community.

Continued from Page 6

To dedicate myself to the service to God and

humanity According to the Gospel of Jesus

Christ and the Rule of St. Benedict… In so far

as my state of Life Permits. Is this something

I’m going to be able to do for the rest of my

life? Am I ready for this?????

My Lord gave up everything for me, yet he gave

me a wonderful man to love and care for, who

shares my love for Christ. He gave me my fami-

ly and friends and allows me to see the beauty of

the birds and feel the warmth of the sun. Now

he is giving me another opportunity in which I

have a place to call home and sisters that I can

claim as mentors.

Am I ready? I’m ready.

Rita Zimmermann talked on the benefits of

Community as an endless journey where no

one walks alone; whether it be in prayer,

action, or study. Community in a sense is

family. One has the support and the past expe-

riences of several different people and they

take joy in watching and helping you with

your spiritual growth as if watching a small

child take their first step. They will be there to

help find the answers to the more difficult

questions (or what you may think as being dif-

ficult), they will give a shoulder to cry on or

wipe a tear because you were laughing too

hard. Community is a choice; it’s never forced

or inherited. It is a relationship of those travel-

ing down the same path that our Lord has laid

for us.

The final session of the day was on the

Oblation. Sue Davey gave us a brief outline of

the service in May and she gave us a copy of

the “Act of Oblation”. As I was reading this

Act of Oblation it states that “I Offer myself to

Almighty God, Through the Blessed Virgin

Mary, and our Holy Father Benedict… …

what a team of leaders, the ones that gave the

rules and tells me that the path has already

been laid and it’s safe to travel.

as an Oblate of St. Benedict Monastery, Bris-

tow , Virginia…..this tells me that there is a

Community waiting to help me on my journey

and pray for me so that I may grow as I make

changes in my life.



Christ and the Rule of St. Benedict… In so

far as my State of Life Permits. Is this some-

thing I’m going to be able to do for the rest of

my life? Am I ready for this?????

My Lord gave up everything for me, yet he

gave me a wonderful man to love and care for,

who shares my love for Christ. He gave me

my family and friends and allows me to see

the beauty of the birds and feel the warmth of

the sun. Now he is giving me another

opportunity in which I have a place to call

home and sisters that I can claim as mentors.


Continued from Page 7



Christ and the Rule of St. Benedict… In so far

as my state of Life Permits. Is this something

I’m going to be able to do for the rest of my

life? Am I ready for this?????

My Lord gave up everything for me, yet he gave

me a wonderful man to love and care for, who

shares my love for Christ. He gave me my fami-

ly and friends and allows me to see the beauty of

the birds and feel the warmth of the sun. Now

he is giving me another opportunity in which I

have a place to call home and sisters that I can

claim as mentors.


In the past six years, I became familiar with a part

of Sister Anita's life that I didn't even know exist-

ed: The Oblates of St. Benedict. I could actually

become part of her life and continue to learn what

made her who she was.

And my family would say, “and not have to

become a nun and leave her family." I think the

most profound thing I have experienced over the

years is how St. Benedict's Rule transcends time,

cultures, religions and ethical thoughts. It is a

foundation for any man or any woman on earth. I

am not going to say that I am the perfect Oblate. I

continue to have my problems with certain aspects

of prayer and humility, but I am just an old Leba-

nese grandmother who is in constant touch with

God, Mary, Joseph, St. Anthony, and St. Jude all

day long. It is hard for me to sit quietly and read

the Rule and do prayer times....but I continue to

work on it. I pray to St. Benedict for help also...he

knows my intentions are good.

So during these six years or so, I have met some of

the most wonderful women religious. They are

inspirations to me as many of them are not life-

long sisters, but some who have come from the

background of wives, mothers, and grandmothers.

That is what is so gratifying to me...the order is

open to the people of God who want to make the

effort as lay persons or as Sisters of St. Benedict. I

am ever so proud of Sister Charlotte Lee who left

St. Michael's to join the order. She is an inspira-

tion also. But then so are those sisters who sur-

vived that awful crash on Bristow Road...Sister

Charlotte and Sister Connie...and all those present-

ers at our Oblate Meetings sharing their thoughts

on the Rule.

Let me simply say THANK YOU GOD for bring-

ing these wonderful ladies into my life. Graced by

their dedication, humility, and loving acceptance,

we are better people today.

IN GRATITUDE by Juanita Walker Obl.S.B.

"I give thanks to my God every time I think of

you...which is constantly, in every prayer I

utter-rejoicing, as I plead on your behalf, at

the way you have all continually helped pro-

mote the gospel from the very first day." Phil

1:3-5

It was approximately 30 years ago when I met

my first Benedictine Sister. She was a kindly

lady of about 63 who was working to help form

a new Catholic Parish in Richmond, Virginia.

Her name was Sister Anita Sherwood. We were

about the same height...but there was something

mighty and tall and knowledgeable about

her...and yet she was so very accepting and kind

to me. She was the Pastoral Associate at the

new parish of the Church of the Epiphany. Our

boss was John Leonard, an old and trusted friend

of Sister Anita. It didn't take me long to realize

their friendship was long-standing....so much so

that he called her "gran". I know I have heard

the story about the name, but my mind has for-

gotten. Thus began this relationship. She taught

me so much as did my boss and so began my

ministry as a Church Lady.

Even when "gran" left Epiphany, we remained

close and she was often a speaker or retreat

leader at different places in the next 30 years.

She even became part of a sewing group of

women at St. Michael's called IS (in stitches)

and often joined our meetings when she was in

town. She became our "gran" also as she could

crochet such beautiful shawls and blankets.

WOW! And she taught us so much more.

Spring 2012 Oblate Newsletter

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