Saturday, July 08, 2006
BENEDICTINE SINGLE WOMEN OF THE ST. BENEDICT CENTER
These are the women who have petitioned to be released from their vows because they are an ecumenical community that doesn't want to make their non-Catholic members uncomfortable. Naturally they do not wear habits. It almost looks as though they have adopted blue and white as their official dress standard. Perhaps crimson is the color designating the prioress?
Their website indicated that they are about "Weaving prayer, hospitality, justice and care of the earth into a shared way of life."
On the positive side, they are committed to serving their fellow man. I see that they are committed to overcoming the "gender barrier" as well.
Their retreat schedule is informative.
They offer a retreat for young women in their 20s and 30s where these young women can learn about leisure, among other things. Did St. Benedict teach about leisure? Somehow I have my doubts. Most of us can find leisure all by ourselves, thank you very much. Is this an age extension of the concept of "taking it to the youth" that turns up repeatedly in ecumenical circles? Youth seem to be a target in the gay community as well as in the Catholic Church. (But then I am probably being much too cynical.)
They offer a weekend exploration retreat for a young woman who wishes to sample Benedictine life. There a young woman can learn about God's call. Apparently they think that God is calling young women away from the faith, not to it, because they have just severed their ties to Christ's Church and established themselves as non-denominational, so I guess this God they are exploring is amorphous.
They offer to provide spiritual guidance for a fee. (Gotta pay the grocery bill.) Is this simony?
Their list of spiritual directors must be seen to be believed. There are four women and two men on the list. Are they all resident counselors? Do we want to know what happens at the St. Benedict Center after the lights go out?
On their team of spiritual directors is a Lutheran, a Catholic presumably since she is the founder, a Presbyterian minister, and a woman who is trained in the nursing profession and learned to give spiritual direction at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership where you can study spirituality without that annoying denominationalism. You can plug in just about any god you choose in their spirituality course since it's about finding the god within. I wonder which god Sandra Meek plugged into her belief system that she is offering to pass on to others for a fee? She doesn't say.
Ken Smits, a Capuchin, is the Saint Benedict Center's Pastoral Minister, a hospital chaplain, a spirituality counselor and substance abuse counselor. As this center demonstrates, we can no longer assume that being a Capuchin means that he is Catholic.
Charles Pfeiffer is a Jungian psychologist. The word "Jesus" actually appears in his bio. Of course he's into seminars on dreams, so this might be the Gnostic Jesus.
I'm thankful that Bishop Morlino has withdrawn Mass privileges and the Eucharist from these--uhmmmm---"spiritualists".
