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As an Oblate

Oblates are laypeople of all ages and of any Christian religious persuasion who desire a deeper relationship with God.  They seek to live out their baptismal commitment to die and rise with Christ by following the Rule of Benedict, allowing the focus of the Rule to serve as a guide to a deeper Christian life.  They do this by using the Rule’s emphasis on prayer, community living, silence, obedience, and humility.  Oblates affiliate with a particular Benedictine monastery to learn and to share with other Oblates their efforts to live faithfully and mindfully, always listening to the voice of God calling them to union and giving example by their lives of Gods’s grace.

Oblates pause in their work together for a photo.

Oblates pause in their work to pose for a photo.

Oblates make a commitment at the time of oblation to put a priority on daily prayer — especially some portion of the Liturgy of the Hours — to lectio divina, and to the monthly Oblate meetings. They then bring the values of Benedictine spirituality into the wider world where they live and work.

To grow in the understanding of the Rule of St. Benedict

The Oblate Director, Sister Edith Bogue, provides spiritual guidance through monthly group meetings and keeps in contact with the Oblates through newsletters and e-mail.  All Benedictine Oblates are welcome and invited to join the monastic community of St. Scholastica for the Liturgy of the Hours and daily Eucharist. 

Sister Edith has created Benedictine Oblates of the Northland – St. Scholastica Monastery, a blog site for Oblates and those who would like to know more about them: oblosb.wordpress.com.  She also writes for her other blog site, Monastic Musings Too.

How does one become an Oblate?

The first step in becoming an Oblate is to contact the Oblate Director:

Sister Edith Bogue, OSB
St. Scholastica Monastery
1001 Kenwood Avenue
Duluth, MN 55811-2300
phone: (218) 723-6555
e-mail: monastery@duluthosb.org

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