Luminous Lodge #6

At the end of February, Luminous Lodge #6 was moved to Rosamond A due to frozen pipes in the lodge. It was a wonderful experience. When we heard about the frozen pipes and had 33 CSB women registered for the evening, we did not want to cancel. We brought our student helpers to see Rosamond A Thursday evening, and within two hours, the room was transformed. We had luminaries lining the walls, candles ready to light and standing lamps to create a prayerful space. We even had an electric fireplace in Rosamond A to enhance the experience. On Friday evening, we began by gathering around a bonfire on the lower plaza - thank you Sister Philip! The group then moved inside for some energetic ice breakers led by two CSB women.

The focus of our evening was based on a book written by Sister Rita Barthel, OSF, called "Finding Life’s Purpose: When Do I Encounter God?" We had given the book to two CSB women last fall and invited them to lead the evening session. Heidi and Ashley’s reflective presentation focused on a section of the book that talked about letting go. Their personal testimonies were a beautiful witness to the other women. The prayer, silence and journaling time that followed was powerful. After the reflection time, everyone enjoyed caramel, apples, popcorn and hot cocoa, which has become the traditional snack we serve. We ended the evening with singing praise songs and a closing prayer. Previous attendees to Luminous Lodge said we did a great job creating the right ambiance for the evening. Luminous Lodge #6 was a success.

Lisa Rose, OSB