Women in Formation

Postulancy

Upon satisfactorily completing the Affiliate stage, a candidate may request to enter the Monastery as a Postulant.  This first stage on the road to monastic profession is a period of transition to the Benedictine life that may last from a minimum of six months to two years.  The Postulant now moves to the Monastery where she participates in the prayer, work and life of the Community while taking classes in Scripture, prayer and Benedictine history. Depending upon circumstances, she may be preparing for future ministry or have part-time work outside the Monastery. When the goals for the Postulancy have been achieved, she may apply for entrance into the Novitiate.

Novitiate

The Novitiate is a period of twelve consecutive months of intense spiritual formation for commitment to the Benedictine way of life through prayer, study and discernment as well as through community life and service. Classes in the novitiate include study of the Rule of St. Benedict, Monastic History, preparation to make monastic promises (formerly called vows) and Benedictine Living Skills. For this reason the Novice is not engaged in a ministry outside the Monastery but prepares herself through prayer, work and study for making monastic profession by remaining in the monastic enclosure. She now receives the title “Sister” and may request to take a new first name. Upon satisfactorily completing the Novitiate’s goals, the Novice may request to make first monastic profession.

New Novice

Sister Ann Marie Wainright

On August 27, 2010, Postulant Linda Wainright was received into the Novitiate of St. Scholastica Monastery and she took the name of Sister Ann Marie. The new Novice from New Orleans, Louisiana, had become an Affiliate of the Monastery in 2009 and a Postulant in early 2010.

During this year as a Novice, Sister Ann Marie is taking classes in Monastic History, the Rule of St. Benedict and Benedictine Living Skills, helps in Sisters’ offices, assumes various roles in liturgical ministry such as serving as Eucharistic minister, assists with work in chapel, and visits the Sisters in Benet Hall infirmary.

 

First Monastic Profession

A woman who has successfully completed the year of novitiate may apply to make her first monastic profession. Upon acceptance by the Community, she gives public expression of her intention to continue in a commitment of faith in the vowed life through a ceremony of first profession in which she makes the threefold promise (formerly called vows) of obedience, stablility and fidelity to the monastic way of life, which by monastic tradition, includes celibate chastity and monastic poverty. Although she makes these promises with the intention of keeping them for life, the period of first profession – which is no less than three nor more than six years- provides the Sister with sufficient time for the values of the Benedictine monastic life to be integrated more fully before she makes perpetual monastic profession.

Sisters in First Monastic Profession

Sister Luce Marie Dionne

Luce Dionne came a long way from Maine and Massachusetts to Duluth, Minnesota, as she discerned her call to religious life by becoming an Affiliate at St. Scholastica Monastery in 2005. She came being attracted to monastic life by her familiarity with the Rule of St. Benedict and conversations with her spiritual advisor which led her to come to St. Scholastica “to see what it was all about.”

Luce’s love for the arts and architecture led her to earn an undergraduate degree in Theater Arts from Emerson College in Boston and a Master’s degree in architecture from Catholic University of America, following which she worked as an architect in Boston before coming to Duluth.

In August of 2006, she became a Postulant and entered the novitiate in August, 2007, taking the name of Sister Luce Marie. On December 27, 2009 she made her first monastic profession. Currently she lives at the Monastery, serves multiple roles in liturgical functions including cantoring and singing in the Sisters’ Schola and is investigating a number of architectural projects. She hopes eventually to use her professional skills in ways that will enhance monastic experience in Benedictine monasteries.

Sister Lisa Maurer

On August 22, 2009, Sister Lisa Maurer, on completing her year’s Novitiate, made her first monastic profession at a special ceremony during Evening Prayer in Our Lady Queen of Peace chapel at St. Scholastica Monastery in which she publicly made her promises of obedience, stability and fidelity to the monastic way of life.

Sister Lisa, who comes from Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, became an Affiliate of the Monastery in March of 2007, a Postulant in September, 2007, and a Novice on August 15, 2008. Now, as a Sister in first monastic profession, Sister Lisa is actively involved in a number of ministries, primarily working as a pastoral assistant at St. Joseph and St. Lawrence Catholic Churches in Duluth where she performs a number of duties, and is also actively involved in promoting religious vocations and speaking on Eucharistic adoration in parishes in both Duluth and her home diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota.

Sister Lisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota, and has had thirteen years of experience teaching and coaching teams in Catholic schools. She loves athletics and working with youth, but is equally happy working with all age groups in a parish setting.

Sister Gretchen Johnston

Sister Gretchen Johnston made her first Monastic Profession August 29, 2010.  Sister Gretchen continues to study music (piano) and plays an important role in liturgical worship at the Monastery by serving as organist, singing in the Sisters’ Schola, cantoring and serving as Eucharistic minister.

For recreation she loves to bake bread for the Community, experimenting with new recipes. Sister Gretchen comes from Cotton, Minnesota and is a graduate of the College of St. Scholastica. In 2006, she earned her Master’s degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri and also entered the Catholic Church.

Following this, she became an Affiliate and for two years taught music at the Cathedral School in Superior,Wisconsin, and gave music lessons. During her Postulancy, Gretchen took classes in Theology and Scripture at the College of St. Scholastica and at the Monastery, gave music lessons, and continued her own study of music. On August 22, 2009, she was received into the Noviate for a year of intense study and preparation for profession.

Sister Mary Carla Flood

On August 29, 2010, Sister Mary Carla Flood was one of two women who made her First Profession at  St. Scholastica Monastery. She is from Phoenix, Arizona, and had become an Affiliate of the Monastery in 2007, a Postulant in 2008, and a Novice in 2009.

Sister Mary Carla holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in Social work from Arizona State University and is a licensed social worker in Minnesota.

Sister Mary Carla looks forward finding employment in social work and using her gifts to continue to serve the Church and the broader society.

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