| St. Cloud, Minnesota Gathering
"Gather the Women," the second annual gathering of
around 250 local women in the St. Cloud area to mark International
Women's Day, took place at St. Benedict's Monastery on Saturday,
March 13. In coming together, these women joined with women
from all over the world to celebrate the feminine spirit, to
enjoy being together, and to build on what they have in common
as women.
Sister Janice Wedl, member of the planning committee, welcomed
the women to St. Benedict's. She read from the Monastery's
Vision Statement, which proclaims the monastery's mission
to become a central source of prayer, wisdom, inspiration,
hospitality, spiritual nourishment, and service to women of
all ages and faiths.
Nora and Isabel, two Hispanic women who attended the gathering,
came with Sister Carol Virnig, OSF. Their experience of the
afternoon echoed that of other participants. Having a Saturday
afternoon off to be with other women was a special delight.
They reveled in the positive energy of women gathered there
and felt relaxed in all of it. In the Gathering Place, they
stood in hushed awe as Jeanne Lacourt and Nancy Harles blessed
the Four Directions in their native language. In the chapel,
Nora and Isabel heard the Call to weave a world that works
for all, proclaimed by Flo Goodrich, of the Jewish tradition.
The positive, quiet energy of the gathering was heightened
as members of the monastic schola chanted three lovely songs
dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus. The speaker, Anne Scott,
spoke of the need for quiet in our lives so that we may find
the true source of our power. Her manner of presentation,
with meaningful silent pauses, exemplified what she proclaimed.
Following silent meditation, Nora, Isabel, and the gathered
community received a blessing from the Buddhist tradition,
led by members of the local Ba'Hai community.
Singing "Let Your glory within me shine out to the world,"
the women processed out of the chapel, where they were greeted
with a glorious repast of Mid-Eastern food and the rhythms
of African drums For Nora and Isabel, the "fiesta de
comida," the gathering around the food, eating and visiting,
was a familiar and wonderful closing to a nurturing afternoon.
It was a fitting that the event was held in the Gathering
Place and chapel at St. Benedict's Monastery, with its large
windows and pillars gracefully joined by arches, giving a
feminine cast to both rooms.
Why have an event called "Gather the Women?" What
happens there that women can implement in their lives? First
of all, everyone is welcome and they know they belong. They
came -- African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians,
Christians, Sufis, Buddhists, Muslims -- to spend the afternoon
with other women who understand the life-giving qualities
of women who have courage, cunning, and creativity, and who
continue to work for a better world through the feminine qualities
of compassion and collaboration.
When women have a chance to tap into their inner wisdom in
a safe and peaceful environment, surrounded by other women
who accept them totally for who they are, wonderful things
happen! They leave with a renewed sense of having relaxed
in the positive energy of women for one brief afternoon; they
experience again the importance of quiet meditation and communal
celebration; and they recognize the importance of the continued
presence of sisterhood in their lives.
A well-known spiritual teacher claims that we can't create
peace, but we can create a resonance pattern with the peace
that is already present, though sometimes hidden. When we
vibrate with this field, we will know it through our joy and
by the healing we feel in our hearts. Gather the Women is
this kind of experience - a field of energy connecting with
hundreds of other energy fields from round the globe - celebrating
sisterhood in joyful vibration!
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