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BenedictinesBenedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh

Monastic Women with Discerning Hearts

Fall 2011St. Benedict Monastery

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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MonasticHeart

Loving God

Passionately___________Z____________

Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh

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When I think about loving God passionately, loving with a strong, deep, intense, enthusiastic and caring heart, I am a bit overwhelmed. Being a passionate person seems a little strong. All my life I tried to be moderate in all things, but as I think about it, there have been many times when I have loved strongly, cared deeply, believed in something with all my heart, and got excited about a good cause.

If I look at Christ, my model, He was anything but cautious. He was very passionate about everything. He was involved with politics, broke the law, and even entered into conflict with the religious leaders of His time. Jesus had fire in His veins. Are you asking me to be like that, God? I hear God responding: “I want you to be passionate, full of love – passionate about spreading the good news, treating others with respect, caring for the earth, and promoting peace.

Jesus came into this life and redeemed it by His presence, and we must find God present in this life as well. The spiritual life of a passionate person has to do with being able to balance whatever may happen with keeping hope and faith in God’s presence even when it is difficult to recognize. Life is a medley of contradictions, challenges that stretch our souls to the fullest and our hearts to a new consciousness of God. I believe God wants us to love so powerfully and passionately that we forget about ourselves and take risks for what we love. There is one thing St. Benedict teaches us before all other possible insights and that is that God is with us. God does not need to be earned, nor merited. God is the very breath of our souls, the creative energy that gives us life and carries us through all our days.

A Monastic Heart that loves God passionately is a cultivated heart, one fortified in

Faith and energized in Service.

Lord,

Have I become like Gulliver,

Bound by a thousand tiny ropes

of convention and formality?

Have I forgotten the excitement

of fast-flowing blood in my veins,

of sweaty palms,

and a heart that beats

in a wild, unmeasured cadence?

Help me recapture passion in my life,

the desire to do and feel and love

even at the risk of seeming

foolish, immoderate and fanatic.

May I understand that the only limit

to love

Is to love without limit –

as You do. Amen

From the PrioressBy: Sister Benita DeMatteis, OSB

______________________Z______________________

______________________Z______________________

We are the Benedictine Sisters

of Pittsburgh, continuing 1500 years

of seeking God in Community,

Prayer and Ministry.

BENEDICTINES is a publication of the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh, PA for families, friends and benefactors of the Community.

Editor: Sister Judith Ann Criner, OSBEditorial Board:Sisters Benita DeMatteis, Barbara Helder, Bridget Reilly, Dolores Conley, Donna Wojtyna, Elizabeth Matz, Evelyn Dettling, Janet Barnicle, Jeanne Ubinger, Linda Larkman, Karen Brink, Kathleen Mack, Mary Catherine Stana, Mary Damian Thaner, Michael Mack, Roberta Campbell, Shelly Farabaugh, Susan Merrie English, Susanne Chenot, Mrs. Alison Serey

St. Benedict Monastery4530 Perrysville AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15229-2296

Phone: 412-931-2844Fax: 412-931-8970Website: www.osbpgh.orgEmail: [email protected]

Please remember the Benedictine Sisters in your Will.


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Mark Your Calendar

Saturday, December 3, 2011 Spiritual Spa … Preparing for ChristmasContact 412-931-2844 for Registration

Saturday, December 31, 2011 Annual Peace Vigil: Stranger no Longer – A Journey of Hope(An evening of reflection on the realities of immigration)

Alumnae Visits to the MonasterySaturday, March 31, 2012Saturday, April 21, 2012 Saturday, May 5, 2012 Saturday, June 2, 2012

Editor’s Note: Throughout this issue of Benedictines, we refer to the “monastic heart”. The articles are referencing the “heart or spirituality of the women or men that live in community under a leader {Prioress or Abbot} and spend their day in prayer and work.”

Western monasticism invites a woman or man to lead a communal life that is devoted to contemplation, prayer and work. The nuns (sisters) and monks (priests and brothers) live their lives in a building called a monastery. This becomes the hub from which they minister locally or at a distance. It is the center where they learn that a Christ-centered life is the reason for their vocation and spiritual deepening.

The Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh lead a monastic life according to the Rule of St. Benedict. St. Benedict’s guide to spirituality was written for his followers in the sixth century as a means to seek Christ. In recognition of St. Benedict’s efforts, the Church declared him the “Father of Western Monasticism”.

Table of Contents

Benedictine Spirituality: The Pulse of the Monastic Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Bringing Benedict to Greene County and the Salvation Army. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Adding Benedictinism to Psychological Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Loving God Passionately: An Oblate’s Perspective . . . . . . . . . . 10

Caring for All God’s Creatures . . .11

Focus on: Sister Wilfrid and Sister Nancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Archival Echoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Mount and Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Pulse of the

Among the many definitions for the word “passion”, Webster gives us the following for consideration: zeal, desire, enthusiasm. The topic of our publication, “A Monastic Heart: Loving God Passionately” evoked some of the reflections that I shared with the Oblates in Lutherville, MD, at their spring retreat. I talked about Benedictine spirituality as the pulse of the monastic heart. Seeking and loving God is the basic desire of those who follow Benedict’s Rule; it is what makes us Benedictine. To zealously seek God in our daily life as St. Benedict encourages us to do, is the making of a monastic heart and is the reason our Benedictine spirituality has both survived and thrived since the fifth century.


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Benedictine spirituality has been described as an integral part of a beautiful mosaic or weaving whose total image is the Church. Whether we talk about Franciscan spirituality, Jesuit spirituality, feminist spirituality, eco-spirituality, etc., they all contribute to the overall, healthy image of Christ’s Church. As a musician, the analogy that I resonate with is music whether played by a symphony, a band, or sung by a quartet or choir… each section of instrumental music, each choral voice differs from the others in harmony and sometimes in syncopation, but it is the overall whole of the symphonic/choral piece that creates such beauty that our hearts surge with hope.

Think of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings”, Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”, Glen Miller’s “In the Mood”, Handel’s “Messiah” sung by the Mendelsohn choir or even “California Dreamin’” by the Beach Boys (and here I date myself!) ….the aesthetic impact comes from the combination of ALL sections and/or voices united for a single purpose of creating a work of beauty!

In the Australian aboriginal culture, there is the belief that there is one large song of life, and that each of us has our unique “song-line” to contribute to the totality and beauty of that song. This is the brilliance of Benedictine Spirituality!

The beauty of Benedictine Spirituality is grounded in its organic nature…it is constant and yet current; it is contemplative and active; it is both personal and communal. This generative nature of our spirituality can transform a person’s life if he/she is willing to take up

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Benedictine Spirituality:

MonasticHeartBy: Sister Roberta Campbell, OSB

The beauty of Benedictine Spirituality is grounded in its organic nature… it is constant and yet current; it is contemplative and active;

it is both personal and communal.

the invitation of Benedict to “listen” with the ear of the monastic heart…to willingly follow the simple way of the rule as a person goes about being parent, spouse, teacher, construction worker, retired gardener, etc.

The core of this spiritual framework is Prayer. St. Benedict utilizes thirteen chapters in his Rule to detail how and when monastics are to pray. He says that our prayer is to be communal in practice, not just private. It is interesting to note in the Rule that St. Benedict describes the prayer life of the monastic just after he has talked about the importance of humility in the life of a monk/nun. Benedict describes humility as the gradual understanding and acceptance of oneself in relationship to God and to those around us.

When we are cognizant of this relationship, our prayer cannot be self-centered; it must be inclusive and current. Our prayer is rooted in the timelessness of the scriptures; the words of the psalmist become ours as we ask for comfort, beg for reconciliation, and express our doubts and fears. As the story of salvation unfolds through the readings at the Liturgy of the Hours, we are gently reminded of our call to follow Jesus as He went about doing the works of mercy in His community even when it is inconvenient, difficult and perhaps unpopular.

