Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica
On March 18, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica gathered at the monastery for a presentation on the month of Ramadan, celebrated by Muslims around the world.
Kari O’Rourke, a long-time friend of the monastery who is active in interfaith efforts in Kansas City, led the presentation, joined via Zoom by members of the NOOREVER Youth – Muslim young adults in leadership from various parts of the country and the world.
As Kari passed around a copy of the Qu’ran for the Sisters to see, what became clear were the many similarities between Christianity and Islam: the concept of service to others, the importance of prayer and fasting to bring one closer to God, and hospitality – as when Muslims invite others to break the daily fast with them, enjoying carefully made foods and good conversation in the evening during this holy month.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn, eating a very early meal before sunrise, to after sunset. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and begins on March 23 in 2023. It falls at different times each year because the Islamic calendar differs from the standard calendar.
To conclude the presentation, the Sisters shared Turkish tea, which is a symbol of forming a connection lasting 40 years, as Kari explained, along with home-made baklava. The Sisters had a chance to sniff the tea leaves’ potent aroma prior to it being added to water that is traditionally heated to a rolling boil, then steeped for 15 minutes. While served on this occasion in regular mugs, Kari brought traditional tulip-shaped Turkish tea cups – painted with an eye on both sides as a symbol of protection – to highlight how the tea is usually served.
The Sisters enjoyed this opportunity to learn from the young people and hear about their beliefs, as part of an interfaith dialogue encouraging mutual understanding and respect.
