Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. She was born in California and entered the Benedictine Sisters in 1967. The Sisters are a contemplative monastic community who live according to the Rule of Benedict and who serve the Catholic Church through a ministry of prayer and a distinctive dedication to the Eucharist.

In 2000, she turned her interest in soap making into an innovative way to earn income to support the Sisters’ contemplative life.

She is a great admirer of Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictine Order, because he wrote a Rule of Life that has endured for centuries. It has the ability to lead us on the road to holiness and union with Jesus Christ and is a rule that is applicable to lay people as well.

Monastics are encouraged to live by the work of their hands and that in all things God might be glorified. Sister Cathleen made a connection between the Sisters’ ministry of prayer and the work of their hands by adding a drop of holy water to the soap and praying for everyone who uses it. Because of this special touch, her soaps have become a popular gift for soldiers around the world and for those who are ill. The circle of prayer widened more than she ever dreamed, and she is humbled for that.

She loves creating something the Sisters and the entire world can use and benefit from. Her products are homemade, all-natural, environmentally friendly and a godsend for dry and fragile skin and for those suffering from ailments such as poison oak or poison ivy. With more than 40 scents to choose from, she has the right fragrance for any occasion.

Sister Cathleen Marie attends three to four conventions and bazaars each year to promote the life and work of the Benedictine Sisters through her soap ministry. She also serves on the board of directors for the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild and is the chairperson of the group’s membership committee.