American Monastic Newsletter 43:3 (October 2012). Contents. ABA

The world of communications has changed radically in the last few years and the American Benedictine Academy has been well aware of the need to move with the times. At their meeting at last summer's convention, the board decided to make some major changes in its communication with members and with the public.

After decades of publication, this will be the last paper issue of the American Monastic Newsletter that members will receive in the mail. Beginning with the February 2013 issue, the newsletter will be delivered digitally to members by e-mail. It will be formatted in such a way that it can be printed easily for those who wish to share it with others in their monastery. Sister Judith Sutera will continue as editor, but will also be taking on some additional responsibility as ABA's new website administrator.

Instead of having a modest presence through the "osb.org" website, the ABA is currently working with Paraclete Press' website design firm to develop a full-featured website of its own. Members will find all communications and archives in one place and the public will be able to learn more about the ABA and its many important activities.

The website will also give instant access to all ABA communications, as well as forms for such things as membership renewal, grant applications and convention registration. In addition, as much as possible of the regular communication between the ABA and its members will be conducted by e-mail. With the retirement of long-time secretary Sister Adel Sautner, Sister Elizabeth Carrillo of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, has been hired as secretary and will manage the transition to internet-based communication.

Members will receive more information as the transition moves ahead, but can look forward to finding the ABA at <www.americanbenedictine.org> early in 2013.

A Benedictine Conversation Has Begun

A new adventure began October 17-21, 2012, at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, IN. Billed as "A Benedictine Conversation: Refocusing the Benedictine Tradition for the 21st Century," thirty-six women gathered from fifteen monastic communities throughout the US to begin a dialogue to discern authentic monastic practices as we carry out our Benedictine charism in these shifting times.

The presenters, Sisters Karen Joseph (Ferdinand), Ephrem Hollermann (St. Joseph, MN) and Shawn Carruth (Crookston, MN), set the context for the table and large group conversations. Some questions that arose from Sister Ephrem's "Benedictine Women's History: Cycles of Decline and Reform" centered on clarifying what we might mean today by the "r-words" we used in the post-Vatican II years: renewal, reform, reidentification, revitalization, refounding, etc. Sister Shawn opened questions regarding today's relationship between monastery and marketplace (culture) and Sister Karen opened and closed the conference with focus on Benedictine essentials.

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Judith Sutera OSB Editor in Chief, AMN Mount St. Scholastica 801 S. 8th Street Atchison, KS 66002 <JSutera@mountosb.org> Fax 913-367-3866	The Mission of the American Monastic Newsletter is to be an instrument of communication and information for Benedictine monasteries of North America and members of the American Benedictine Academy.
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