Awakening: A Rebirth of Enthusiasm in Vocations

Learn what the Ferdinand Benedictines have done to strengthen and revitalize their own vocation program. (In the last 17 years, they have welcomed 42 new members.)
Hear frank discussion of what worked and what didn't.
Get real, honest answers to the hard questions.
Explore inventive ideas and creative solutions with other religious communities.
Begin applying what you've learned to your own strategic and tactical planning.

Main presentations address such topics as:

The multi-faceted role of vocation director
Involving the total community in vocations
Collaboration among the vocation office, leadership, development, and communications
Formulating a vocation program for your community

Break-out sessions provide focused exploration of:

Maintaining relationships with prospective members
Admissions and formation
Leadership's role in vocation ministry
Dealing with the media
Web sites and promotional materials

Schedule

Registration is from 2-4 p.m. EDT Tuesday, followed by dinner at 5 p.m. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and ends with a 6:30 p.m. liturgy and a 7:30 p.m. celebration on Saturday. Sunday is a travel day. Click here for a full tentative schedule.

Cost

The $785 per person fee (double occupancy) includes workshop program and materials, meals, socials, and overnight accommodations. (A limited number of private rooms are available; the per person single occupancy fee is $900.) The $665 commuter fee includes workshop program and materials, meals, and socials. The discount rates for communities sending three or more participants are $735 per person for double occupancy, $850 for single occupancy, and $615 for commuters.

Fees include applicable taxes.

Additional Workshop Information

Special Needs

If you have any dietary needs or physical limitations, please let us know. Please realize that, although we will attempt to meet your needs, it may not be possible to meet all special needs.

Items To Bring

Walking shoes. The terrain is hilly and walking from the dining area to the conference site and monastery church can involve climbing as many as 119 steps. If you are not able to climb the steps, car transportation will be available.
Umbrella. Weather in April in southern Indiana is never certain. Up-to-date weather information can be accessed through the weather link on our home page: www.thedome.org.
Vocation materials. Tables will be available where you can share your community’s vocation materials with other participants.

Lodging

Kordes Center. Rooms are double occupancy. (Please indicate with whom you wish to share a room.) Bathroom facilities are shared. There will be an additional charge for single occupancy; however, we cannot guarantee a single room. Kordes Center is handicapped accessible.
Monastery. Rooms in the monastery are single occupancy for women religious. They are limited in number and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additional private rooms. If private rooms are no longer available at Kordes Center or the monastery, we can refer you to other lodging options.

Airport Shuttles

We will provide shuttle service on Tuesday, April 13, from the Louisville and the Evansville airports, which are the airports closest to Ferdinand.
Louisville: The shuttle will leave from the Louisville airport at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Evansville: The shuttle will leave from the Evansville airport at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. Central time.

Car Rental

If you wish to rent a car, you can receive a special rate from Enterprise. For the special rate, call Aaron at 812-634-6344 and give him the discount code 58C0371.
You will get the car at the airport. After you arrive in Ferdinand, Enterprise will pick up the car at the monastery if you call the Jasper, Indiana, office at 812-634-6344.
Enterprise will also deliver a car to the monastery for your return trip to the airport.
If you would like to share the cost of a car rental, please let us know. While we cannot guarantee that you will be able to share a ride, we will keep a list of individuals who are interested in sharing the rental cost.

Smoke-free Buildings

Please note that all buildings on the monastery grounds are smoke-free.

Friday Free Time

The schedule provides a free afternoon and evening on Friday, April 16. We have found that past participants have welcomed the free time after the full schedules of the previous days. You may want to plan a trip to an area site during this time. Places nearby include Saint Meinrad Archabbey, Lincoln’s Boyhood Home, French Lick/West Baden, and New Harmony, Indiana. A list of places will be provided in your binder.

Saturday Evening Celebration

The workshop closes on Saturday evening with a Eucharistic liturgy and a festive celebration. We strongly encourage you to stay for both. The celebration will feature entertainment by the Monastery Combo, a group of our sisters who perform lively dance-band music. (Under the name Stillpoint, they also compose and perform contemporary religious music, record albums, and offer parish retreats.)

Questions

Call 800-880-2777; international calls: 812-367-1411, ext. 2915.
E-mail kordes@thedome.org.

The Presenters

Agnes Marie Dauby, OSB, is one of two directors of vocation ministries for the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana. She has worked in vocation ministry for the past six years and currently serves on the Evansville Diocesan Vocation Team.

Michelle Sinkhorn, OSB, is one of two directors of vocation ministries for the Ferdinand Benedictines. She has worked in vocation ministry since 2007 and is a member of various committees and boards at the monastery and in the civic community.

Kristine Anne Harpenau, OSB, was elected prioress of Monastery Immaculate Conception in June 2003 and re-elected in June 2008. She previously was director of ongoing formation and special programs coordinator for the community’s retreat center.

Barbara Lynn Schmitz, OSB, is director of Mission Advancement for the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand. She served as business manager/treasurer of the community for 15 years, and has also worked in strategic planning, facilitation, and administration.

Karen Katafiasz has been director of communications for the Sisters of St. Benedict since 1996. She has worked in newspaper and magazine journalism, public relations, book publishing, and education and is the author of eight self-help books.

Anita Louise Lowe, OSB, is in her second year as director of liturgy for the Ferdinand Benedictines. She served in vocation ministry for over 10 years, was a member of the NRVC board, and has given vocations presentation in Australia and Ireland.

Mary Frances Schafer, OSB, is director of community coordination for the Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville, Kentucky. She chairs the Ferdinand Benedictines’ Strategic Planning Committee and has given vocations presentation in Australia and Ireland.