ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING

I learn something new every day as the president of two proud, prestigious liberal arts schools. But I learn even more each day being married to a respected expert on relationship communication. One of the loudest and most consistent lessons I’ve learned in the latter (which has gone on to serve me well in the former) is to just be quiet and listen.

It sounds so simple. But if listening was easy, we would all be good at it. Can you imagine that peaceful world? If listening was easy, Benedict wouldn’t have felt called to make it the first and most prominent word in his Rule. If listening was easy, Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s wouldn’t have seen the need to define “taking counsel” as one of our core Benedictine values.

but I feel confident in saying I’ve gotten better at it than William Howard Taft, who once grumbled “I’ll be damned if I am not getting tired of this. It seems to be the profession of a president simply to hear other people talk.”

Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D. President, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University

So I work hard at listening in my role as president. I won’t call myself an expert,

Right now, all of us at the College of Saint Benedict and at Saint John’s University are stretching our ear muscles as we begin the crucially important cyclical process of strategic planning. It’s a routine, recurring, unquestionably significant journey that the institutions have taken together many times before. And you can read a little more about it on page 3 from our newly installed Chief Operating Officer, Kara Kolomitz.

We’re currently in the information-gathering stage – listening. I’ve been excited about the process of traveling across the country (and beyond) to meet Bennie alumnae and friends and hear your perspectives.

It’s my first time going through strategic planning with this community, but I have no doubt we will do well. Specifically, I am confident because we have outstanding role models.

In late February, the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict at Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, came together peacefully and prayerfully to elect Sister

Karen Rose as their new prioress. Sister Karen will be installed at a special ceremony in June, taking over from Sister Susan Rudolph, who has been prioress since 2017.

They began their canonical election process back in October, when the community thoughtfully identified seven women for consideration. In December the sisters created direction statements (brief strategic plans) for each of the six years of the new prioress’ term. In January they gathered to consider the qualities they will need in a leader to bring those direction statements to fruition – and which of their sisters possess those qualities. Then they concluded their process over two days in February when they gathered to, as Sister Nancy Bauer puts it, “discern more deeply which sister the Holy Spirit is calling forth to be our next prioress. We are very conscious that the Spirit is leading us in this decision.”

Clearly, the Spirit led them to Sister Karen. I applaud their decision and look forward to working with her. I am inspired and awed by the sisters’ process filled with discussion, consideration, discernment, faith … and listening. All of us at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are faced with a milestone task in creating our next strategic plan. And I pray we will be diligent in matching our founding sisters’ spirit.