BENEDICTINE SISTERS of perpetual adoration April 2009 Monastic experiences illustrate Benedictine life The Benedictine Sisters offered several opportunities throughout February and March for women to learn more about monastic life and Benedictine values. The Tucson, Ariz., community hosted a discernment weekend in February for single women who are discerning a call to religious life. In March, the Clyde, Mo., community hosted six college students in coordination with spring breaks to give women a break from the hectic pace of school and a chance to strengthen their relationship with God with no strings attached. They entered into the rhythm of the Benedictine Sisters contemplative life, learning how set aside time and space for listening to God and shared with others who are also seeking God more intentionally. Participants also took part in monastic work and joined the Sisters for meals. Several women participated in this season s monastic experiences, including those who shared spring breaks at Clyde and a discernment weekend with the Tucson community. Pictured with the participants is Sister Ruth Starman (second from right). More photos - page 8. Tucson hopes to Preserve community s heritage with campaign The Benedictine Sisters have launched a $1 million initiative to raise funds to repair, restore and update several facets of the Tucson, Ariz., monastery. It was christened the Pink Rose of the Desert almost 70 years ago, and many people of the Tucson area still consider it to be a spiritual place. The Preserving Our Heritage campaign has identified three main components that are in vital need of attention: to repair the roof, to upgrade heating and cooling systems and to make general maintenance and safety improvements. The 87,000-square-foot monastery was built in 1940 and was designed by noted architect Roy Place. More than 20 members of the Benedictine Sisters call the Spanish Renaissancestyle building home. The community offers several faith-based opportunities for the Tucson area and has become a vital part of the urban landscape. see page 2
Page 2 April 2009 Tucson campaign con t from page 1 1 People have referred to our monastery as a Tucson treasure. Roy Place is still talked about as being one of the finest architects who lived, Tucson Prioress Sister Ramona Varela, OSB said. He had the ability to create beauty, style and attention to detail and quality. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful, well-built monastery with a chapel that is open to all people of all religions. Among the concerns is the crumbling and damaged roof, which has caused water to leak into the chapel and guest areas. Hand-formed Spanish tiles are the main roofing element and have become damaged, particularly near corners and at level changes. Since the monastery has been designated an historical landmark, any restoration must comply with official guidelines. While the roof is replaced, the Sisters also hope to upgrade HVAC equipment to include four new air handlers, duct work and insulation, which will result in substantial savings in utility costs. Safety concerns that must be addressed include improvements in fire emergency exits, upgrades to 1940 s-era electrical boxes and the addition of a new elevator. I wish there was a way we could let people know how important the Benedictine Sisters are as a powerhouse of prayer for the entire diocese; that was the wish of Bishop Gercke some 70-plus years ago. They have been faithful to that call, said Father Van Wagner, an honorary member of the campaign committee. For more information and ways to donate to the Sisters Preserving Our Heritage campaign, please call (520) 325-6401 or click online at http://www.tucsonmonastery.com/preserve.asp. Preserving Our Heritage Committee Honorary Chair Most Reverend Gerald F. Kicanas, D.D., Bishop of Tucson Members Charles Pettis Laurie Olson Michael McDonald John Fogarty Lance Dickinson Doug Cameron J. Karl Meyer Tom Smith Carolyn LeCoq Sister Lupita Barajas, OSB Sister Lenora Black, OSB Sister Ramona Varela, OSB Honorary Member Father Van Wagner, Tucson 1 - The Spanish-tiled roof has deteriorated and now leaks, requiring repair and restoration. Estimated cost - $300,000 2 - Heating and cooling equipment must be upgraded to become more energy efficient and less costly. Estimated cost - $350,000 3 - Electrical boxes and the elevator dating back 70 years must be replaced to ensure safety. Estimated cost - $350,000 2 3
