A time of grace for women clergy: Retreat leader Sister Mary Luke Jones
In 2003, Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana, began sponsoring a program for Protestant clergywomen called Women Touched by Grace. The clergywomen spend time at the monastery with the Catholic sisters, attend classes in leadership and prayer and form strong bonds with each other. The program is administered by Sister Mary Luke Jones.
How did a Catholic monastery come to offer retreats for Protestant women clergy?
We responded to an invitation from the Lilly Endowment to design a program that would serve congregations by strengthening pastors. A number of clergywomen are connected to the monastery either through the Benedictine Inn, our retreat center, or by being oblates. I thought we could do something for women clergy, and I thought that the program could also be designed so that the sisters would benefit.
What is the program like?
For the first round, we invited 30 women to come twice a year, for ten days each time, over three years. We also met for a pilgrimage in Italy.
