Awareness of God: At Prayer, At Work, at All Times

Awareness of God as Benedictine women of Yankton, South Dakota

- Seeking God in our prayer together and savoring the word of Scripture;
- Listening for the Divine voice in the stillness of our own hearts;
- Regarding the ordinary with reverence: our work and prayer, people, places, material things, and events.

Rural Origin

We are rural in origin and are, therefore, close to the soil and to prairie culture. Throughout our history, our community has known the extremes of Dakota weather, along with Awareness of God: Image of the Bishop Marty Chapel from a field drought, blizzards and tornadoes. We have also enjoyed the changing seasons, the Dakota sunsets, the song of the meadowlark, and the wide expanse of blue sky and green fields. Always we seek to be aware of God’s presence.*

Rural Environment

As with the pioneer prairie women, the rural environment has generated a spirit of hope, the capacity for adventure and risk, courage in hardship, simplicity of life, respect for manual work, and acceptance of responsibilities in areas not ordinarily considered open to women. Awareness of God can be observed in cultivating the garden through the As part of our rural roots, we value natural beauty and its counter part, “the work of our hands.” In all ways we seek to be aware of God’s presence.*

“We, who live the monastic life as Yankton Benedictine women, commit ourselves to uphold the sacredness of creation. Yankton Benedictines use what we have for the transformation of culture because creation is the Lord’s and we are its keepers. We hold all things in trust.” Awareness of God: A flower in the Yankton Benedictines Garden shows