Benedict spaced prayer throughout the day to keep the monk in a spiritual rhythm …somewhat like a “spiritual clock”. It reminded his followers of their calling to “seek God” at all times. Even when they could not be with the total community, they were to stop and pray wherever they found themselves whether they were at work in the field, or on a journey. Benedictine prayer is not a regimented routine that monastics follow; rather the horarium of prayer is to engage the monk or nun in establishing and nurturing his/her relationship with the God who is always with us. We pray in concert with all monastics as we go about our work of caring for our part of the universe whether this is teaching in the classroom, cooking meals, nursing the sick, caring for our children, doing spiritual direction, leading a company or a community, weeding our garden, visiting the sick or lonely.

We pray “to become more a sign of the mind of God today than we were yesterday.” (Monastery of the Heart p.38) To pray with the mind of Christ, is to become a true contemplative; to become contemplative is to allow God to work through us in a transformative way. “Contemplative prayer, converting prayer, is prayer that…sees our world through the eyes of God. It unstops our ears to hear the poverty of widows, the loneliness of widowers, the cry of women, the vulnerability of children, the struggle of outcasts, the humanity of enemies, the insights of the uneducated, the tensions of bureaucrats, the fears of rulers, the wisdom of the Holy, the power of the powerless....(Benedictine prayer) is to see life as it is, to understand it and to make it better than it was.” (Wisdom Distilled from the Daily p. 37-38)

Our prayer life is strengthened by a practice that we call Lectio or Sacred Reading. When I first entered the community this was my favorite time of the day because I have always loved to read. My parents encouraged us to read at a very early age and this was my favorite hobby. However, at eighteen years of age, I was too young to realize the full significance of this daily practice of Sacred Reading. For me it was to read as many books as I wanted and was able to fit into my schedule. Aging has a way of bringing snippets of wisdom to a person and one of those snippets for me was to understand that the prayerful, discerning reading of scripture or good theological writers causes me to reflect on how Roberta is living the call to “seek God” in all that I do and say. It makes real for me Benedict’s words in the Prologue, “Listen with the ear of your heart…”, to listen to God’s voice in the daily; it means to pay attention to the events that are happening in your life, your family, your work place, your world, your church and bring these matters to your prayer. Furthermore, lectio nudges us to examine our actions and motivations…what can we do to make a difference…differences for example in fractured relationships in family or community, differences in the ethical practices in our work place, differences that count as we work for the causes of peace and justice?


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Benedictine spirituality asks us to be mindful of how we spend our time, to live in harmony with others and with the earth, to be aware of our surroundings and to maintain a balance in our life. If we could just capture this one truth in our lives, how different our world would be. Our spirituality encourages us to be mindful of the connection between our personal space (i.e. home, monastery) and God’s space – to honor the earth so that the next generation will have a planet that is in good condition and they in turn will assume the responsibility to protect it for “futures” unending. It causes us to look at very homely actions such as recycling, not wasting water or electricity, being judicious in regard to the amount of food that is prepared so as not to waste. It inspires us to embrace the value of “enough-ness” in our lives!

Because of Benedict’s admonition to “treat all things (and all people) as though they are the vessels of the altar”, we are mindful of the sacred around us. We need to acknowledge the gifts that we have to share as well as to recognize and celebrate the giftedness of others. This is not always easily done…sometimes we may need to look hard to see the gift in another, but it’s there! I recall an experience that I had when I went to sit with one of our hospitalized sisters. The woman in the bed next to Sister was 98 years old and extremely fragile. She had a feeding tube, catheter, I.V. tubing with antibiotics and had to have breathing treatments done throughout the day. While Sister slept and I was quietly reading my book, a gentleman walked in to visit this elderly woman, Virginia by name. I thought at first that he was her son but without my asking any questions, he proceeded to explain that he was just a good friend who came to see her every day. His name was Michael, 80 years young and a fellow resident from the same nursing home where

Virginia was a resident. Michael first came to know Virginia two years ago when he heard her crying in her room. As he tried to find out how to assist her, they had a wonderful conversation in which he found out that she was a retired professor from the University of Pittsburgh and could speak seven or eight languages. I think he wanted me to know that the frail little lady hooked up to so many tubes was a very important person.

