Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Benedictine Sisters of FL

That In All Things God’s Will May Be Glorified

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The Benedictine Sisters of Florida are beyond grateful to announce our plans for reopening Holy Name Monastery.  It has been over a year since we were forced to close our doors due to a pandemic that no one could have imagined would last so long.  This difficult decision was made for the safety of those who come to us in need and in prayer, as well as for our Sisters.  For all of us our sphere of life based on connection and community has been greatly diminished during this time.  Hopefully, our outreach, sharing, and communications by phone, zoom and social media have filled some of the void.

After months of sheltering in place and vaccinations made available, we feel that the process of welcoming guests back to our home – Holy Name Monastery – can begin.  Beginning July 6th we will slowly and cautiously do so.  The plan follows and for everyone’s health and safety, we implore you to be vaccinated before visiting.

  • Friends and family of the Sisters are invited back
  • Individual guests and retreatants may also now schedule overnight stays

As we monitor what the CDC says about the Delta variant, large group retreats can hopefully take place beginning in early fall.

To schedule overnight stays and retreats, contact Sister Mary Clare at: (352) 588-8320 or email: maryclareneu@gmail.com

God’s blessings to all as we move forward to more normalcy in our lives,

Benedictine Sisters of Florida

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Benedictine Sisters Elect Prioress

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The Benedictine Sisters of Florida have re-elected Sister Roberta Bailey, O.S.B. to lead the community as prioress for the next six years. The election of prioress is really a discernment in prayer, listening for the voice of God regarding who should lead the community into the future. The Sisters of Holy Name Monastery came together for three days co-facilitated by Sisters from other Benedictine monasteries: Sister Kathy McNany (Baltimore) and Sister Marcia Ziska (Atchison). The president of the Federation of Saint Scholastica, Sister Lynn McKenzie, was there as well to help focus the group on what Saint Benedict instructs: Listen with the ear of your heart.

Sister Roberta has served as prioress since 2010, leading the efforts of the Benedictine Sisters at Holy Name Monastery in St. Leo in their ministries of services “to feed the hungers of the people of God.”  The community was founded 132 years ago by five Sisters from Pittsburgh, PA.   The Benedictine Sisters of Florida live a life of commitment to be-come a sign of God’s presence in the world.  In “Non-Covid” times the Sisters welcome guests to their liturgical services and host guests for retreats or “time away,” self-directed groups, monthly concerts and a variety of other small-group activities.

Sister Roberta’s career began in 1959 as a classroom teacher for infants through college aged students and  has been in educational leadership since 1970.  Sister previously served as principal of St. Anthony School (San Antonio) and Pope John Paul Catholic School (Lecanto, FL). She founded the Montessori schools in St. Leo, FL and at Blessed Trinity in Ocala, FL. She has served as a member of the advisory council for the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, a board member (and on the Quality Committee) for the Pasco-Hernando Early Learning Coalition and was a governor appointee on the Florida’s Universal Pre-K commission.  Sister is the past editor of the ECA of FL journal Children Our Concern, a former member of the Tampa Oratorio Society and Saint Leo Chorus. Currently Sister serves as a trustee of Saint Leo University, board member of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Sunrise Family Abuse Shelter, Premier Community Health Care and the diocesan Commission for Religious.

In accepting the Community’s election, Sister Roberta drew the Sisters’ attention to the reflection she had offered the previous weekend: “Do Whatever He Tells You.” That was Mary’s directive to the wine servers at the Wedding Feast at Cana. In today’s Gospel,  May 4th,  Jesus reassures us He will not leave us alone on our life’s journey in seeking His will. He promises: “My peace I give you, my peace I leave with you.”

 

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Lent 2021

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Abbot Gregory J. Polan, O.S.B. is the Abbot Primate since 2016 of the 1500-year old Benedictine Order residing at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome.  He serves the Benedictine community as its liaison to the Vatican and civil authorities to promote unity among the various autonomous Benedictine monasteries and congregations.  Abbot Polan is the tenth Abbot Primate and the fourth American elected.  We were pleased to have him with us directing our 2019 summer retreat week.

 

The following is from Abbot Polan’s recent Circular:

Greetings of Lenten peace, faith, hope and support in these uncertain times. Strong confidence in God’s inscrutable ways calls us to walk the path to Easter. In the midst of these times when we see a light beginning to shine with the roll-out of the vaccine to all parts of the world, we give thanks for what has been happening and we pray for a just and right distribution of these healing remedies. Let us remain strong in following the instructions given by the governments, the health professionals, and the Church leadership which calls for continued care, protection and proper protocols. It is clear, we will not be moving back to life as it was; there will be a new normal which will only develop with time, patience, practical wisdom, spiritual insight, sacrifice, generous service toward the needy and a deeper sense of care for one another. One of the graces that has come from this pandemic, has been the awareness of how this situation has touched the lives of all of us. The effects of the pandemic have marked our lives in uniquely different ways. Yet what has united us is that as brothers and sisters in the human family, children of God and as members of the Body of Christ, we are all striving to move forward. Our experiences are so vastly different, but we are unified in our endeavoring to find the way forward and to see how this will open for us in time, in grace and in hope. In the recent visit of Pope Francis to Iran, his words to continue working toward peace, mutual care for one another and a world that shows tolerance and mutual acceptance speak loudly to our hope of moving forward with confidence.

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