Residents of the Benedictine Sisters' Benetwood Apartments recently joined the sisters for prayer and dinner. This annual event celebrates the relationship of friends and neighbors between the two living communities. "We can feel the warmth of the sisters coming to us through the wooded path that connects us," said Wendy Wallace, manager of Bentwood. Sister Stephanie Schmidt, prioress, in her blessing also reflected on the long history of care and concern that the communities share.

Benetwood is a 75-unit HUD-sponsored apartment complex that the Benedictine community opened in 1981 on property adjacent to the monastery. From the time the first residents moved in, there has been a neighborly bond between Benetwood residents and the sisters. They enjoy the walking paths on each other’s grounds, some Benetwood residents occasionally join the sisters for prayer and liturgy.