Friendships and rivalries–religious fervor and tensions with Church authorities–music, poetry, and visions: all in one small monastery... 

In thirteenth century Germany, women experienced this and more at the monastery of Saint Mary at Helfta. It was home to some of history’s greatest Benedictine women, including the writers and mystics Mechtild of Magdeburg and Gertrude the Great. Follow in their footsteps with this new eCourse “The Women of Helfta: Stories from a Medieval Monastery.”  

This course will enable you to learn from four holy women who each used her unique gifts to enrich her community and the world. It will guide you to a deeper understanding of women’s roles in monastic history. And it will help you to see your own experiences of meaningful relationships, prayer, and traditions in a new light, and give you the opportunity to share these new insights with other seekers. 

The eCourse will run from April 15 - May 6, and registration is $30. The eCourse will primarily take place via an online forum on Monasteries of the Heart, with written reflections and writing prompts that participants can read and respond to at their own leisure posted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the three weeks. There will be one live Zoom session discussion on the final day of the eCourse, Friday, May 3 at 12 - 1pm ET. 

Jacqueline Sanchez-Small, OSB, who is guiding this eCourse, is a temporarily professed Benedictine Sister of Erie. She is pursuing a Masters of Theological Studies with a concentration in Monastic Studies at Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary.

Overview of the sessions*:

• Monday, April 15: Introduction to the eCourse
• Wednesday, April 17: The story of Gertrude of Hackeborn
• Friday, April 19:  The story of Mechtild of Magdeburg
• Monday, April 22:  The story of Mechtild of Hackeborn
• Wednesday, April 24:  The story of Gertrude the Great
• Friday, April 26: Learning from their Stories, Lesson 1 - Mentorship
• Monday, April 29: Learning from their Stories, Lesson 2 - Mutuality
• Wednesday, May 1: Learning from their Stories, Lesson 3 - Fullness
• Friday, May 3: **Live Zoom Discussion** - Reflection & Connection
• Monday, May 6: Concluding the eCourse

*NOTE on SESSIONS: The eCourse is structured as a discussion/forum on our website. This means that on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday mornings (eastern time) there will be a new post for you to read, reflect on, and respond to on your own schedule. You will also get emails with the links to each new session post. There is only one "face-to-face" meeting at a specific time, and that'll be a Zoom call at the end of the eCourse on Friday, May 3 at 12 - 1pm ET. It will be recorded and shared afterward via the forum for those unable to join at that time.

Image Credit: “All Saints” from Book of Hours of Luis de Laval, circa 1470