After talking with both the nurse and me, Michael went to sit at Virginia’s bedside. I could hear him talking to her, holding her frail hand in his, telling her how beautiful she was, how much better she looked compared to yesterday, how much she was missed at the home by all her friends. He thanked her for the joy she brought into his life, that her spirit of gentleness and gratitude taught him to be a more gracious person. He told her that the world was a better place because of her presence in it. I sat there quietly and found my throat constricting to hold back the tears. Truly Michael reverenced Virginia and found such beautiful gifts in this fragile little woman. Virginia was a sacrament and sign of God’s love for Michael.

Our Benedictine spirituality impels us to work at our relationships. If prayer is the framework or skeleton of our spirituality, then Community and Hospitality are the flesh, the visible evidence that our spirituality is a reality. Benedict’s Community finds value in every person, from the Abbot or Prioress to the cook, from the CEO to the maintenance personnel, from grandparent to the very youngest child born into a family – there is no ranking by social class, educational background or ordination. The Community is a family in which each person has the responsibility to contribute to the health of that group and he/she is reverenced for that contribution. This does not mean that life is idyllic, without stress or concern. Living with and working with a variety of “characters” takes a lot of courage and imagination! I used to look at the Community of women before me at a meeting and think, “This is a visible miracle and sign of the humor of God….we are a motley group, different in a variety

Our Benedictine spirituality impels us to work at our relationships. If prayer is the framework or skeleton of our spirituality, then Community and Hospitality are the flesh, the visible evidence that our spirituality is a reality.



of ways and yet we are able to transcend our differences and enthusiastically work as one for the common good!” It is within the context of my Community that I have come to realize my personal abilities and to use these in conjunction with the gifts of my Sisters, thus contributing to the uniqueness of the Pittsburgh Benedictine community. The relationships that I have formed over these fifty years have helped me to see God alive in people and events. Sr. Joan Chittister says, “Alone I am what I am, but in Community I have the chance to become everything that I can be.” (Wisdom Distilled from the Daily p. 49) Families don’t automatically become a unified group; parents are responsible for working at their relationships with their spouse and in turn with each child as he/she is welcomed into the family.

The energetic force of our Benedictine spirituality is found in our value of hospitality. We all know the meaning of this word: the art of welcoming, the spirit of cordiality, friendliness, warmth and kindness. Sometimes it is much easier to be hospitable to strangers than it is to be friendly and cordial with our own. The measure of a Community’s hospitality is how they treat one another in spite of differences and idiosyncrasies. The measure of a family’s hospitality is how welcoming and embracing they are with each individual in the family in spite of the difficulties that a particular person may cause. The measure of hospitality in the work place is how respectful everyone is treated from the CEO to the cleaning personnel. Sometimes we need to be open to the surprises that family (parents and children), colleagues or Community members bring to our life.

The story, “Donuts, Root Beer and God”, illustrates the surprises that occur in our daily living especially when we are willing to be hospitable:

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. Now, he wasn’t sure exactly where God lived and he knew it was going to be a long trip to find Him, so he packed his little suitcase with donuts and a six-pack of root beer and he started on his journey.

When he had gone about 3 blocks, he met an old man. The old man was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The little boy sat down on the park bench next to him and opened his suitcase. He noticed that the old man looked hungry so he offered him a donut.

The man gratefully accepted it and just smiled at the little boy. His smile was so incredible that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Once again, the old man smiled at the boy. Well, the little boy was

delighted! And so they sat there all afternoon eating donuts, drinking root beer and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave. Before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man and gave him a hug. The old man gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his house a short time later, his mother was surprised by how happy he looked. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what, Mom, God’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy on his face was asked by his son after he returned home, “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?” His father replied, “Oh, I ate donuts in the park with God.” But before his son could respond, the old man went on to say, “You know, Son, God’s much, much younger than I thought!”

I love this story because it reminds me that seeking God is right before my very eyes – my child, my mother-in-law, my neighbor, my student, my friend, the cab driver, the grocer. “Here I am,” God seems to be saying in each and every person around me!

Finally, I’d like to suggest that we consider the effects of silence in our spiritual life since it is the hallmark of our Benedictine spirituality. It is the attribute that we monastics and oblates work to achieve every day, for it is this feature that allows true contemplation to grow.

