Peering Beyond the Prayer Book: A Day in the Life of Sr. Katie at the Spirit Center

Spirit Center

When Sr. Katie came to the Monastery of St. Gertrude, it seemed a natural fit that she would work with retreatants. In her previous life before St. Gertrude’s, Katie fulfilled her dream with her husband to open a mom and pop resort, where they also lived on the premises. Eventually the skills of hospitality and scheduling learned over the course of her life would become an essential part of Katie’s ministry at the Spirit Center, a facility designed for hosting retreats of all kinds.

Benedictine hospitality is very much alive and well here at the monastery, where most of the ministries are designed specifically to be hospitable and welcoming to anyone who should come. At one time, when this place was barely a distant thought, there was a need for teachers, nurses, and being very much a part of the community at large. The founding sisters that traveled from the Switzerland community answered this call, working where they were needed. Even when the Monastery of St. Gertrude was created, much work was done away from the building itself, expanding to include surrounding areas and even Colombia. Nowadays, there seems to be a greater desire for hospitality, to come away and find yourself again in the peace and rhythm of the Monastery of St. Gertrude. The need for the time and space that this community has to offer is so great that people have come from all across the country to find it (myself very much included). While there are several sisters that do minister away from the community, this place continues to be a steadfast center, open and welcoming to everyone. It is the people themselves who offer the greatest hospitality, Katie being a wonderful example. Her favorite, and the most rewarding part of her job is to be with people. It seems Benedictine hospitality existed in Katie long before she ever considered religious life.

Sr. Katie hard at work

When I asked Katie what she was responsible for at the Spirit Center, it was quickly understood that she is intimately involved with all aspects of running this retreat center. If you were to see her at work, you might find her sitting at her desk in front of her computer and on the phone with someone interested in making a retreat. Being dedicated to working with people, Katie continuously tries to meet each individual or group with their particular needs. You also might have a hard time seeing Katie, for when she is not at her desk, she is continuously bustling throughout the building taking care of or delegating any problems that have arisen (sometimes even on her day off).

For the future of the Spirit Center, Katie plans to continue to serve people with hospitality, including the gift of spiritual direction at reasonable costs. The Spirit Center, as Katie sees it, has so much to offer: space, time, quiet (if desired), the healing center, beautiful scenery, and much more, and above all, more hospitality than anywhere else she has been. Considering the work she has done over the years, this is saying something!       

After reflecting on my conversation with Katie, I was reminded of the song that says, “People, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.” I have certainly been a person who needs people and such that Katie has been a wonderful blessing for me, one recent example being the alteration of her travel plans to accommodate my own plans. This one example is a glimpse into the depth of Katie’s compassion and something that I try to emulate as best as I can. Katie has answered her call of ministry quite literally, yet she serves as a reminder to all of us of the importance of a warm welcome. I cannot fathom Katie working in any other capacity, and we are all incredibly lucky and blessed by her desire to serve God in this way.