Listen closely and you’ll hear the giggles and laughter of those whose hearts are bursting with eagerness, along with urgings of quiet from those deep in reflection. Quiet now, and hear feet patter from room to room, hurrying to and fro to get everything just right. The anticipation and longing is palpable. For me, there is no other place on this earth within my reach where the true joy and love of Christmas can be felt so strongly then throughout the hallways of Sacred Heart Monastery.

Preparation is in full swing. Advent reminders can be found all throughout the monastery, into the last days before Christmas. The Chapel is swathed in purple simplicity with the wreath standing vigil as a message of hope and anticipation until Christmas Eve Vespers. The Advent message pervades all corners of life at the monastery. Walking past these gentle Advent reminders the Sisters know there is still time to prepare, that there is still work to be done to make ready for the coming of our Lord.

Each year, the monastery bustles with activity between the last Sunday of Advent and Christmas Day. The sisters divide into groups of merry elves to get all the work done.

The Sisters decorating the Chapel have ‘double duty’ as the Advent Wreath and purple banners must to be taken down before the white and gold Christmas banners and poinsettias can bedeck the sanctuary and pillars. Sisters artfully arrange red and white poinsettias around the base of simple evergreen trees flanking either side of the high altar while others continue to cart them from ‘cool’ storage. Sisters with great balance tiptoe on the pews to lift down the purple and hang banners of gold with white. Sisters are all quite busy; moving from candle to candle with new pillars and votives, refilling the little oil dedication candles, and positioning highlights of golden material around the Christmas candles.

Others collect all the Advent decorations from the dining room and carry away its Advent Wreath as well. In their place, tables are brightened with white table cloths, seasonal placemats, and rose bowls filled with mini-bouquets of red and white; a Christmas Nativity scene is displayed in the center of the dining room. The cooks and bakers, gift wrappers and musicians bustle all about the monastery. Merry little elves cart special gifts while other elves light the tall Christmas tree.

The evening of the 24th, the Sisters all share a traditional meal of oyster stew, potato soup and cherry pie. Then with the quiet of December winter all around, the glorious sounds of “Silent Night” fill the air. With candles lit the Sisters proceed two by two to the front of chapel and then to their pews.

The Chapel stays semi-lit with candles as cantor choir sings the Christmas Proclamation. Christmas Vigil Vespers builds anticipation for the glory of the Christmas celebration the next day.

Besides the celebration of Christmas at the liturgies, and the festivities on Christmas day, each living group plans its own celebration. The Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery each belong to a small “living group” which has its own living room and kitchenette; these close groups of Sisters spend time together each day and together celebrate birthdays, feastdays, and of course Christmas. One living group, the “Jordan” group, gets into the Christmas mood by decorating their living room a few days before Christmas. Like any family, they have traditions: the Nativity goes HERE, and the twinkling lights and greenery go THERE. Christmas Day celebrations are for the whole community, but many living groups choose a day later in the Christmas season and make a festive meal and exchange presents. The Jordan group also hosts a party for the whole community at the end of the Christmas season, on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

On the 27th of December Vespers (and Lauds too) celebrate St. John the Evangelist and Apostle. It is custom to begin this celebratory supper with a special blessing of wine in the refectory.

According to tradition, St. John survived drinking a cup of poisoned wine because he had blessed it first. In some European cultures, the Feast of St. John is a day to make peace with enemies over a glass of wine.

The monastery celebrates the Feast of St. John with a blessing of gifts of Christmas wine: boxes of white zinfandel stand next to bottles of Merlot and even a stray bottle or two of Mogen David.

The blessing begins with a call and response, a reading from the first letter of John, and then the Prioress sprinkles all the wine and Sisters with holy water. Finally, the Prioress completes the blessing with a prayer that closes with a toast.

The meal is of simple fare, but with a glass or two of wine, the Sisters all linger at their tables. The refectory fills with stories, chatting, and laughter...the sound of Sisters catching up as family.

S. Bernard would play her violin and other Sister-singers would go around playing and singing to wake all for Christmas Midnight Mass. Sr. Rosemary Weber remembers that, “As a candidate, I did not know of this tradition. When I woke up I thought I must have died and gone to heaven, the music was so beautiful.”

The boarders at Mount Marty College and High School were also treated to this. This tradition continued up through the early 1960’s.

S. Marielle Frigge: Sisters would come to wake up the Mount Marty High School students with beautiful singing before Christmas. Sisters signed up to go caroling at Sacred Heart Hospital to whoever was in the hospital at Christmas time.

Midnight Mass at the monastery was also a beautiful tradition.

Some people in the area would plan their whole Christmas celebration around it. The chapel was so full, we often had to set up chairs. Many people now come to enjoy music in our chapel when we host the MMC choirs performance, Vespers. Sister Angeline Keating, who grew up in Yankton, remembers that she and other little girls in their white first communion dresses would take part in a procession before Mass. Mother Jerome carried up the statue of the baby Jesus on a white satin pillow, with the girls following with streamers.

S. Wilma Lyle remembers that Christmases were much simpler in those days. In addition to the monastic poverty, her early years were during the end of the Depression, and during World War II.

Christmas was celebrated with a nice meal, extra fruit and candy.

The novices would draw names and make a little gift for that sister.

When S. Wilma was out “on mission,” that is, teaching in a parochial school away from Yankton, the Sisters usually stayed there during Christmas vacation. The parents of their students would bring the sisters practical gifts – like a farmer who brought them a nice ham. There again, they would draw names and make gifts for one another.