Benedictine College Questions

[goravens]

I am definitely unaware of the president who preceded Dr. Carey…the one I was aware before him was one of the abbey priests. Thanks for educating me Dr. Carey did a lot with finances, getting the college to be more well-known, etc. The biggest piece of that was the buildings - renovating Ferrell Hall, building the student union and gym, football stadium, and redoing the old roost and old gym building. They also started the EMBA program while he was there. I think he was the major catalyst in all of that and getting the capital campaign going to fund everything.

 

[faith_ful1953us]

Another concern I had is: How close of a relationship do the female religious have? I checked out thier web site and they do not wear the habit. I am of the opinion that it is a privilege to wear the habit. What a positive message it sends to the world.

They also have a “womens center” and they teach tai chi atchisondailyglobe.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=4607&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=20

“Womens Centers” worry me a bit. Quote from the Sisters web site:
Women’s Wisdom Center - A ministry of the Benedictine Sisters in collaboration with other Atchison-area women. The Center was formed in 2002 to offer varied opportunities for development in keeping with our aim to educate, encourage and empower women.

And a different subject: During our campus visit, I went to Mass at the Abbey. They do not kneel during the consecration. Everyone stood except me. It felt very strange. What is that about?

 

[MamaSusie]

Wow, that’s new since I was there. Also when I was there, all the sisters wore the habit.

 

[ConcernCatholic]

goravens:

I am definitely unaware of the president who preceded Dr. Carey…the one I was aware before him was one of the abbey priests. Thanks for educating me Dr. Carey did a lot with finances, getting the college to be more well-known, etc. The biggest piece of that was the buildings - renovating Ferrell Hall, building the student union and gym, football stadium, and redoing the old roost and old gym building. They also started the EMBA program while he was there. I think he was the major catalyst in all of that and getting the capital campaign going to fund everything.

This is ConcernCatholic’s husband again:

Dr. Carey did wonderful things for BC. I look at it this way: Dr. James got the college back on it’s feet and Dr. Carey taught it how to walk and even how to run. That’s the best analogy I can come up with. BC wouldn’t be the vibrant place it is today without Dr. Carey.

 

[ConcernCatholic]

faith_ful1953us:

Another concern I had is: How close of a relationship do the female religious have? I checked out thier web site and they do not wear the habit. I am of the opinion that it is a privilege to wear the habit. What a positive message it sends to the world.

This is ConcernCatholic’s husband (a BC alum and former monk): I have no idea how many sisters are still involved in the college. The number was beginning to dwindle when I graduated because the college was becoming more orthodox, much to the dismay of some of the sisters, and often in spite of them.

faith_ful1953us:

And a different subject: During our campus visit, I went to Mass at the Abbey. They do not kneel during the consecration. Everyone stood except me. It felt very strange. What is that about?

I have no idea about the legality of the practice, but it might have something to do with the fact that the conventual mass for the monastic community is held in the chior and unless you have a great neck, it becomes very difficult to focus on the altar during mass when you kneel because you face away from the altar and towards the other side of the chior. I always found that kneeling during mass in the chior was distracting because I couldn’t focus on the altar. Just my two cents.

 

[goravens]

faith_ful1953us:

Another concern I had is: How close of a relationship do the female religious have? I checked out thier web site and they do not wear the habit. I am of the opinion that it is a privilege to wear the habit. What a positive message it sends to the world.

They also have a “womens center” and they teach tai chi atchisondailyglobe.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=4607&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=20

“Womens Centers” worry me a bit. Quote from the Sisters web site:
Women’s Wisdom Center - A ministry of the Benedictine Sisters in collaboration with other Atchison-area women. The Center was formed in 2002 to offer varied opportunities for development in keeping with our aim to educate, encourage and empower women.

And a different subject: During our campus visit, I went to Mass at the Abbey. They do not kneel during the consecration. Everyone stood except me. It felt very strange. What is that about?

There are a couple sisters who teach in different areas of the college - two in the English department, one in the math department, one in the religious studies department (as best I can recall - could have changed since I graduated in ‘03.) By and large, the sisters are not very involved in the college. The monks and abbey are on the campus; the sisters are across town which naturally lends itself to more of a divide. The sisters generally are regarded as liberal by the student body and many of the faculty. The college has only grown more and more orthodox as the sisters’ involvement has decreased, in my view. When I was there, we visited the sister’s convent for vespers and Mass a couple times…they are very friendly but their order is getting older with not many new sisters coming. I think it’s interesting how many students and alums from BC have joined convents that are faithful, orthodox and growing - while the Benedictine sisters in Atchison are not. It’s too bad because they’re really missing out.

Just a funny side note - a couple years ago there was a statue put on campus showing a sister teaching students, to honor the original Benedictines who founded the college. Even though the nuns who founded the school wore habits the sisters chose to not include that. Some of the students made veils/habits and put it on the statues as a semi-serious prank

As far as Mass at the abbey, when they have most of the Masses in the choir stalls they allow for standing because the choir stalls do not face the altar. I was told - don’t know if this is substantiated or not - that they have permission from the Vatican to do this. It’s not at all an issue of being liberal and not kneeling for the consecration; simply one of logistics and worship attentive to the altar where Christ is present. Many students still kneel anyway. If you visit campus again, try to attend one of the daily Masses in the student chapel too.