Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum (CIB)
September 7, 2006, found Benedictine women from nineteen regions of the
world, gathering at Sant'Anselmo, Rome, Italy, for the fifth Symposium
sponsored by the CIB.
Wisdom Leadership
"Wisdom Leadership" was the theme addressed by the Communio. This
was the second symposium to which each region was invited to have a recently
(five years or less) perpetually professed member join the delegates and
participants. Cloistered, non-cloistered, new monasteries and those with a
rich tradition, monasteries with a large membership and monasteries of only
a few, all (about 120) gathered as Benedictine women to pray, learn, share
and treasure the heritage that is ours.
 The
Federation of Saint Benedict as part of the USA and Canada region, was
represented by three participants. Sister Michaela Hedican OSB, President,
Sister Nancy Bauer OSB, Prioress, Saint Benedict Monastery, St. Joseph, MN,
and Sister Margaret Michaud, Prioress, Saint Bede Monastery, Eau Claire,
Wisconsin. Our two prioresses that attended were chosen by lot.
Sister Austin Chang, Prioress, Saint Benedict Monastery, Danshui, Taipei,
Taiwan, was a participant from her region.
(Pictured on the bus to Subiaco beside Prioress
Nancy Bauer OSB in the window seat.) The following are reflections of
their experience of the Symposium. -- S. Michaela OSB
Reports from Participants
From Sister Nancy Bauer:
Several times I have been asked what I liked best about participating in
the 2006 symposium of
Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum. I answer that I liked two
things best. The first was the experience of being among Benedictine women
from around the world. I gained a new perspective on the diversity within
our Benedictine tradition and a new conviction about all that we have in
common.
There were participants from 32 countries; from monasteries as old as eighth
century and as young as a few decades; from communities of fewer than a dozen to
more than 500; some enclosed and some not. And yet, when we went to chapel for
Liturgy of the Hours, it was as if we had been praying together for centuries.
We all knew the "Benedictine way" of worshiping God.
 My
other favorite experience was the trip to Norcia, the birthplace of Saints
Benedict and Scholastica, particularly the visit to and renewal of
profession at the Church of St. Scholastica (pictured
right). I could sense the spirit of Scholastica in this holy place. I
also liked this church because, unlike the great churches in Rome, it was
rural, quiet and simple.
From Sister Austin Chang:
It was a great opportunity for me to be able to participate in the Fifth
International Symposium of the CIB in Rome, from 5 to 15 September 2006. I met
Benedictine sisters from all over the world. It was a very exciting experience
for me.
I want to say something about the renewal of vows that took place when on
a pilgrimage to the birthplace of St. Benedict. In 1982 I made my first vows
in Taiwan. And now here I was in 2006 renewing my vows at Norcia near Rome.
When I made my first vows I was just alone at that moment. After 24 years, I
renewed my vows with over nine hundred Benedictine sisters from the entire
world. That was a really beautiful and touching moment for me.
We used different languages, German, Italian, Spanish, French and
English, to renew our vows in the beautiful birth-place of St. Benedict.
Even though I don't know the other languages, I still tried to follow with
my heart to make vows. It was an amazing moment.
We were all united in the same spirit of Benedict. I used my imagination
to see young Benedict and his sister Scholastica as they might have been
playing there with animals and nature. Maybe they shared a little secret and
made some fun together. But most of all, they must have prayed together. I
can imagine Our Father in Heaven enjoying their childish but sweet dreams of
the future. And here we were, in that future.
From Sister Margaret Michaud:
At the 2006 CIB Symposium the universal appeal of Benedictine monastic life
and its adaptability to diverse locations and cultures was powerfully evident.
Although we came from every continent, we recognized a commonality in our
striving to live the Benedictine tradition. A profound aspect of our time
together was our common prayer. We carried out the Work of God with comfortable
familiarity, even though a variety of languages were incorporated. Everybody
could recite the psalms, sing the chants, listen to the Scripture reading, and
offer prayers for the Church and the world.
Left to right: Sister Michaela Hedican, Sister Miriam, from
England, Sister Roberta from Brazil, Sister Margaret Michaud, and Sister Marie
Benoit from Spain peruse an ancient text in the library at Monte Cassino.
The addresses we heard and the discussions we shared clearly revealed that we
are all concerned about living our Benedictine life authentically. Special focus
was given to the challenges of leadership in a rapidly changing world. The
challenges may differ in the different settings of our monasteries, but we still
strive according to the Rule of Benedict with its essential elements of prayer,
work, hospitality, stewardship and service.
The symposium, as many participants expressed it, was a true sign of hope and
a renewal of dedication to the Benedictine way. It was a great privilege to have
attended.
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