"Gather the Women," the second annual gathering of around 250 local women in the St. Cloud area to mark International Women's Day, took place at St. Benedict's Monastery on Saturday, March 13. In coming together, these women joined with women from all over the world to celebrate the feminine spirit, to enjoy being together, and to build on what they have in common as women.

Sister Janice Wedl, member of the planning committee, welcomed the women to St. Benedict's. She read from the Monastery's Vision Statement, which proclaims the monastery's mission to become a central source of prayer, wisdom, inspiration, hospitality, spiritual nourishment, and service to women of all ages and faiths.

Nora and Isabel, two Hispanic women who attended the gathering, came with Sister Carol Virnig, OSF. Their experience of the afternoon echoed that of other participants. Having a Saturday afternoon off to be with other women was a special delight. They reveled in the positive energy of women gathered there and felt relaxed in all of it. In the Gathering Place, they stood in hushed awe as Jeanne Lacourt and Nancy Harles blessed the Four Directions in their native language. In the chapel, Nora and Isabel heard the Call to weave a world that works for all, proclaimed by Flo Goodrich, of the Jewish tradition.

The positive, quiet energy of the gathering was heightened as members of the monastic schola chanted three lovely songs dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus. The speaker, Anne Scott, spoke of the need for quiet in our lives so that we may find the true source of our power. Her manner of presentation, with meaningful silent pauses, exemplified what she proclaimed. Following silent meditation, Nora, Isabel, and the gathered community received a blessing from the Buddhist tradition, led by members of the local Ba'Hai community.

Singing "Let Your glory within me shine out to the world," the women processed out of the chapel, where they were greeted with a glorious repast of Mid-Eastern food and the rhythms of African drums For Nora and Isabel, the "fiesta de comida," the gathering around the food, eating and visiting, was a familiar and wonderful closing to a nurturing afternoon.

It was a fitting that the event was held in the Gathering Place and chapel at St. Benedict's Monastery, with its large windows and pillars gracefully joined by arches, giving a feminine cast to both rooms.

Why have an event called "Gather the Women?" What happens there that women can implement in their lives? First of all, everyone is welcome and they know they belong. They came -- African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Christians, Sufis, Buddhists, Muslims -- to spend the afternoon with other women who understand the life-giving qualities of women who have courage, cunning, and creativity, and who continue to work for a better world through the feminine qualities of compassion and collaboration.

When women have a chance to tap into their inner wisdom in a safe and peaceful environment, surrounded by other women who accept them totally for who they are, wonderful things happen! They leave with a renewed sense of having relaxed in the positive energy of women for one brief afternoon; they experience again the importance of quiet meditation and communal celebration; and they recognize the importance of the continued presence of sisterhood in their lives.

A well-known spiritual teacher claims that we can't create peace, but we can create a resonance pattern with the peace that is already present, though sometimes hidden. When we vibrate with this field, we will know it through our joy and by the healing we feel in our hearts. Gather the Women is this kind of experience - a field of energy connecting with hundreds of other energy fields from round the globe - celebrating sisterhood in joyful vibration!