'Powerhouse of prayer:' Millennials are drawn to monastic life in Prairie du Sac; CapTimes profiles Cistercian nuns

PRAIRIE DU SAC — Sister Christina Marie, 33, was an entomologist. Sister Mary Benedicta, 36, studied to be an aeronautical engineer. And Sister Mary Bede, 30, intended to become a professional violinist.

They left those lives to become nuns, cloistered together at Valley of Our Lady Monastery in a small village in Sauk County. It’s home to a Cistercian order, the only Catholic convent of its kind in the country.

In four weeks, Erin Wells, 24, heads there, too.

She’ll come from her parents' house in Columbus, Ohio, after earning a degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University. She’ll sell her car, get rid of most of her possessions and bring only a few things, including a Bible and her rosary.

“I went to college thinking I was going to be an engineer, work for Honda and travel to Japan all the time,” she said, “and be rich and write a book and be on the New York Times best-seller list.”

Now Wells is set to be part of an ancient tradition of communal religious life known as contemplative monasticism. She will live simply, becoming singularly focused on prayer, talking and listening to God without distraction.
continue at The Cap Times

Really good coverage here.  Go check it out.

HT FE

2 comments:

Kat said...

It was quite possibly the first time I'd ever read something in the CT that didn't leave me angry and/or frustrated. Miracle!

Badger Catholic said...

I know Kat, I thought the same thing!