“Dramatic drop in their membership”
With no new vocations in more than 20 years, Benedictine sisters in San Bernardino diocese decide to close monastery, move on
After 45 years in existence, the Benedictine sisters of Holy Spirit Monastery in Grand Terrace (near San Bernardino) have announced they are moving out of their monastery and leaving the area.
“On January 31, 2011, I received formal notice from the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Holy Spirit Monastery in Grand Terrace that they, as a religious community, had made the decision to close their Monastery in that city,” wrote San Bernardino Bishop Gerald Barnes in a Feb. 7 letter posted on the diocesan website. “This comes after many years of faithful and devoted presence here in our Diocese of San Bernardino.”
“The sisters explained to me that the dramatic drop in their membership has left them with only six sisters at Holy Spirit Monastery, most of whom are already retired,” said Bishop Barnes’ in the letter. “This fact alone affects significantly their financial position since a Monastery relies on the income generated by the sisters’ full-time ministries. It has also been very difficult to accomplish all of the jobs required to function as an independent monastery.” Read further, here.
Sr Mary Ann Schepers doesn't look exactly as the Benedictine sisters where my cousin's daughter took her vows in 2007 in Jouques, France.
ReplyDeleteTheir convent is closed and one can see them but only in rare occasions through a griddle. They wear nun's clothes with a veil.
I would like to ask Miss Schepers how she applies the St Benedict rule in her convent.