I Have Moved
“I have moved.” This is the message I emailed to my family and friends last March. I am now living in Saint Scholastica Convent (SSC), my community’s retirement center in east St. Cloud.
A few months before moving, I gave significant attention and energy to discerning: “What’s next for me?” My back needed more physical and related therapy than I could receive at Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph. I could sense God was communicating to me through my body. After several weeks, my path became clear. I needed to move to Saint Scholastica Convent.
I now continue to live community life with sisters I’ve known throughout my Benedictine years. We pray Liturgy of Hours three times a day. I’m amazed at how well the chant tunes are carried by cantors and the community. Being off pitch is usually not a major issue; praying is what is central. Benedict’s admonition that monks should eat together is practiced faithfully. Do I enjoy every topic of conversation? No. I’m not interested in the soup being too salty, how someone needed to take out the stitches on her dish towel, or a sister taking over the table talk, especially with stories I’ve heard several times.
On the other hand, my horizon has expanded as I have learned from my sisters. For example, I didn’t know bucks drop their antlers in winter and grow new ones in spring that are bigger and stronger, just in time for courtship and possibly fighting to determine which buck is tougher. If I miss a news item, someone will fill me in. My list of interesting books to read is growing as sisters talk about what they are reading. In some ways, I’ve lost my independence, such as going where and when I want. Cancellation of my driver’s license sealed the fate of my driving mobility. While losses have accumulated, new opportunities have come my way.
My transition has been graced. I discerned and made the choice to live here. Benedictine life welcomed me. These women are my sisters, expressing care for each other, including me. I continue some ministries that give me purpose and joy: writing blogs and meditations for our website and companioning people through spiritual direction. I am learning to move at a slower pace of life. I recognize that I’m in a shift in my vocation—how I think, transitioning to more reflection and rest, relishing nature around me, caring for the needs of my body, attending to my spiritual life. These shifts are both challenging and, on most days, anchored in peace. I trust they will lead me deeper into the heart of God, now and through my final transition.
Mary Reuter, OSB
This blog is an expansion of a piece featured, on page 19, in the fall 2025 issue of Call