Page 3 April 2009 Beloved Sister Millie called home Benedictine Sister of Perpetual Adoration Mary Mildred Millie Sobba, OSB, 92, passed away Easter Sunday, April 12, at Our Lady of Rickenbach Health Care in Clyde, Mo. She was born Frieda Adeline Sobba on Aug. 11, 1916, in Pratt, Kan., the oldest of six children and the only daughter of Christopher Sobba and Ruth Ralston Sobba. When she was one year old, the family moved to western Kansas to a farm in Meade County. She attended the parochial grade school in Fowler, Kan., and was taught by the Dominican nuns from Great Bend, Kan. After graduating from the public high school, she stayed home until 1936 when she attended business school in Wichita, Kan. Afterward she worked at the Farm Bureau Office on the Farm Program in Meade, Kan., until 1942. Her oldest brother, John, went to Tucson, Ariz., for his health, and Frieda went with him. She worked for a construction company for awhile and then was a bookkeeper and accountant for a wholesale plumbing and heating company. During World War II, she did USO work with a Catholic girls group she had joined while in Tucson. Frieda was introduced to the Benedictine Sisters after a friend of hers back home in Kansas who was a cousin to Benedictine Sister Mary Gabriel asked her to visit. She then became an oblate of the Sisters Tucson monastery in 1947 and volunteered in the library. After her mother passed away, she returned home to Kansas in 1957 to take care of her aging father. He died two years later, and she started making inquiries about entering the convent. Sister Mary Mildred Millie Sobba Although she was past the usual age of entrance, she had proven to be a dedicated oblate of St. Benedict and preferred a life of contemplative prayer rather than one of teaching. Her application was accepted, and she entered the Benedictine Sisters at the age of 44 on the Feast of St. Agnes on Jan. 21, 1961. She made her First Monastic Profession on Sept. 12, 1963, and received the name of Sister Mary Mildred. As a novice and a junior sister her work assignments were in the veil room, main kitchen and the infirmary kitchen. She transferred to St. Louis in 1968 and worked in the sewing room. She was then transferred to Tucson for 2 1/2 years to do the bookkeeping. In 1971, she moved to Clyde to be subprioress, and in 1974 was assigned to St. Louis. There she served as the local bookkeeper and to take care of the Mass intentions for the house and the Congregation. She also worked many years in the correspondence department at St. Louis before moving to the infirmary. Some of her many hobbies over the years were reading, embroidery, playing cards and playing pool. Memorials in honor of any Sister can be sent in care of: Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration 31970 State Highway P Clyde, Mo. 64432-8100
Page 4 April 2009 Italian men s choir to sing in monastery benefit concert Italy s SAT Choir will present a benefit concert for the Benedictine Sisters in May. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at the Sisters monastery in Tucson, Ariz. The 30-member men s choir hails from Trento, Italy, the hometown of Padre Eusebio Francesco Kino. Padre Kino, who is currently under consideration for beatification, was a missionary who has been revered for his founding of more than 20 missions and his dedication to the people of Northern Sonora and Southern Arizona during his life. As part of the events to celebrate the 300 th anniversary of the 17 th century Jesuit priest s death, the chorus will perform a variety of religious and traditional Italian songs. The SAT Choir was originally founded as the SOSAT Choir in 1926 by the Pedrotti brothers. They began singing in the polyphonic choir in the Trento Cathedral and continued singing as part of a mountain climbing club. The choir has given more than 1,000 concerts in the most prestigious concert halls and theaters in Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Switzerland and the United States. Suggested donations for the concert are $20 at the door. However, no one will be turned away. All proceeds will benefit the Benedictine Sisters Preserving Our Heritage fund. Due to the size of the monastery chapel, only 200 seats will be available for the concert. For groups that want to reserve a block of seats, please contact El Patronato de Kino at (520) 400-5437. For more information about the concert, please contact Tucson Prioress Sister Ramona Varela at (520) 325-6401. Helpful hands welcomed in soap shop Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake, OSB received special assistance in the soap shop in March from three Sisters of Our Lady of Rickenbach. Helping out were Sister Mary Gregory Cushing, OSB (left) and Sister Priscilla Trost, OSB (left, bottom). Pictured below are (from left) Sister Mary Gregory Cushing, OSB, Sister Priscilla Trost, OSB, OLR employee Debbie Jensen, Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake, OSB and Sister Bernardine Weis, OSB.
