More than 70 religious and lay persons from around the world came to our monastery this week for our 14th annual vocation workshop. The participants, representing 24 religious communities from 8 countries and 16 states, came for an "awakening," for a "rebirth of enthusiasm in vocations," as the workshop was called. They left with creative ideas for their vocation programs, new energy, inspiration, and hope, and a renewed commitment to a dynamic future for religious life.

(Click here for information on next year's workshop.)

After the Vigil of Readings on Holy Saturday night, liturgical ministers, circling a wooden cross, called us to keep a silent vigil to commemorate the night Jesus lay in the tomb before his resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday morning.

Still in the darkness of Easter morning, we continued our service with the Exsultet, an Easter proclamation of Christ's victory over death: "This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave...when Christians everywhere are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.... Accept this Easter candle. May it always dispel the darkness of this night!"

Happy Easter!

We share with you the gift of spring through the beauty that surrounds our monastery. We invite you to visit and enjoy the peace and beauty of our grounds.

We received a "special delivery" this evening from a long-time acquaintance of some of the sisters. Joe (Swampy) Schoenbachler of Jasper delivered a wooden statue of St. Benedict which he hand carved as a gift in appreciation for the sisters who taught him at Mater Dei High School in Evansville and his children at Holy Family School in Jasper. Swampy carved the 100-pound statue from one of our cedar trees destroyed by a snow and ice storm in 1996. The statue stands in the front entrance parlor and can be viewed by visitors. Joe also plans to carve a matching statue of St. Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict.

Monastery archivist Sister Mary Dominic Frederick originated the idea of using the cedar tree trunks for statues of Saints Benedict and Scholastica.

Today, Palm Sunday, the Church celebrates Christ's entrance into Jerusalem, leading to his passion, death, and resurrection. This day begins Holy Week, during which we commemorate those most sacred events in the life of Jesus.

Commemorating Christ's entrance into Jerusalem, we processed through the monastery courtyard and into church, carrying palm branches and singing "Hosanna to the Son of David."