College of St. Benedict
October 29, 1982/1
Cable
2
Vol. 7 No. 2
Senior Barb Tevogt
(photo by Kelly Althoff)
Tevogt Dons a New Habit
by Mary Devine
"Awesome."
Most people wouldn't use that particular word to describe their idea of the convent community. However, one college senior found it a concise way to voice her own feelings.
When lay people think of the convent and nuns, they often envision a rather mysterious place and a solitary lifestyle. As students of a Catholic college with a convent right "under our noses," we are afforded on all too rare opportunity to become involved with many of the sisters on our campus.
But the college student who described the Benedictine hospitality of St. Benedict's convent has an inside track— she is well on her way to becoming a nun. Her name is Barb Tevogt, a college senior majoring in Theology and minoring in Spanish. Barb is almost a year into her religious program. This stage is called postulancy, which means that she is a candidate for a religious order. The novitiate stage is next, in which she has entered the religious order, but is on a type of probation before taking her final vows.
Presently, Barb lives in the convent in what is referred to as a formation house. Her other postulants and novitiates, of which she is the youngest, live along with two directors. A few other sisters also live in the formation house to provide guidance and act as advisors.
Life as a postulant starts at 6:30 a.m. with prayers that are also held at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Barb is taking a course load of fourteen credits along with two additional postulancy classes. A five hour work-study is also a part of her schedule. The convent dining room is where she eats all of her meals. Two vacations a
year are allowed for postulants, the first at Christmas, and the second two week break in May during which she can go to her home in Montevideo and visit her two younger sisters. There is also a week long retreat at the end of this school year. Otherwise, Barb remains in the convent.
To get as far along in her training as she is now, Barb started at the end of her sophomore year in college. She had been involved in campus ministry and was a eucharistic minister in her first two years here. After her curiosity was aroused about a religious life, she began to ask
questions about the sisterhood. One thing led to another until Barb became an affiliate, which is a pre-entrance stage. In January of her junior year, there was testing: she took a personal inventory designed to help a woman interested in the convent to get to know herself better. An interview by a counselor is also a part of this stage. Last April, an Admissions Board questioned candidates for the sisterhood.
In June, Barb will decide whether she wishes to stop the process or move on to become a novitiate, in which case the members of the convent community will vote on her acceptance. At this point, she would carry the title of sister; after the novitiate stage first promises are then made. If she chooses to continue, it will take five years for Barb to become a vowed sister.
This whole process of postulancy has changed Barb Tevogt. Because of the great amount of time her convent and college life demand, her study habits have had to change. The relationships in her life are also being altered. She is becoming more attached to the other sisters while working on keeping in touch with her peers. Although she occasionally questions why she is being called in this way, Barb is happy with her life and what she is doing.
New Chapel
Eagerly
Awaited
by Ruth Beland
As we all have noticed, the College of St. Benedict's Sacred Heart Chapel is taking on a brand new look. Beginning in 1981, members of the St. Benedict's Convent Community met in small groups of approximately 20-25 people to design a newly renovated chapel. According to Sister Colleen Haggerty, second Vice-President of the convent, more than 150 meetings were held to discuss the project, and the basic design of the building was changed three times before the final scheme was satisfactory to the entire congregation. After one year of rigorous planning and organizing, construction finally got underway for the 18-month renovation project.
As Sister Katherine Howard, prioress at the convent, stated last Spring, "It had been clear for several years that renovation of the chapel was imperative, but besides these maintenance needs, there was also the challenge to realize their commitment to aspects of their lives in which new demands were being experienced."
The sacredness of space and environment were key in the planning of the new chapel. The convent's goal and hope was that the project reflect the new awareness of contemporary Benedictine spirituality as it relates to the quality of their lives together as a community. These principles joined with their plan to add new space to the west side leading to the chapel, replastering and repainting of the existing spaces, replacement of the utility lines feeding the 100-year-old residence building, and resolving the energy problems of the chapel, which had occurred in the past few years.
The addition of the space to the west will provide three levels: on the first, a gathering place for various liturgical, social, and educational activities; on the second, an oratory for praying the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office); and, on the third, the convent archives where 125 years of history lived by the Sisters of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minnesota, will be carefully preserved.
How much is this elaborate project costing the convent community here at St. Benedict's? According to Sister Colleen, the construction costs run approximately $4,000,000. "Our community has been saving this money for many years and has long anticipated the chapel renovations," Sister Colleen stated. She also went on to add that the chapel renovation is strictly a Benedictine convent project. Although the entire College of St. Benedict student body and the St. Joseph community benefit from the chapel, the financing is done completely by the convent community itself.
At the present time the convent is also in the process of investigating designs for the possible purchase of a new pipe organ. Although no definite plans have been set as of yet, this organ would be specially designed and built to fit the architecture of the new chapel. "A pipe organ of this caliber could cost up to as much as $400,000 to $500,000," Sister Colleen explained, "and would take anywhere from one to two years to build and install."
The St. Benedict's convent community hopes to move into the new chapel by Easter, although the renovated chapel will not be completely finished by then. The eighteen-month loss of the use of the church has somewhat forced the sisters to pray in their individual residence buildings or in small groups. Some convent members also go into the St. Joseph parish for prayer service or worship.
Although the 1982-83 school year has begun once again, with classes well underway, clubs organized, and sports off to a good start, one aspect of the college community is missing from our lives here at CSB: our very special chapel. As we presently make do with the BAC Auditorium for Sunday Mass and other special liturgical events, we look forward to Spring, when once again we may worship together in a refreshing new Sacred Heart Chapel.
