About Shalom

Mission Statement:  Shalom Prayer Center, a ministry of Queen of Angels Monastery, is rooted in the tradition of Benedictine spirituality.  Shalom provides a peaceful environment where persons of all faiths and cultural traditions are welcome to seek wholeness and deepen their relationship with God. Shalom, the Hebrew word meaning peace, inspires our mission which is the fostering of well being in daily life and harmony with nature and ourselves.

Shalom Prayer Center is connected to Queen of Angels Monastery, historic home of the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel.  Nestled in the Willamette Valley with its mild winters and gentle, warm summers, the Monastery has 15 beautiful acres of orchards, gardens, and lawns perfect for walking.  Opportunities abound for holy leisure, stimulating classes and workshops, community prayer, and day trips to unforgettable scenic spots in Oregon.

History of Shalom

Benedictine life is a life long journey of seeking God in prayer and work.  Knowing of the importance of setting aside days of prayer and retreat for spiritual growth, the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel began their retreat ministry back in 1934 inviting women to come in the summer time, either in June or August for five days. The retreatants were housed in the Academy building (razed after the 1993 earthquake) and had their conferences in the monastery chapel.  The retreats under the direction of Sister Gregory Kelly and Sister Benigna Schlatter were well attended with many women coming back year after year.  In the 1950’s the retreats were discontinued.

Approximately twenty years later, there was again interest in the Benedictine community to establish a retreat ministry.  In 1973, Prioress Antoinette Traeger appointed Sister Jill Aigner as the director of the newly established “Shalom Prayer Center.” Over these thirty five years, Shalom Prayer Center has served thousands of persons of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds through days of recollection, week long retreats, thirty day retreats, the Shalom Sabbatical Program, spiritual direction training and supervision, individual spiritual direction and counseling, and hospitality for church and non profit groups. In 2004, Shalom Prayer Center was very pleased to provide hospitality for the annual summer Iconographic Arts Institute and continues to do so. For more information, please check the institute’s website:  www.iconinstitute.org

To ensure the future, the Sister Antoinette Traeger Endowment was established in honor of Sister Antoinette who has served at Shalom Prayer Center since the early 80’s as administrator, spiritual director, and retreat leader.  Sister Antoinette continues to be a welcoming presence at the Center and ministers to many as a spiritual director.

Shalom Prayer Center Staff

Director: Sister Dorothy Jean Beyer, OSB. 503-845-6773 or djbosb@mtangel.net

Staff: Sister Antoinette Traeger, OSB, Sister Joan Pokorny, OSB, Sister Dorothy Pulkka, OSB, Sister Gertrude Feick, OSB, Sister Hilda Kleiman, OSB, Sister Miriam Hendrikson, OSB, Tamara Kulichenko-Larsen.

Spiritual Direction Referral: Sister Joan Pokorny, OSB 503-845-2779 or jmposb@yahoo.com

Spiritual Direction Training Program: Sister Joan Pokorny.

Retreats Coordinator:Sister Hilda Kleiman, OSB 503-845-6773 or shalom@mtangel.net

Conference Services: email welcome@mtangel.net

Housekeeping: Tamara Kulichenko-Larsen