Page 5 April 2009 Little smiles bring great joy More than 25 kindergartners from a nearby school celebrated a late Christmas in January with the Benedictine Sisters at a party at Our Lady of Rickenbach, the Congregation s healthcare facility in Clyde, Mo. Pictured with little friends are (right) Sister Jean Frances Dolan, OSB, Sister Mary Agneta Mohr, OSB, (far right) and Sister Joan Catherine Perridge, OSB (below right). Soap Sister launches new blog She was searching for another way to share her ministry with the world and found it on the Internet. Benedictine Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake, OSB, affectionately known as the Soap Sister, recently launched a new blog site to share the word about Monastery Scents, the congregation s line of handcrafted soaps. Founded in 2000, Monastery Scents began when Sister Cathleen Marie decided Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake to pursue her interest in soap making as part of the Sisters devotion to St. Benedict, who stressed the importance of work and prayer. Since then, business has grown exponentially and has provided invaluable income to help support the Sisters contemplative life. The blog includes information about the inner workings of the soap shop, the history behind it and information on the variety of products she offers. Woven in among the postings are Sister Cathleen Marie s reflections of life and prayer. 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. 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. To keep up with business, she relies on volunteers who donate materials and time to sew thousands of delicate soap bags. Also helping out are local schools and organizations that sell the soap as a fundraiser. She now offers personalized wedding favors and a new line of soaps for baby s soft and delicate skin. To learn more, click http://clydemonastery.org/monasteryscents/.
Page 6 April 2009 Giving in the Benedictine Spirit Sister Mary Bonaventure Eikelmann, OSB (1870-1963) was a pioneer member of our community, having entered in 1889, just 15 years after the community was founded. Our archives note, As a pioneer member of the Congregation, she knew poverty and hard work and made many trips soliciting funds for the necessaries of life. She was a teacher, infirmarian and seamstress and was outstanding in her zeal for adoration. She had a beautiful voice and contributed much to the choral singing. She especially loved to sing the Salve Regina in Latin adding the versicle and oration, all without a flaw. Sister also had a great devotion to the Stations of the Cross and prayed them daily. In her declining years, she used a cane and then a wheelchair to navigate. In her determination to walk the Stations of the Cross from her wheelchair she managed to move chairs and kneelers right and left as she made her way around the Stations of the Cross. Such determination and fidelity to prayer continues to this day in the current generation of Benedictine Sisters who continue the prayer. We invite you, our readers, to join us in our ministry by praying with us for the needs of individuals and our world and by supporting our ministry of prayer. Have you considered a charitable bequest or have an insurance policy you no longer need? Donations to us are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Our legal title is Benedictine Convent of Perpetual Adoration, Clyde, Mo. We are a 501 (c)(3) organization listed in the USA National Catholic Directory. All dona- You can meditate on the Stations through this inspirational book featuring the mosaics in Clyde s Adoration Chapel, which have inspired others for over a century. Click www.monasterycreations.com/the- Stations-of-the-Cross-Mosaic-Art-p/scmab.htm. tions are used to support our ministry of prayer for all people, of all places, of all times. More is available at www.benedictinesisters.org. From the home page, click on donate, click on planned gifts, then choose from the options listed. Thank you and God bless you! Sister Wilmarie Ehrhardt, OSB harmony is the online newsletter published by the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. 31970 State Highway P Clyde, MO 64432-8100 660/944-2221 Publisher Sr. Pat Nyquist, Prioress General Editor Kelley Baldwin, Director of Communications Editorial Board Sr. Dawn Annette Mills Sr. Josetta Grant Sr. Bede Luetkemeyer Sr. Colleen Maura McGrane Harmony is published six times each year. Please send all correspondence to Kelley Baldwin at kelley@bspa.us. Meet our Planned Giving guides To learn more about the benefits of giving and how to do it wisely, please contact a member of our planned giving team.** Sister Valerie Stark, OSB Treasurer 660/944-2251 gifts@benedictinesisters.org Sister Wilmarie Ehrhardt, OSB Coordinator of Planned Gifts 660/944-2271 gifts@benedictinesisters.org Our legal name is Benedictine Convent of Perpetual Adoration **Specific information is available from your own qualified financial/tax advisor.
