We have gathered the most common inquiries we receive regarding the Sisterhood.
For additional information or answers to any other questions, please get in touch.
What is Belle Coeur Spirituality?
Four wisdom pathways (Spirit, Sacrament, Sisterhood, and Service) and four alchemical chambers/spiritual practices (Devotion, Craft, Story, Study) form the template for Belle Coeur spirituality. At the center of the template is the Beloved, Jesus the Christ. The pathways, chambers, and center are enclosed within the circle of Creation as Wisdom Sophia, the Sacred Feminine. Belle Coeur spirituality is inspired by the story of the Sisters of Belle Coeur in the historical novel Ink and Honey by Sibyl Dana Reynolds and described in detail in the author's companion guidebook, The Way of Belle Coeur: A Woman's Vade Mecum.
How did Belle Coeur Sisterhood begin?
The Christ-centered, ecumenical, contemplative, and spiritual/creative community of Sisters of Belle Coeur was founded in 2013 by Sibyl Dana Reynolds. Many women wrote to Sibyl after the release of Ink and Honey Readers expressed a universal longing for the kind of sisterhood depicted in the pages of Sibyl's novel. After months of prayer and contemplation, she was inspired to offer the first Way of Belle Coeur retreat. Participants of that retreat formed the first Belle Coeur sisterhood circle. Since that time other sisterhood circles have begun. The sisterhood is growing, guided by the movement of the Spirit.
Who are the Sisters of Belle Coeur?
The Sisters of Belle Coeur are women that have responded to the call to the sisterhood and completed Belle Coeur Spirituality Formation. A Belle Coeur sister first enters into a period of prayerful discernment and makes her application to complete Formation. Upon completion of the six-month formation program, she may then choose to become part of a Belle Coeur Sisterhood circle. The Sisters of Belle Coeur are creative, prayerful, wise women. The contemporary, contemplative, and creative community, the Sisterhood of Belle Coeur was inspired by the sisterhood described in Ink and Honey.
How do I become a Sister or Practitioner of Belle Coeur?
If you feel called to Belle Coeur Sisterhood, please complete the application found on the information page at People's Catholic Seminary. Following the application process and a period of discernment to affirm that Belle Coeur sisterhood is what you are seeking, you will complete formation and have the option to become a Sister of Belle Coeur or you may choose to incorporate Belle Coeur Spirituality into your personal practice, as a Belle Coeur Practitioner. Both Sisters and Practitioners may form a local circle of women to share The Way of Belle Coeur.
The next Belle Coeur Spiritual Formation Program begins June 22, 2021. Applications are currently being accepted.