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By silence, I obviously do not mean “non-talking” (although there is always room for this). Sometimes the quietest person is full of internal chaotic noise and distraction. Monastic silence quiets the person so that there is space for God’s voice to be heard. “If today you hear His voice, listen with the ear of your heart.” (RB: Prologue) This “ear of the heart” is the quiet, calm center of one’s spirit.

That still calm core of my spirituality is important to keep intact because if I don’t, my depleted spirit will have little to give to my spouse, my significant-other, my children, my friend, my colleagues, my Community. One must be as still as the axis of a wheel in the midst of all life’s activities. “It’s the stability of the hub/axis that gives support to the spokes of the wheel; it’s the inner calm of our spirit that gives energy to our work and activity.” (Gifts from the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindberg)

Silence helps us to glean new insights into who we are as Christian people; it enables us to gain new understandings about why we do what we do. Have you ever noticed that when you have had adequate space and time to pray and think through a problem that you are better able to work out reasonable solutions?

External noise is not the only enemy we have; sometimes the noise within ourselves is next to debilitating. Taking time for silence helps to heal what is troublesome within our hearts. It allows us the luxury of discerning our motivations and actions. It is in silence that we are able to hear the voice of God calling us beyond ourselves to be better people and to do more by way of good works.

“The goal of monastic silence and monastic speech is respect of others, a sense of place, and a spirit of peace. The rule does not call for absolute silence; it calls for thoughtful talk.” (Insight for the Ages p. 60-61) Take a moment and reflect on your conversations at the family dinner table or the dialogue with your friend as you visit over coffee. Is there room for every voice to be heard and honored? “Silence protects us from our noisy selves and prepares us for the work of God in us.” (Monastery of the Heart p.43) These words of Sr. Joan Chittister suggest that we need to avoid destructive gossip: talk that has no substance, talk that forsakes the seriousness of life, talk that is demeaning of others, and talk that prohibits one from listening to the wisdom of others.

We need to actually make time for silence or quiet in our lives because society is driven to fill in every unoccupied moment of our day with infomercials and advertisements, giving advice about everything from how to care for your pet to how to live your life longer.

How do you create this kind of quiet time? Perhaps by coming to this Monastery and spending time with the Sisters at prayer and quiet; perhaps deliberately taking a day or two and “retreating” to a quiet space; perhaps it is casting our fishing pole into a stream and waiting quietly and reflectively for the “big bite”. Each of us needs to find daily quiet time. Often I find the time while driving to and from work at the University to be a great time for reflection. If I get to the office early enough, I’ll close my door for a half hour for quiet “think-time” before the students come with their multiple problems. We all have those “in-between” spaces in our day; the secret is to learn to make the most of these periods for contemplative thought and prayer.

Nancy Wood describes these “in-between spaces” and the gift that they are for us:

The space between events is where most of our life is lived. Those half-remembered moments of joy (and) sadness, fear (and) disappointment, are merely beads of life strung together to make one expanding necklace of experience.

The space between events is where we grow old. From sunrise to sunset one day lives as another day emerges from the fluid womb of dawn, the first bead strung upon the everlasting thread of life.

The space between events is where knowledge marries beauty. In quiet reflection we remember only the colored outline of events, the black and white of war, the rosiness that surrounded our first love.

The space between events is why we go on living. The laughter of a child or the sigh of wind in a canyon becomes the music we hear expanding in our hearts each time we gather one more bead of life.

Our Benedictine spirituality helps us to shape those precious moments and spaces of our days, our weeks, our years. It is this spirituality that nourishes our passion for living a life of Christ-centered hope. As Benedictines, we are called to embrace a spirituality that calls us to:

Live life normally,Live life thoughtfully,(Live life purposefully), Live life profoundly,Live life well. (Wisdom Distilled from the Daily)

And to do all with Love and Passion!

“Listen carefully, my child… with the ear of your heart.”Rule of St. Benedict



One of the vows we take as Benedictines is Stability. Today that would be translated as “Bloom Where You’re Planted”.

My Community has “planted” me in various towns and ministries. I’ve taught school, been a school secretary, a parish Director of Religious Education, Foster Mom, and am now Director of the Salvation Army in Greene County. The common thread running through all these ministries is service.

