Dear Friends,
St. Benedict Center has been closed now for about two weeks due to COVID-19. We miss you here and also at the monastery where you cannot physically be present with us right now for the celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. However, there are ways for us to stay connected. Most importantly, we can pray for one another. We monks need your prayer; and we lift you up in prayer to God, all your joys and concerns, all the challenges that you are dealing with at the moment. On our website, you can share your prayer intentions with us. We read them and make them our own.
We also live stream most of our Masses, Evening Prayer (Vespers) and occasionally other prayer times on Facebook. Mass on Sundays is at 9:00 a.m., on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 11:15 a.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. in conjunction with Vespers. Vespers on Sundays is at 5:00 p.m., on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Here you can find a printable version of the Liturgy of the Hour’s most current prayer time.
Another way of staying connected with us is through praying with the arts: The art pieces at St. Benedict Center and the monastery invite you to an online tour on our website. Little reflections are given there as well that can guide you in your prayer. Please visit our oblate blog on this topic, too. While you are on the website you can also, if you have not done so yet, check out the new videos on the homepage.
During times of suffering and uncertainty, it can help to hold something in hand that makes God’s faithful love and protection from the power of evil tangible and palpable for us. On our website we offer the St. Benedict Medal, which is a Sacramental of the Church. The medals are blessed according to the prescribed prayers and ritual. We provide medals as a ministry to promote the devotion to Saint Benedict. All medals are blessed by a Benedictine priest prior to shipping.
I’d like to update you on our display project. We have begun to prepare the space. The photo shows the area in which the seven volumes of The Saint John’s Bible’s Heritage Edition will be on permanent display for prayer and meditation and where one will also be able to learn about copying the bible by hand and illuminating it in the monastic tradition. Along with that, we are preparing new permanent displays on our Benedictine missionary work and on our Benedictine way of life. Installation is slated for June. This is the plan at least. We will keep you posted.
A last point: St. Benedict Center has no income during this time of closure. You can help us with our cash flow either by a donation to the Center or by purchasing a gift certificate for somebody to use at St. Benedict Center and so treating your spouse, parent, relative, friend or co-worker with a retreat or just time for themselves. We can list on the gift certificate whether it is for overnight accommodation(s), meals, and/or attendance at one or more of our sponsored programs. Or we can put a $$ amount on it for the recipient to use.
I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB