Community connections
The brothers and sisters of Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery welcome you to our community connections page. Here you will find our community blog, where once a month, a member of our community reflects on the question of what it means for them to live their Benedictine call in the world. You will also find links to the webpages, blogs, and ministries of many of our members. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into our community.
Our Author for May:
Cynthia Bowman-Gholston
May 2024 Community Blog
Monasticism saves my life or Trust the process. . .
Like many of us, I grew up in a Christian home. I heard the call to monasticism at the age of 12, but as a non-Catholic believed that would never be a possibility for me. But God…
I went to a Baptist College, Anderson Broaddus College, now closed, in Philippi, West Virginia. I moved to Maryland to work in my chosen profession, Clinical Laboratory Science (formerly known as Medical Technologist). I learned to safely navigate the world as a single woman. I cared for and eventually buried my ailing parents. I got married. I went through tough times. I became a widow.
In 2005, I met St Brigid of Kildare Monastery and her tour guide for life, Mary Stamps, and my life transformed into something extraordinary —Trust the process of transformation. I became a Monk in Training (MIT).
Many literary critics would rewrite the previous sentence, but I’m sticking with MIT.
First of all, Amma Stamps introduced me to liturgical prayer and the Rule of St Benedict. I have to admit that when I received my first copy of RB 1980, I rather quickly read through the pages and thought —good points, and placed it on a shelf for safe keeping, without realizing that the tour guide would shine her flashlight on all things Benedictine through the writings of those who have been walking with Benedict for years and mining the depths of that little book, with authors like Michael Casey, Esther deWaal, and Joan Chittister.
I learned to organize my life around the daily offices (prayer times for the non-Monastics) and the rhythm of life began to take structure. For monastics, prayer is like breathing. Not just any prayer—the Psalms. How often have difficult life situations forced my brain to utter the words, “O God, come to my assistance; make haste to help me”, in response, or “Set a guard over my mouth” in other circumstances. Step by step, prayer session by prayer session, day by day, and author by author, I have been pulled through almost twenty years of life.
While I have not reached the monastic mastery of life and cannot claim to be more than a MIT (Monk in Training); I am encouraged by the progress I have experienced, and I trust that God and my tour guide will continue to refine me into God’s plan for my existence.
Trust the process. . .
Monasticism saves my life or Trust the process. . .
Like many of us, I grew up in a Christian home. I heard the call to monasticism at the age of 12, but as a non-Catholic believed that would never be a possibility for me. But God…
I went to a Baptist College, Anderson Broaddus College, now closed, in Philippi, West Virginia. I moved to Maryland to work in my chosen profession, Clinical Laboratory Science (formerly known as Medical Technologist). I learned to safely navigate the world as a single woman. I cared for and eventually buried my ailing parents. I got married. I went through tough times. I became a widow.
In 2005, I met St Brigid of Kildare Monastery and her tour guide for life, Mary Stamps, and my life transformed into something extraordinary —Trust the process of transformation. I became a Monk in Training (MIT).
Many literary critics would rewrite the previous sentence, but I’m sticking with MIT.
First of all, Amma Stamps introduced me to liturgical prayer and the Rule of St Benedict. I have to admit that when I received my first copy of RB 1980, I rather quickly read through the pages and thought —good points, and placed it on a shelf for safe keeping, without realizing that the tour guide would shine her flashlight on all things Benedictine through the writings of those who have been walking with Benedict for years and mining the depths of that little book, with authors like Michael Casey, Esther deWaal, and Joan Chittister.
I learned to organize my life around the daily offices (prayer times for the non-Monastics) and the rhythm of life began to take structure. For monastics, prayer is like breathing. Not just any prayer—the Psalms. How often have difficult life situations forced my brain to utter the words, “O God, come to my assistance; make haste to help me”, in response, or “Set a guard over my mouth” in other circumstances. Step by step, prayer session by prayer session, day by day, and author by author, I have been pulled through almost twenty years of life.
While I have not reached the monastic mastery of life and cannot claim to be more than a MIT (Monk in Training); I am encouraged by the progress I have experienced, and I trust that God and my tour guide will continue to refine me into God’s plan for my existence.
Trust the process. . .
A Few of Our Community Members' Websites and Ministries