Hope at the Reception Desk

At Saint Benedict’s Monastery, when we answer the phone or open our doors to visitors, it’s not only about charity. It’s about creating a community where dignity is upheld. That encourages hope.

As we welcome guests and listen to their stories, the Holy Spirit often weaves the conversations into hopeful messages. Voices carry warmth, sincerity and sometimes humorous laughter, and it seems to settle into the walls of the reception desk room. One receptionist likes to touch the walls before she sits down and asks for the previous day’s blessings to be with her.

Working at the reception desk requires concentration, and the receptionists need to remain focused. Yet our time there is filled with moments of grace. When sorrow and confusion are shared, hope quietly emerges, often in unexpected ways. This occurs especially when the receptionist promises to pray for the caller concerning situations he or she is sharing.

The reasons for people’s calls range from friendly to challenging, and the condition of the caller or visitor varies greatly. Each conversation requires patience and the necessity to remain focused on the message. That attentiveness allows us to hear their stories of joy or grief spoken in their truest form. Every interaction reminds us that the receptionist ministry should be a Benedictine ministry.

Listening and responding does not erase grief, but the act of sharing, as is true with joy, creates the opportunity for catharsis, and for love and life to persist. At the core, it’s about the power of community. We are all deeply connected, and the responses to visitors and phone conversations begin with small words of love and caring. Hope and optimism are shared, especially when we promise to pray for them.

It is felt that the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope’s theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” is calling us to the path of hope and unwavering love. Miracles are possible through faithful kindness and the smallest offering of our ora et labora (prayer and work) at the desk. It’s the collective spirit of our community willing to share, especially our prayers. Every sister is part of the miracle that happens at the desk. Every member of our community, contributing prayer, plays a vital piece of the work we do. We cannot keep the doors open and continue the beautiful experience of loving hope without each one of us.

Let us “hold fast to hope” and the promise of our prayer commitment to this and in this, our way of life. May our prayer light always find a way to shine in the darkness.

Alice Imdieke, OSB

This article was featured on page 12 in the spring 2025 issue of Benedictine Sisters and Friends.