2006 Religious Vocations Supplement
Photos: Benedictines seek God in prayer and work
Text and photos by Brandon A. Evans
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The Benedictine Sisters of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove recently celebrated 50 years since its founding.
In that time, the Benedictine sisters who came from Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Ind., in the Evansville Diocese, and those who followed them, have engaged in a myriad of ministries.
Among them are two that exist on the many acres of land owned by the monastery.
The St. Paul Hermitage prides itself as “a place to call home” for elderly people. Since it opened in 1960, more than 1,000 people have lived there—and the waiting time is about three years.
The facility offers apartments, residential living and 24-hour nursing care.
The Benedict Inn Retreat and Conference Center is an ecumenical ministry operated by the sisters to provide programs for spiritual, educational and physical growth.
The center is located at the former Our Lady of Grace Academy, an all-girls school that closed in 1978.
The sisters have communal prayer each day, and many of them are involved in ministries throughout the archdiocese.
(If you’re interested in learning more about life in the community, call Benedictine Sister Mary Nicolette Etienne at 317-787-3287, ext. 3032, or e-mail nicolette@benedictine.com, or log on to www.benedictine.com.) †
