Monastic Work
From the early centuries of monasticism, 'ora et labora' (prayer and work) have been coupled together as representing a healthy balance in monastic life. Prayer is always primary, but prayer flows over into work. Work is love made visible.
Manual labor promotes a sense of contributing to the welfare of the community, develops interest in and love for community life, and enables us to share the condition of the poor who live by means of their own labor.
We place our powers of mind and will, our gifts of nature and grace at the service of the superior and the community, that we might fulfill our assigned tasks well and in a holy manner. We try to make use of our abilities in order to learn all aspects of the work and thus be of greater service to the community.
While working with others we guard silence but when it is necessary to speak, we do so with a subdued voice, in order not to disturb the silence and recollection of others.
Lovingly submitting to the common law of work, we try to provide for our livelihood, as much as possible, without adopting today's mindset of merely working for profit. We live by the Providence of God, and our community's history shows that our main source of income has always been the free will offerings sent by persons desiring to contribute to our contemplative mission in the Church.
We publish a periodic newsletter mailed to relatives and friends in 49 States of the Union. As many as five of the Nuns are at times engaged in handling the large volume of correspondence generated by this newsletter. This work of correspondence also provides us a means of spreading the memory of the Passion of Jesus.
In addition to the usual domestic duties of sewing, cleaning, cooking, maintenance, gardening, and bookkeeping, some of our Nuns make articles of devotion such as paintings, note cards, statuettes, rosaries, etc., which can be obtained through our small giftshop.
The guest house attached to the monastery generates a small income. This haven of prayer, silence and peace is a way we offer hospitality to people searching for a deeper relationship with God, and to invite others to spend time with us here at the foot of the Cross.
