On behalf of Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, we would like to thank all of our current donors for their generosity and support. Here are some of their stories.

E. Yanira Novoa R.
Career Diplomat of El Salvador, Central America

Why am I donating to the Benedictine Sisters?
I am giving in gratitude for their spiritual embrace and their unconditional hospitality. I am thankful for their outstanding acceptance of me, a total stranger with a “Latino”, cultural background. One day I knocked at their door and they welcomed me.

On behalf of the world community, I thank you sisters for your daily good-will prayers.

May God grant you serenity and contentment in your contemplative journey.

Mary Ann Theresa Perito Horan
Tucson, AZ

My Aunt and I were invited to the celebration of Vespers at the Benedictine Monastery on Country Club Rd in Tucson AZ. We went and were we happy for it! The sisters’ chanting was so beautiful and the sisters were gracious hostesses for the reception that followed. They served fresh squeezed orange juice and cookies they baked. It was our joy and honor to meet many of the sisters. Among them were Sister Dawn Annette Mills, the author of The Gospel according to Dawn, A Woman’s Work of Spiritual Imagination (see www.monasterycreations.com) and Sister Wilmarie who became a personal friend.

I am a Shaklee distributor and have shared products with the sisters for many years now. The relationship with the sisters has helped my business to grow. The relationship has also helped me deepen my spiritual life through reading, meditation and prayer.

These sisters amaze me with their varied interests and talents. I especially appreciate their deep spirituality, reverence and perseverance in prayer for us all.

God bless them and their holy work and this new web site with great success!

Nancy and Vincent Harrington

Over forty years ago we began our prayer relationship with the Benedictine Sisters. They have prayed for and with us before the births of our eleven children and the big events in their lives. This includes graduations, weddings and employment searches. Actually, in all important decisions in life we enlist the Sisters’ prayer aid. We receive tremendous consolation knowing they are praying for us and we appreciate their friendship and spiritual insight. The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration are a much-needed force in our society, because what the world needs most is prayer and adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Judy Grabler,
Escondido, CA

I met the Benedictine Sisters and Sister Mary Gregory in 1990. Sister’s guidance and encouragement enabled me to develop in centering prayer. On a recent visit to the Clyde monastery, I experienced genuine Benedictine hospitality from all the sisters I encountered. They were warmly welcoming and very helpful and I felt at home immediately. I was graciously invited to share in the daily monastic schedule of praying Lauds and Vespers in choir with the community and taking meals in the refectory. Never having been in a choir stall before, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it felt to pray and to listen to the soothing chant from such a secure niche. The striking beauty of the stained glass windows and mosaics in the Clyde Adoration Chapel provided a remarkably serene atmosphere for contemplative prayer. It was also inspiring to observe the loving care and dignity with which the elderly, infirm sisters are treated at Our Lady of Rickenbach health care facility. Sister Mary Gregory’s compassionate understanding helped me cope with my grief over the recent death of my mother. I am most grateful to all the sisters for their generosity and kindness.

Janice Rys

I don’t even remember how I came to know the Benedictine Sisters….someone, somewhere, somehow must have “sent” me prayers from the Sisters and I began to “send” prayers from them. My friends and family received personal, touching notes from the Sisters acknowledging their joy or pain or confusing situations and pledging to keep them in their daily prayers. I received so many beautiful notes about how special that kind of gift was—I thought I’d try it myself.

I began to write the Sisters—almost every month—with a financial contribution and my own prayer requests for that month. I asked for all kinds of things…successful knee surgery for my Mom, good business opportunities for my brother, safe travel, wisdom and discernment for friends, lots of patience, faith and wisdom in my personal life and so much more.

Through this process, I’ve come to rely on God and prayer. The Sisters made it real for me. Each month I as looked back at my requests preparing for the next month, I realized how blessed I was and that God may really be hearing me through the prayers of the Sisters.

I know monthly may seem a lot to people…but for me, I get so busy and forget how gracious God is, getting and giving back keeps me on track.

I’m so grateful for the Sisters and feel like they are such an important part of my life and I’ve never seen or talked to a one. I look forward to continuing to receive their loving and kind notes to me and will continue to share their gift with others.

Beth Druhe,
St. Louis, MO

As I was driving to Clyde for a visit/retreat one spring day, I heard on the radio that a monastery in another state had received a three million dollar bequest. I knew immediately I wanted to do that. Unfortunately, I don't have three million dollars!

I have known the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration for almost 15 years, first for spiritual direction, then as an oblate. But it was when I worked for the Sisters that my admiration and commitment to the community solidified. I worked at the St Louis monastery for 2 years prior to its closing. My duties were cooking, cleaning, maintenance, transportation, packing, yard work — anything that needed to be done in the daily life of the monastery or in the process of closing. It was a privilege and an honor to be so much a part of the life of the community. This was a very difficult time for sisters individually and for the community as a whole. Seeing them live Benedictine spirituality in the dailiness, difficulties, and joys of these days awed me. I want to support their life of love and prayer. The world needs their witness. And so do I.

My income is small, so I can't donate much money now. But I have some investments. I am exploring which planned giving instrument works best for me to include the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in my estate planning.

Isabelle Salvador,
St. Louis, MO

Years ago, my husband, Mario, introduced me to the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. He taught the sisters music appreciation, theory, harmony, transposition, Gregorian Chant, liturgy, choral techniques and all aspects of the music approved for worship by Holy Mother Church.

Mario dedicated the Sisters’ rebuilt organs in the St Louis and Clyde chapels. I know I pleased him after his death by donating our home organ to the Sisters.

I have always admired the many religious men and women who serve our church. They have made a deep and lasting impression on me and have been models for me to imitate and follow. Knowing and admiring them has made me strive to become a better person and a good practicing Catholic.

God is so good to all of us, but every one of us experiences sadness and faces difficult situations from time to time. When I really need help in getting through the days, I phone and ask the sisters to pray for my special intentions. I know that when my prayers are united with the sisters’ petitions, God is pleased and hears me more clearly and I enjoy peace of mind.