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Celebrating federation entrance
1 of 2Sister Betty Drewes and Sister Jane Will pose for a picture with the federation anniversary display that they had been perusing.
2 of 2Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand celebrated the anniversary of their entrance into Federation of St. Gertrude and also the federation's 75th anniversary.
On October 7, 1939, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, became a member of the Federation of St. Gertrude. The sisters commemorated the 73 years with a special liturgy and dinner on October 8, 2012.
The Federation of St. Gertrude was established by the Apostolic See on April 14, 1937, with three founding monasteries. There are currently fourteen member monasteries and two affiliated ecumenical monasteries, with Monastery Immaculate Conception being the largest member monastery in the federation. Two past presidents of the federation were from Ferdinand, Mother Clarissa Riehl from 1955 – 1961 and Sister Kathryn Huber from 1999-2008. Ferdinand’s Sister Joella Kidwell, who took office in 2008, is the current president.
As stated in The Benedictine Sisters of the Federation of St. Gertrude Directory 2007, member monasteries “…collaborate, share, support and dialogue with one another, while faithfully continuing the feminine Benedictine tradition.”
All the monasteries of the Federation of St. Gertrude are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the federation, a celebration that started July, 2011, at the Federation Chapter, and extends through 2012. It culminates with a booklet assembled of essays, one from each member community, commenting on the highlights, benefits, and spiritual advantages of membership in the Federation of St. Gertrude.