Page 7 April 2009 Sisters learn tricks to bio-intensive gardening Responsible stewardship of the earth is an important value of Benedictine life, and several Sisters recently had the opportunity to learn more about environmental gardening. In March, Dr. Heather Devich, who has been a guest of the Tucson, Ariz., community for several months while working on a project for UNI- CEF, presented a bio-intensive environmental gardening seminar in March (she is pictured at right instructing Sister Ruth Starman, OSB). We learned how to test soil in the area where one lives, how to make soil ready to receive the seed, how to care for and protect the garden from predators and even how to clean your tools after use. St. Benedict must have been pleased, Sister Kathleen Gorman, OSB said. In the afternoon, Dr. Devich took some of the participants to the Environmental Research Lab, which is managed by staff from the University of Arizona. The Tucson community has also received favorable notice for their new community garden where neighbors are welcomed and encouraged to grow their own food in small plots of land. Busy Students Retreat showcases bright future Benedictine Sister Lynn Marie D Souza, OSB returned to her alma mater at Texas A&M University for the Busy Students Retreat in February that was hosted by St. Mary s Catholic Center in College Station. Students engaged in daily personal prayer and met with a spiritual director to grow in their relationship with God and to learn how to balance a hectic life. Sister Lynn was one of several religious men and women who served as the retreat s spiritual directors. I was so inspired by the five young women I directed, she said. St. Mary s Catholic Center is alive with the Holy Spirit. Any worries I have about the future of religious life and of the Church disappeared when I saw the genuine faith and desire for holy lives in these students. Giving a thumbs up to the future of religious life are (from left) Father Associate Pastor Brian McMaster and Busy Student Retreat spiritual directors Sister Cynthia Salas, Sister Lynn Marie D Souza, Sister Marie Bernadette and Father Paul Deutsch.
Page 8 April 2009 Memories made at monastic experiences Six women visited the Benedictine Sisters Clyde, Mo., community during Spring Break Monastic Experiences held in March. The participants, who hailed from Canada, Nevada, Ohio, Missouri and Nebraska, joined the Sisters in prayer, at work and for meals. New monstrance graces San Benito chapel A beautiful new chalice monstrance graces the Benedictine Sisters San Benito chapel at the Dayton, Wyo., community. It was crafted by Ed Pohl, a skilled carpenter. The monstrance is used for Adoration each day from 5:30 to 6 p.m.
Page 9 April 2009 San Benito Sisters join in January institute The Benedictine Sisters of the San Benito community attended the 2009 January Institute in Casper, Wyo. The event, which is sponsored by the Diocese of Cheyenne, invites clergy, staff laity and religious men and women to celebrate the Diocese and to recognize the power of the parish with its many dynamics, according to the Wyoming Catholic Register. More than 100 people attended the institute, which included a presentation by Sister Charlotte White, SCL titled The Care and Feeding of Lions. Among those who attended were Sister Sarah Schwartzberg (back row, second from left), Sister Josetta Grant (back row, third from right) and Sister Hope Rodenborn (back row, second from right). Benedictine formation group makes a special visit In February, those involved with the Benedictine Sisters formation program traveled to Tulsa, Okla., to attend a conference and took time to visit with Benedictine Sister Pascaline Coff, OSB during a side trip to Sand Springs, Okla. We had the opportunity to spend part of the day with Sister Pascaline, go to day hour and have lunch. Then three of us adventured out on trails for a couple of hours, Novice Clarisa Cutaia said. My experience at Sand Springs was unforgettable even if we where there for just a few hours. It was a joy to revisit Sand Springs and to spend some quality time with our dear Sr. Pascaline. Also attending the event were Novice Nancy Gucwa, Postulant Mary Hastie and Sister Rita Clair Dohn, formation director. Sr. Pascaline has spent the past year at the Osage+Forest ashram during the time it transitioned from the Sisters monastery into a private retreat center. Stopping by to visit Benedictine Sister Pascaline Coff (seated) were (from left) Novice Nancy Gucwa, Formation Director Sister Rita Clair Dohn (standing), Postulant Mary Hastie and Novice Clarisa Cutaia.