Working with the Salvation Army is much like working for my Benedictine Community. Both have long traditions based on the Gospel; both serve where the need is greatest.

In Greene County, my work with the Salvation Army allows me to help people with basic needs. We provide free clothing, furniture and household items in our warehouse, emergency food, emergency lodging, and utility and rent assistance. We aid with prescription payments and burial expenses.

We provide gifts to kids through Kids Birthday Club, and warm clothing through Project Bundle-Up. At Christmas, our Treasures for Children provides gifts for needy kids.

We send Greene County kids to the Salvation Army’s Camp Allegheny in Ellwood City. It’s a free, Christian camp where kids meet new friends and begin lifetime memories.

Produce to People is a monthly free food distribution program sponsored by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank that I coordinate in Greene County. We serve approximately 500 families each month.

Sister Sue Fazzini and I began “Heart ‘n Sole” in 1999 to provide new school shoes for Greene County children. With help from many groups and individuals, we’re able to give away approximately 550 pairs of shoes each year.

Fund raising to enable us to serve others is a necessity for the Benedictines and the Salvation Army.

I organize fund raisers throughout the year. The Christmas Kettle Campaign is a major fund raiser and you’ll see me ringing a bell at a kettle…no I don’t have a tambourine! I’m always looking for Bell Ringers, so sign up!

I never thought I’d be “planted” with the Salvation Army, but I have to keep in mind that God is the Gardener.

Bringing Benedict to Greene County and the Salvation Army

By: Sister Audrey Quinn, OSB

Benedictine 70/30 Bonanza – everyone wins!By: Alison Serey

Congratulations to Jann Curti of Wexford, PA who took home the grand price of $9,128 this year. Additional prize winners were Norman Weigand of Allison Park, PA who received a $300 travel package discount from Gotta Go Travel in Wexford, PA; and Estelle Plumb of Belfast, Maine, who won a custom-made basket from Basket Creations of Ross Township, PA.

We give special thanks to our prize sponsors, Maryleigh (Mimi) Lyons Riggle, 1969 St. Benedict Academy alumna and owner of Gotta Go Travel, and our very own Sister Donna Wojtyna, OSB, founder of Basket Creations.

We also give thanks to all who participated in the 70/30 Benedictine Bonanza. Because of you, everyone wins because proceeds help to support the Sisters who touch the lives of hundreds of people through their many ministries in Southwestern PA, and areas of Kentucky and Ohio. You remain forever in our prayers.

ThankYou

Sister Audrey (third from left) accepts a check for the Greene County Salvation Army from Waynesburg University. The money will be used for the Project Bundle-Up Program.



We do not often think of ministry related to a corporation. For years, ministry by women religious was in a Catholic school or a Catholic hospital or a parish. In this day and time, new opportunities present themselves for collaboration with others. With different skills and different experience, Benedictine women in this day collaborate more with what used to be considered profane or worldly. Modern Benedictines find work and ministry in many arenas working with people who also must support themselves.

Sister Michelle and Sister Shelly are clinical social workers who have both had experience in working with people who have suffered from mental illness. They are passionate about helping people be all that God has created them to be. Teaching and encouraging a suffering

The Glory of God is a Person FULLY Alive

Those called to consecrated monastic life form their passionate love for God in an accommodating place, a monastery designed for prayer, hospitality and silence, all in the service of stability, community and conversion, all faith- filled responses to the universal call to holiness.

Others, including oblates like me, form their monastic hearts in less conducive venues: single parent households, courthouses and law offices, to name a few examples from my own life.

How do we love God passionately in these places? We use the tools from Benedict’s Rule box to great results!

Since becoming an oblate, I have formed my monastic heart primarily by “listening…with the ear…of [my] heart.” Since my oblation, when I meet a new client for the first time, I usher him or her into a simple, uncluttered conference room, free of distractions. I ask the client to tell me what has prompted him or her to come; then I listen, completely—no intrusions from staff or the phone. I don’t take notes and I don’t interrupt the client until he or she is finished. Only then do I bring out a

person to utilize their own God given resources, keeps both of these Sisters busy. They know that mental health problems or substance abuse can affect anyone or any family, no matter what socio-economic class or other distinction. These Sisters have a passion to serve and assist others. No one of us can change another person but we can support and encourage others to find their way.

