Center for Benedictine Life
at the Monastery of St. Gertrude
What is more delightful than God’s voice calling to us?
– St. Benedict
It can be hard to stay positive in the midst of the problems that surround us. In this confusing world, the Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude is inviting people to embark on a path of profound hope. It is a path rooted in the presence of God, a path that can transform each of us and our world. It is the path of the monastic way of St. Benedict, re-envisioned for the needs of our world, the needs of our times, the needs of all people of faith, not just monks and nuns.
For over 1500 years, women and men have used St. Benedict’s Rule to live a life centered on God, to listen and respond to God’s “delightful” voice. Today, the invitation is to share Benedictine values and practices with the world and to invite people longing for a deeper relationship to God to live the Benedictine way.
Watch the Videos!
In April and May, 2023, a series of Zoom sessions detailed how the Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude was being developed. The sessions were recorded and are available on the monastery’s Youtube channel.
Click on the links below to watch!
- Benedictines in the 21st century – Session 1 – April 23, 2023
- More than a Vision: More than Friends of the Monastery – April 30, 2023
- More Than A Vision – Oblate Leadership: Oblates Building Their Own Communities – May 7, 2023
- More Than a Vision – We’re All In This Together: Benedictine Formation for All – May 14, 2023
- More than a Vision – New Wineskins for Cenobitic Communities – May 21, 2023
- Living Benedictine Life Beyond the Vows: Introducing the Benedictine Cohousing Companions – May 28, 2023
New Times, New Wine, New Wineskins
Benedict’s structured, monastic way of life focused on God has been lived in many different ways by all kinds of people through the centuries. The Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude is exploring and expanding new ways of adapting this way of life for a new millennium. We recognize that new forms of Benedictine life are being born in our midst. We see our purpose as calling forth, nurturing, forming, and supporting new ways to live this time-tested way of life, and we call on others to partner with us in this vision.
VISION
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”
(Isaiah 43:19)
Our vision is two-fold. We are actively working to continue and strengthen the presence and ministries of the Monastery of St. Gertrude. St. Gertrude’s was established in Cottonwood in 1907 and we intend for it to continue indefinitely into the future.
We are also pioneering a new way of understanding and living Benedictine life.
People acquainted with Benedictine monasteries usually think that the vowed members, sisters or monks, are the monastery while the oblates, employees, friends, donors are simply the supporters. Here at St. Gertrude’s, we see the monastery differently. We are saying that “all together, we are St. Gertrude’s.” All of us, sisters, oblates, Benedictine Cohousing Companions, employees, volunteers, artists in residence, friends and supporters of the Monastery of St. Gertrude are part of the “Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude” (CBL). The Center for Benedictine Life is a new form of Benedictine community in which Benedict’s call to live the Gospel is for all kinds of people who want to live a deeper spiritual life centered on God.
The Center for Benedictine Life is not simply a place or an idea. It is a movement to bring the transformative practices of the Benedictine way to many more people.
We are The Monastery
Something New is Happening
People have integrated Benedictine spirituality into their lives for over 1500 years, and it has always been a way of life centered on seeking God above all else. Today, we are witnessing a shift from an understanding of Benedictine life being lived only by vowed religious to understanding that Benedictines are people from many Christian backgrounds and ways of life who desire a deeper spirituality.
MODEL FOR A MOVEMENT
We are living in a time when there is a surge of vocations to the Benedictine way of life – not to traditional vows and structures, but to new flexible ways of making a commitment to live the Rule of St. Benedict. This shift is more than an increased interest in Benedictine life, it is a movement of people who experience a deep hunger for the depth and life-changing power of Benedictine spirituality. It is a movement of people who long for a deeper relationship with God that is offered by the monastic way.
The Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude is working to support, shape and enable this critical movement. We are providing examples, projects, leadership, and vision for a world that needs Benedict now more than ever. We seek collaborators who are excited to be part of a movement to invite people to experience the transformative path of Benedict.
Our Mission/Our People
The mission of the Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude is to encourage and support people experiencing a call from God to a deeper, more profound spiritual life and to discover Benedictine spirituality as a way to fulfill that desire. The people who make up the CBL are all those who are actively living and supporting this mission. We are working to form all those who are part of the CBL in Benedictine life, spirituality and practices. Some of our current programs and opportunities include:
koinonia of st. gertrude
is a community of single women who live at the Monastery of St. Gertrude, committed a new form of Benedictine life outside of the structure of traditional religious life. They make an indefinite commitment to live monastic life, engage in initial and on-going formation and fully participate in monastic life with the sisters. This new community represents the continuity of a lived, Benedictine presence at the monastery.
St. gertrude’s oblate community
consists of women and men strongly committed to living and being formed in Benedictine life, with nine local area communities and a leadership team composed entirely of oblates.
spirit center
is a vibrant retreat center with numerous programs focused on monastic topics. There is an emphasis in both our in-person and virtual retreats on reaching out to people who are seeking a deeper faith life that Benedictine spirituality provides.
Diffusions: Wisdom from the Center
is providing spirituality and education programs using modern forms of connectivity to reach far beyond our physical location.
spirituality and the arts
provides ways to explore the intersection of expressive creativity and spirituality through retreats, programs and artists in residence opportunities.
programs to experience monastic life
We offer programs with opportunities to experience monastic life as live-in volunteers as well as “New Ways to be Monastic” weeks in which participants experience monastic life and learn about ways to connect with St. Gertrude’s.
formation for employees
Employees are given regular opportunities to learn about Benedictine values and what it means to be an integral part of the CBL.
Leadership
New models require new leadership.
What we have in mind – and are working toward – are new leadership structures that will continue to make the Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude a reality.
Sisters and lay people together in leadership
We are actively creating new structures to implement our vision of sustainable leadership. This includes working toward developing a board of directors for our civil corporation that will include lay members as well as Sisters. This board of directors will consist of people who are strongly formed in Benedictine life and spirituality.
grounded in benedictine formation
All levels of leadership, formal and informal, will be grounded in and manifest the values and principles of the Rule of St. Benedict and the culture and values of the Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude. We are committed to formation in Benedictine values for everyone who is a part of the CBL, from the board of directors to the employees to the oblates and to the casual visitor. We believe that Benedictine spirituality, values and practices are for everyone according to their commitment, situation and calling.
ongoing care for sisters
The CBL is a ministry of the Sisters of the Monastery of St. Gertrude. An explicit, central purpose of the CBL is to ensure the ongoing care of the Sisters. The Benedictine Sisters are currently and will continue to be actively engaged in leadership. The Sisters, along with their lay partners, are committed to intentionally forming Benedictine leadership for the future.
Partner With Us
Every movement begins with people who share a vision of something new. Join with us as we imagine, plan and create an exciting future with new forms of Benedictine life for a new millennium.
ARE YOU FEELING CALLED TO A LIFE OF DEEPER PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY?
Consider some of our many formation opportunities.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LIVING A COMMITTED BENEDICTINE LIFE?
Explore our oblate and Benedictine Cohousing Companions communities.
DO YOU FEEL DRAWN TO A NEW KIND OF MEANINGFUL WORK?
Consider employment, volunteer and artist in residence opportunities.
DO YOU HAVE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THIS NEW VISION AND ENDEAVOR?
Consider a financial gift.
ARE YOU A GIFTED CONNECTOR AND COMMUNICATOR?
Help spread the word about the exciting new vision and opportunities.
PRAY!
St. Benedict saw his little community as one in which everyone was “setting out with the Gospel for our guide” and going “all together to everlasting life.” Let us all hold each other in prayer, faith and hope as we support one another on this journey.
