Prayer: When, Where, Why, & How?
Prayer is Central to the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery. “Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God” (RB 43).
Liturgy of the Hours
Benedictine prayer is scriptural. St. Benedict says in his Rule that “Nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God.” By this he means that the prayer life of the community is their most important activity as members of a monastery. They gather in the chapel in the morning and evening to pray the Liturgy of the Hours which consists of hymns, psalms, readings and petitions. Noon Prayer and Compline (night prayer), are prayed together in the living groups. Visit the Liturgy of the Hours page to learn more.
Daily through the Eucharist
Eucharist is central in the life of the community. It is in the Eucharist that we experience our unity in the heart of Christ, and are sent forth to show Christ’s love through our ministry. Eucharistic Adoration is held on the first Sunday of the month.
Daily Lectio Divina
Every sister spends time each day in lectio divina which is a prayerful, reflective reading of Sacred Scripture. Sisters also have devotional prayer which they pray individually or with others. Visit the Lectio Divina page to learn more. For some sisters, especially those in the Care Center, prayer is their special ministry and they are often referred to as the “powerhouse” of prayer.
Community “Memo” Board
A special prayer board lists many requests for prayer, some of which come via the monastery website.
Prayer Partners with Mount Marty Students and Faculty
Prayer partners are another aspect of the prayer life of the community. Sisters draw the names of each other every August and pray for their partner during the year. College students and faculty who wish to have a Sister prayer partner are paired with a sister who prays for them and invites them to prayer and social events. Many long-lasting friendships have grown out of these partnerships.
The Sisters also join the Students for Rosary, Tuesday at 9:30 in the Oratory (in Mount Marty College’s Scholastica Edition), and Adoration on Thursdays at 8:30 PM in the Oratory.
Local, National, and International
The sisters pray for the needs of the diocese, its parishes and its seminarians, and for parishes in their home towns. The sponsored institutions and all who work in them are remembered in prayer on a regular basis. The needs of the broader world, especially the poor, are also part of the community’s daily prayer.
Spiritual Directors
Several sisters minister as spiritual directors. S. Jeanne Ranek directs a 2-year program which trains spiritual directors of all faiths. The presence of these groups in the monastery is an enriching experience.
Benedictine Peace Center
Those who are looking for a place and time of quiet are frequent guests in the Peace Center, a retreat space within the monastery. Groups and individuals of all faiths come to share prayer with the sisters, receive spiritual direction, and enjoy the quiet and the beauty of the monastery grounds and the nearby Lewis & Clark Lake area.
S. Jeanne Weber enhances Easter Sunday Morning Prayer with Sacred movement.
Mount Marty College students join their Sister Prayer Partners for Evening Prayer each semester.
S. Carol Jean VanDenHemel spends time in lectio, a prayerful, reflective reading of Sacred Scripture.
