The St. Scholastica community welcomed Dan Raven and Kate Zilla as Benedictine Oblates on October 29, 2017. The completion of their year of orientation culminated with their Oblation Ceremony surrounded by family, friends, oblates and Benedictine Sisters of Chicago.
Dan writes:
This past year has been a time of personal spiritual development, focus and reflection.
The first half of my training was in a group setting with Sister Joan Hentges, OSB. What a dynamic lady! Her down to earth approach, her friendship, and method of presenting and explaining the material made classes both informative and fun.
After her passing on Mother's Day 2017, I felt grieved and stranded. It was a relief when Sister Benita Coffey took over. Our sessions were mostly one on one with more individual focus, not group discussions. I appreciated the individual attention and profound conversations.
I am grateful to have experienced both sisters as teachers.
Sister Benita pointed out that some people want to drop out of the program because they feel they are not doing everything just right. She said five of the Guidelines for Oblates of St. Benedict say, we should "strive" towards goals. We should not be so harsh on ourselves. Life is a journey of learning and living.
The last two guidelines say, "Oblates foster a spirit of community" and "are men and women of peace." This is a wonderful way to live.
Being in class and in the monthly discussion group has fostered all these ideals in me, and has truly helped in my personal spiritual growth.
If you are interested in becoming an Oblate, contact Sister Benita Coffey, 773.764.2413 x327, bcoffey@osbchicago.org
