Hi everyone,
I just wanted to highlight a great community near my home... Beach Grove Benedictines. They had 4 make final vows and one make first vows this year. They are a great community! Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area (near Indianapolis, IN).

Wow, this seems like a great group. And what a beautiful monastery. I will be reading this website. Thanks for sharing! I really have never met any Benedictines, so this is an interesting read.

Great news! And they have one making 1st profession.
Personally, I wish they wore a habit but the fact that they have such growth says much of the community.
I'll have to look at the site some more. I was "raised" Benedictine but I mostly know the mens' monasteries.

You were raised Benedictine and became Dominican? Interesting, if you were raised Franciscan and then became Dominican that would be understandable.

I am always glad to hear of Benedictine vocations

I tell my extended Benedictine family that I was converted!

Thanks Jenny for the post, and yes, I think it would be good for them to have a simple habit to wear, even at least for public worshiip and when exercising their ministry. Just enough that people would know they are sisters, kind of like the Benedictines from Clyde, Missouri.
I love reading about how to apply the Rule of St. Benedict to my own life--so balanced and yet so challenging. Has anyone here ever read Kathleen Norris book about them--The Cloister Walk?

I've read Cloister Walk and enjoyed it quite a bit. The Rule of Benedict really is applicable to everyday life

Thank you for the post, Jenny! It's so much fun to read about and look at pictures of these ceremonies!

Its even better to be the "photographer" of one of the ceremonies.

The Beech Grove Benedictines are amazing! The Sisters are faithful, prayerful, generous, devoted, and peaceful women. I went on a vocation weekend with them over the summer where one of the highlights was attending the first profession of Sister Mary Ann Koetter (the sister of my parish priest!) which was breath-taking and unlike anything I had ever attended. (It included a beautiful liturgical dance by some of the junior sisters!) Unlike some orders, Benedictines have their first professions during evening prayer and then build up to final vows during a mass. A little different, but it signifies a higher level of commitment. If you check out the website's vocation section, I'm actually in a few of the pictures (the tall girl in red shirt/black gauchos).

http://web.mac.com/annpatrice/Our_Lady_of_...n_Retreats.html

The next retreat is October 19-21 for any of you that would be interested and are able to travel to the Indianapolis area. The retreat is well worth it and there is no fee to attend! (I know this is helpful information for us broke college students!) You can e-mail vocations@benedictine.com if you would like to contact the vocation director, Sister Nicolette. She's a joy!

I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone has about these Sisters.

God bless

"(It included a beautiful liturgical dance by some of the junior sisters!)"

With all due respect, I thought 'liturgical dance' is illicit.

If you're interested in previous conversations on this topic, I would suggest searching in Transmundane Lane and the Debate Table.

Thats wonderful!!! It is great that they are getting vocations!!! Then again, there does seem to be a reniewed interest in religious life, even the secualr media has picked up on it!!!