Our dear friend and brother, Brother Lawrence (Oluf) Koester, monk of the former Benedictine Monastery of Erlac in Sonoita, passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2022. He would have reached 91 years of age on February 16 this year. Pictured above, left to right, are Br. Lawrence, Abbot Pachomius, and oblate Br. Dominique. On Easter Saturday, April 23, a beautiful
May 1, 2022: A Reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C John 21:1-19 So much had happened after the Apostles lost their Lord and Master, and best friend. Nothing was the same anymore. In fact, everything seemed upside down and inside out. They had seen their beloved Jesus die and yet he had come to them and shared
Brother Lawrence Oluf Koester, 1931-2022 “Prayer! Prayer! Prayer! That’s what the peacocks cried out every day to remind me.” Br. Lawrence recounted that story to me around this time last year when I went to visit him in Tucson. The peacocks had long before been given away, but their cry remained in Br. Lawrence’s depths. “Prayer, prayer, prayer.” You might
Sr. Sharon Bezner entered our community as a postulant in 2019 and was clothed as a novice on March 25, 2020. After three years of prayer, study, spiritual direction, work, and the daily living of the monastic life in our community with all its joys and challenges, Sr. Sharon was ready for the next step in her vocation journey. During
At the beginning of the profession ceremony, Sr. Sharon read aloud selected verses from chapter four in the Rule of St. Benedict, “The Tools for Good Works.” First of all, love the Lord God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself . . . Your way of acting should be
We are celebrating three jubilees in 2022! First off, on February 6, was the 50th anniversary of the foundation of our monastery of Our Lady of the Santa Rita Mountains. Next, in April, is our Sr. Clare’s 70th anniversary of vows, and in December, our Mother Vicki’s 50th anniversary of vows. Our Foundation It was on Sunday, February 6, 1972
It’s been a long time since our last journal entry! First we’ll sum up the year 2021 by expressing our gratitude to God for his providential care throughout all the challenges (blessings in disguise) which came our way, mostly in the form of the health of our sisters (not Covid-related). At the same time we are grateful to you, our
The last words we sang at Vespers on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord were: “Christ our God has made all creation holy.” The next day we burst from the season of light, glory, angels and God in human flesh into what we call Ordinary Time. I suppose you have to call it something, but is it really
One last candle opens its heart to receive the light tonight and its flame quivers with expectancy. The long-awaited one will soon be in our midst in a deeper manner as the liturgical cycle draws us deeper into the mystery of God-With-Us. How can we make this mystery come to life in our own hearts? Jesus, you rest at the