On the Job

When I first graduated from college with a degree in philosophy and theology, my aspiration was to save the world. I started small as a nurse’s aide in a hospice, a period intended to give me some practical experience of solving the problems of a small section of suffering humanity while I thought about how to reach the rest of the globe. (FYI: I am still thinking!)

The endeavor proved more difficult than I anticipated and, over the years, I narrowed my focus, while still keeping in mind that the job I did should always be concerned with helping people. I spent about 25 years working in healthcare, either in clinical practice or research.

Here at the monastery, I made a distinct career change or, more accurately, I should say that in consultation with the prioress a new path was presented to me. After I first professed in 2009, I started to work in the monastery’s development and communications office. My role in the office has changed over the years, and the name of the department has changed to mission advancement, but basically I’m in my 10th year of service in this area.

Now, in the outside world, I would not be an obvious choice for fundraising work because I don’t like asking people for money and I’m not terribly interested in finances. As long as I have enough to eat and a warm bed to sleep in for about the next month, I’m prone to think that tomorrow will take care of itself. One of my favorite scripture passages is: “Consider the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin…therefore, take no heed for the morrow, for the morrow has troubles enough of its own.” However, the prioress, presumably with the guidance of the Spirit, thinks I’m suitable for the job, so here I am doing it.

The communications part is fine. I love reaching out to share our life and our message with people through our magazines, website, social media, etc. I’m so glad that I’m part of a team providing reflective, spiritual moments in people’s days and that we provide ways for them to connect with us to ask for prayers.

The thorny issue is the fundraising. It is undoubtedly a challenge for me, but, like many challenges, it has genuinely been a source of growth. Sister Gen Maiers, who was director of the department before me, used to remind me that I have given my life to this monastery and the Rule of Benedict. If I think it’s worth that much, then why would I not think people might want to partner with us, including giving money, to support our mission and ministries? That definitely helps.

The longer I’ve been here, the more I see communications and fundraising as being intertwined. I’m fortunate that I have never been asked to raise money for the sake of raking it in. We ask when we need and most of that need is to ensure that we can continue ministries that reach out to others. I’ve also realized that if you have a message (we do: basically a message of peace, love, prayer and the importance of community) and you believe in that message, then you want to share it because you know it’s a way to make the world a better place. When you share it, you find there are many people out there who believe in the same message and actively want to give their support, often with a gift of money, but also time and prayer. It doesn’t feel like a business transaction or taking from someone. It feels like people finding one another and coming together to make good things happen.

Karen Rose, OSB                                                            March 8, 2019