November is a special month for many reasons…the end of the harvest and the celebration of its bounty, the definitive change in light, the movement of fall toward winter, and in the church, the remembrance of the saints and all those who have passed through the veil before us. For me, it is a time…

As for many, morning walks have been my lifeline and place of grounding during the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing me perspective and a sense of peace in the midst of a turbulent world. The natural beauty of the Duluth area offers me a glimpse of God—and, therefore, hope—every time I step out of my door. Recently,…

A friend of mine describes the deadly coronavirus scourging the world as a “spiritual earthquake”. It’s tempting to think of the virus as some mad terrorist rampaging across the globe wreaking death and destruction wherever it goes. I prefer to think of this pandemic as a time of reawakening –

Here in Central Minnesota, I am lucky to have a beautiful small garden on the banks of the Mississippi River.  I have tended this garden for ten years.  Right now, it is filled with blooms—Lilies, Bee Balm, Canna, Corn flowers, Phlox, Black-eyed Susans, and Hosta scapes that seem to shake their one finger at everyone.…

On July 4, 2020, Independence Day, I went for a walk very early in the morning on the grounds behind the Monastery.  I noticed an animal moving around in the net of the soccer field goal.  I came closer and found that it was an owl, looking very helpless and scared, seeing no end to…

Dear Friends of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery and our Ministries: Without a doubt, we are living in a time of incredible challenge – the fear, effects and uncertainty of COVID-19 as well as the recent breathtaking display of injustice in our society.  Racism, violence and inequality go against all that we stand…

In 1931, the English author Aldous Huxley wrote a novel entitled Brave New World. When I read this book many years ago for a high school English class, I felt discomfort and fear at the possibilities being presented in this classic work. While our experience over the last two months certainly bears little resemblance to…