Mary Colleen Schwarz, OSB,Vocations Director, writes…

The Catholic Church teaches that the primary vocation of every person is to holiness and the perfection of love. All vocations come from God’s love for us and lead us to love God and all our sisters and brothers in Christ. Discerning a vocation is always understood as a process of love. We are often quick to forget what God has done for us. We must remember time and again that God is at the origin of everything. God is lovingly watching over our community giving us strength and courage to live out of our Benedictine Charism.

I believe our Benedictine religious life is intended for growth and new life. We are called to be religious during a complex moment in time. Historically, it was easier to know our role as a religious because of numerous vocations in Catholic schools and hospitals. To be called as Benedictines during our present times is a call of transition

We are forming a Vocation Team at Benet Hill that will assist us in this transition and hope. This team consists of twelve individuals committed to: implementing the detailed strategies of our six-year vocation plan, supporting our Charism and as advocates and ambassadors for the sisters of Benet Hill Monastery. This will be a highly visible and active committee. Specific projects will be assigned to the vocation members. We will be utilizing the gifts and talents of all our sisters’ wisdom in these projects.Hope teaches us to dream great deeds. Vocation is a summons to belong. Humility gives us the freedom to say “we” as our community journeys with those who are discerning a call to: religious life, oblates, or another reality of monastic life- not yet dreamed.

Vocation Goal

Vocations are the lifeblood of our monastic community.Our goal is to infuse one to three women each year with the passion for God, a passion for our community, a passion for each other,and a passion for God’s people so that they decide to begin the Affiliate phase of the vocation process.