The Congregation of the Missionary Benedictine
Sisters of Tutzing is the product of a dream and a goal.
Towards the end of the
fifth century, Benedict of Nursia, at the time a young student in Rome, left the decadent
city to pursue a goal: TO SEEK GOD. Thinking he would achieve his goal in solitude –
like the hermits of the time – he spent a life of prayer and solitude in a cave in
Subiaco. God allowed Himself to be "found" by Benedict, but led him to bring Him
to many others. The solitary life had to give way to one in community, which was
eventually established on Monte Casino, where Benedict set down his way to God in
what is now known as the HOLY RULE or the RULE OF BENEDICT. The years and centuries that
followed saw Benedictines inspiring peoples of country upon country first in Europe and
then, beyond, to pursue the same goal of SEEKING GOD through their life of prayer and
work, lived in community with a superior, observing the Holy Rule.
Move forward some fourteen
centuries to the 1880s... A
Benedictine monk in the Abbey of Beuron in Germany, Fr. Andreas Amrhein, OSB, dreamt of
bringing back the missionary dimension to the prevailing practice of Benedictine life at
that time – mostly in the confines of a monastery or convent enclosure. In 1884 he
founded the Congregation of St. Ottilien, Benedictine monks with a special mission "
to bring Christ to those who do not yet know Him." The following year, he formed the
first group of women to evangelize together with the monks. On September 24, 1885 the
Congregation of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing was formally approved by the
Holy See. Later years would see the Sisters’ congregation separating administratively
from that of the monks while maintaining close spiritual and missionary relationships as
well as working side by side in a number of missions, especially in African countries.
Towards the end of the
fifth century, Benedict of Nursia, at the time a young student in Rome, left the decadent
city to pursue a goal: TO SEEK GOD. Thinking he would achieve his goal in solitude –
like the hermits of the time – he spent a life of prayer and solitude in a cave in
Subiaco. God allowed Himself to be "found" by Benedict, but led him to bring Him
to many others. The solitary life had to give way to one in community, which was
eventually
established on Monte Casino, where Benedict set down his way to God in
what is now known as the HOLY RULE or the RULE OF BENEDICT. The years and centuries that
followed saw Benedictines inspiring peoples of country upon country first in Europe and
then, beyond, to pursue the same goal of SEEKING GOD through their life of prayer and
work, lived in community with a superior, observing the Holy Rule.
A
Benedictine monk in the Abbey of Beuron in Germany, Fr. Andreas Amrhein, OSB, dreamt of
bringing back the missionary dimension to the prevailing practice of Benedictine life at
that time – mostly in the confines of a monastery or convent enclosure. In 1884 he
founded the Congregation of St. Ottilien, Benedictine monks with a special mission "
to bring Christ to those who do not yet know Him." The following year, he formed the
first group of women to evangelize together with the monks. On September 24, 1885 the
Congregation of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing was formally approved by the
Holy See. Later years would see the Sisters’ congregation separating administratively
from that of the monks while maintaining close spiritual and missionary relationships as
well as working side by side in a number of missions, especially in African countries.