Meet the Oblates
Our lay members are called oblates. Oblates are men and women, married or single, active in any Christian denomination, who closely associate themselves with the Monastery of St. Gertrude through an initiation process and formal oblation (promise).
The Oblate Community has nine area groups:
- Treasure Valley (Boise, Idaho area)
- Prairie (Cottonwood, Idaho area)
- Lewiston, Idaho
- Palouse (Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington area)
- McCall, Idaho
- Spokane, Washington
- North Idaho (Coeur d’Alene area)
- Big Sky (Western Montana)
- Puget Sound, Washington
Meet our oblate leaders:
Jane Somerton
Lead Coordinator
Oblate since: 1988
What being an oblate means to me:
The Benedictine Community (sisters and oblates) at St. Gertrude’s have been my friends, spiritual guides, and mentors for 35 years. The monastery itself is a place of peace, respite, and restoration. The hallmarks of Benedictine spirituality (contemplation, stability, peace, prayer, balance…) continually challenge, comfort, and tug me toward openness, truth, and compassion. I cherish the counter-cultural stance that helps me to maintain balance in a very busy daily life. And when I slip out of balance, which is a very human thing to do, the stability and love of this community gently guide me back into right relationship.
Debbie McCoy
Formation Coordinator
Oblate since: 2006
What being an oblate means to me:
Being an oblate means I attempt to live my life according to the Rule of Benedict in my own daily life. I heard a Benedictine monk describe this way of life as a 3-legged stool consisting of work, prayer, and holy leisure which includes study and reading. This is how I see my spirituality unfolding in the oblate community. I also am connected to the sisters in community and pledge to support them as I am able to do so.
Nadine Grady
Connections Coordinator
Oblate since: 2003
What being an oblate means to me:
Benedict’s teachings and values have been important to me since I first heard of them in the 1980s and began striving for a balance of prayer, study, and holy action in my life. Being an oblate means that I’m serious about it, and that I’m not doing it alone. I have committed to being in a community where we support each other, and are accountable to each other, as we live into our Benedictine values.