As we conclude the second year of the Certificate in Benedictine Formation program at Hill-Murray School, I find myself deeply grateful, grateful for our students, grateful for our partnership with St. Paul’s Monastery, and grateful for the enduring wisdom of the Benedictine tradition that continues to shape lives in such meaningful ways.
The Certificate in Benedictine Formation program at Hill-Murray School is a yearlong formation experience in partnership with St. Paul’s Monastery. The program includes an overnight retreat at the Monastery, five formation sessions at the Benedictine Center during WIN time, Wednesday morning prayer experiences with the sisters, service connected to the monastery, and personal reflection. The experience is open to juniors and seniors at Hill-Murray. Students explore topics such as the Heart of the Prologue, Benedictine humility, contemplative prayer, leadership and work, and the Benedictine concept of “good zeal,” all while developing a connection to what the Rule of St. Benedict offers in today’s world. Upon graduation, students who complete the program receive a Certificate in Benedictine Formation and a notation on their transcript.
When we first launched this program last year, our hope was simple: to create an opportunity for students to slow down, deepen their faith, and encounter the richness of Benedictine spirituality in a more intentional way. What we have witnessed over these past two years has been far more profound than I think any of us imagined.
What has struck me most this year is not simply what students learned, but who they are becoming.
Again and again, students reflected on how the program changed the way they move through the world. One student shared, “I learned to always provide student leadership and bring good zeal.” Another reflected, “I have learned having good zeal and positivity can impact others in great ways.” In a culture that can often reward cynicism or competition, it was inspiring to watch students embrace a spirituality rooted in encouragement, joy, kindness, and service to others.
Other reflections revealed a deepening maturity and self-awareness. One student wrote, “I learned to go through life proud, not arrogant.” Such a beautiful way to describe humility. Another shared the importance of “being aware of how you treat others and knowing God by knowing people.” Those words stayed with me because they capture something essential about Benedictine spirituality: our relationship with God is inseparable from the way we encounter and care for the people around us.
Perhaps the most moving reflections centered on the Benedictine value of balance. One student wrote, “One thing I have learned, which is the most inspiring, is the need for balance in my life. In a world that is so rushed, the Benedictine way teaches me to slow down.” Another reflected, “The Benedictine formation program helped me realize how much calmer and more present I feel when I slow down and treat every moment as something sacred, instead of something to get rushed through.”
One of the greatest gifts of this program has been watching students discover that faith is not simply about adding one more thing to an already busy schedule. Instead, Benedictine spirituality invites them to approach life differently, to listen more attentively, to pray more intentionally, to treat people with dignity, and to recognize the sacredness woven into ordinary moments.
As a school community, we often talk about preparing students to become compassionate leaders rooted in Christ. This program embodies that mission so well. It forms students not only intellectually, but spiritually and personally. It helps them begin to construct what St. Benedict might call a “rule of life”, a way of living grounded in purpose, balance, prayer, humility, and love.
I am incredibly grateful to the leadership team who made this year possible, including Sister Linda Soler, OSB, Mr. Jeff Dols, and Ms. Kami Pohl, as well as the generous donors who continue to support this program so that students can participate at no cost.
As we completed this second year of the program, I found myself hopeful about the future. In a world that often feels noisy, anxious, and divided, these students remind me that young people are still searching for depth, meaning, and authentic community. And perhaps most importantly, they remind me that the Benedictine tradition still has something important to teach all of us.
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Dr. Sue Skinner (Vice President for Mission at Hill-Murray School) OblSB: In addition to
“guid[ing] Hill-Murray’s Catholic identity and its Benedictine and Lasallian values across all
academics and student life,” Dr. Skinner is a regular presence at St. Paul’s Monastery while
working with the Hill-Murray students in the Certificate in Benedictine Formation program.
She is part of the 2023 St. Paul’s Monastery Oblate Cohort and is a regular participant at
our Ongoing Formation meetings.
