Visitors, visitors, visitors!

     Julie Andrews sang, ”The hills are alive with the sound of music.”  Our song here at the monastery could easily be, “The halls are alive with the sound of young ones.”  We have been very fortunate to have many recent visitors from local schools.  In no particular order

•            Members of Saint Henry District High School came one afternoon to play games primarily with the sisters in the Infirmary. Much laughter echoed through the area as Scrabble, Phase 10, and Sequence challenged sisters and students alike.
•            Villa Madonna Senior religion class with their teacher Eileen O’Connell came for visiting and service. While some of them were busy cleaning the inside of cars another group were in conversation with the infirmary sisters. Thanks to two of the seniors (who are also our infirmary aides) who helped sisters get from their rooms to the lounge to visit.. It made for a great round table event.
•            Fifth grade girls from Blessed Sacrament were here last week to learn about our life  After a tour Maddie, a Villa senior and Infirmary aide, shared her knowledge gleaned from life at the school and in her service in the Monastery.The day was rounded out as the girls met with the sisters in small groups for more sharing.
•         Junior and Senior High students from the Villa (See below, right.) shared their music skills with a spring concert in our Lower Level. Choruses sang from a variety of movie music and the bands played both classical and popular music.  What a fine job and what a treat!
•             In addition, several sisters became surrogate grandparents for Villa K-3 boys and girls.  After a musical presentation of songs from the grandparents’ era, complete with choreography, held in the theater, the children showed off their classroom, their art work and asked us to answer biographical questions.  It was delightful.

And two future events are coming up. 

           Thirty-two seventh grade girls are coming from Our Lady of Victory.  While the boys are visiting the seminary, these girls are finding out about monastic life. After a tour they will meet sixteen girls from Villa who will share their experience of the Benedictines The day will include Mass and lunch with the sisters.

           The second grade boys and girls of the Villa will be coming for an evening Mass to celebrate their first communions.Parents and relatives will also be our guests.

So all of the joy shared in these various events finds me wanting to sing the title of a familiar hymn: “How can I keep from singing.” 

         Sr. Mary Rabe, OSB