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. A Belle Coeur sister first enters into a period of prayerful discernment and makes her application to complete Formation. Upon completion formation, 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 of Belle Coeur?
If you feel called to Belle Coeur Sisterhood, please request an application. 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.
Can my women's community become Sisters of Belle Coeur?
The steps for an existing women's spiritual community to become Sisters of Belle Coeur are provided here:
- The community is encouraged to prayerfully discern the collective call to Belle Coeur sisterhood.
- The community enters into a period of individual and group study of Ink and Honey and The Way of Belle Coeur: A Woman's Vade Mecum to become familiar with the template, the prayers, and the spiritual and creative practices of Belle Coeur spirituality.
- Upon completion of the community's studies as detailed above, the members may create a celebratory ritual to become a Belle Coeur Sisterhood Circle.
Who are "Practitioners" of Belle Coeur?
A Practitioner of Belle Coeur is a woman who desires a solo, personal journey. She is reflective, contemplative, and prefers a way of solitude rather than community/sisterhood.