There are some gatherings that remind us why places like St. Paul’s Monastery matter.
On Sunday, June 21, we welcomed about 30 guests to join the Sisters for Sunday Mass as we celebrated the 78th anniversary of the founding of St. Paul’s Monastery. Founded on June 22, 1948, the Monastery has stood for nearly eight decades as a place of prayer, hospitality, and steadfast witness to the Gospel. While anniversaries invite us to look back with gratitude, this celebration was also about the people who continue to carry the Monastery’s story forward today.
Mass was celebrated by Fr. Cyril Gorman, OSB, from Saint John’s Abbey. As always, the simple rhythm of prayer, scripture, song, and community drew us together around what matters most. After Mass, we processed outdoors to the statue of St. Benedict where eleven newly installed commemorative pavers had been placed and prepared for blessing.
Each paver was marked with a red rose.
 
It was a beautiful sight. The roses drew our attention not only to the stones themselves, but to the stories they represent. Some pavers were given in memory of loved ones who have died. Others honored people who continue to bless the lives of their families and communities. Together they formed a small mosaic of gratitude, remembrance, and love.
Sister Catherine Nehotte, our Prioress, led the blessing. One of the things I appreciated most was that everyone present was invited to participate. After the prayers, guests stepped forward to sprinkle the pavers with holy water. It felt deeply Benedictine—less about observing from a distance and more about entering into the moment together. Benedict reminds us that community is not something we watch happen; it is something we help create.
From there we moved into the Monastery dining room for a homemade Sunday brunch. The food was wonderful, but as is often the case in Benedictine spaces, the conversation became the real gift.
After grace, Sister Linda Soler, our subprioress, invited everyone to introduce themselves and, if they had donated a paver, to share who it honored or remembered and why. What followed was one of those moments you cannot plan for. One by one, people shared stories of parents, spouses, friends, mentors, and family members whose lives had shaped their own. There was laughter. There were some joyful tears. There were long-held memories spoken aloud for perhaps the first time in years.
As I listened, I found myself thinking that this is one of the quiet gifts the Sisters have offered for 78 years. The Monastery gives people a place to remember what is most important. In a world that often moves too quickly, it creates space for gratitude, reflection, and connection. It reminds us that every life has a story worth telling and that God is present in those stories.
We left that afternoon carrying more than memories of a lovely celebration. We left with renewed gratitude—for the Sisters, for one another, and for the enduring love of God that has sustained this community since 1948.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Monastery soon.
Oh, and there is always an opportunity to donate a paver in memory or in honor of someone important in your life. Please click here for more information. The next community blessing of new pavers will be after Evening Prayer on November 2 (the Feast of All Souls). New paver orders need to be received by August 20 to be included in the November 2 blessing.
