Sister Charlotte Abel

I have been in Community 74 years. I always wanted to be a nun. I was taught by IHM sisters and was very proud of them. But the Benedictine Sisters and Priests were in the area where I lived and when I decided to enter religious life, I chose them.

I was a teacher and an administrator in the elementary schools staffed by the community. I enjoyed teaching very much.

Today living in Community is very different from the early days when I entered and I like it. It is more “family-like” and provides a closeness that enables us to know each other better. This closeness makes me feel like I am really part of a group of people who enjoy being with each other.

The changes that have taken place in community living over my lifetime in my estimation are “just about right”. Prayer, work and ministry are not overdone. Seeking God in prayer, with each other and in the ministry we do is a pleasant way to life.