Some of the people who work in the healthcare field with these sisters are alumnae of St Benedict Academy and feel a connection to past times. Both sisters have had the occasion when co-workers would ask to have personal or family situations remembered in prayer. The Benedictine tradition of serving by prayer and Community life enables Sisters Shelly and Michelle to touch the world through their ministry in healthcare and mental health services.

legal pad, start asking relevant questions, make notes and start to outline solutions.

Very few clients have ever experienced someone actively listening to their “testimony”. It’s what a good jury does for a witness. My “active” listening calms their anxiety, enabling the client to think calmly and cooperatively in considering solutions. Indeed, often the client leaves the office with a “settlement” that doesn’t even involve a lawyer!! Talk about peace!

This “active” listening works equally well with my children. When I sense my child needs my undivided listening, I give it. My listening calms the child’s mind in the same way it calms the client’s—and after my listening is completed, often my child has arrived at his or her own solution to the problem.

For me, listening is Benedict’s best tool for forming my monastic heart in the venues where I must live my passionate love for God, my call to holiness, while fulfilling my varied vocations!

Virginia Cook is an Oblate of St. Benedict and affiliated with St. Benedict Monastery in Pittsburgh, PA. She is also a 1969 graduate of St. Benedict Academy. Virginia (Ginny) has been practicing law in the Pittsburgh area for 35 years.

Adding Benedictinism to Psychological Care

Loving God Passionately: An Oblate’s Perspective

By: Sisters Shelly and Michelle Farabaugh, OSB

By: Virginia Cook

Sister Michele (Shelly) Farabaugh, OSB

Virginia (Ginny) Cook

Sister Michelle Farabaugh, OSB



Meow, bark, ruff, purrrrrr, is music to my ears. Animals are another example of God’s goodness and uniqueness in all things He has created.

I have been a lover of animals all my life. I grew up with animals in our family. I received a kitten for Christmas in 1970. My Dad worked in Springfield, Massachusetts, and on his way home Christmas Eve he stopped at my Aunt’s house in Long Island, New York. Here he picked a kitten out of the litter and brought her home howling in protest for being separated from her brothers and sisters. I named her Samantha Pauline Pussycat, but we called her Kitty. She lived to the ripe old age of 16.

In 1977, when she was seven, we got Sam, a Lassa Apso puppy for Christmas. He was born December 7th so we only got to look at him in a Kaufmann’s hat box. He was too young to take from his mother so we had to wait until the middle of January before we could keep him for good. He, too, lived a good long life and brought a lot of joy and laughs even though he was not always the brightest bulb in the chandelier. It did make him all the more endearing. Having the two brought many laughs as they shared our living space. Each one thought the house belonged to him/her and everyone else was just a squatter.

Before I entered religious life, I owned a home. After living there one year, a friend contacted me to say she found a kitten in her yard and would I want to give it a home. At first I said no, but soon relented. Teddy came to live with me April 21, 1992. Never having a kitten that small (it was estimated by the vet that she was around four to six weeks old), I now know why cats have nine lives. Kittens use up eight of them in their first year.

I entered religious life in 1999, and had to give up Teddy. When I am asked what was the hardest thing to give up prior to entering Community – people expect me to say it was my car or my house. No, it wasn’t my car, my house, my jewelry, any material object – it was Teddy. If I ever have a vital organ removed without

anesthesia, I will already know how it feels. That’s what it was like losing Teddy.

After being in formation for a while, my love of animals did not lessen. I saw an article looking for volunteers at Animal Friends. At the time I first volunteered, the shelter was still located in the Pittsburgh strip district. What a joy it has been to volunteer there. The facility has moved to Camp Horne Road that is now a state of the art place for homeless animals. Walking in and hearing the dogs bark or seeing their excitement when you go to take them for a walk is exhilarating for me. I also love to join them in one of the play yards for some exercise. Upon entering one of the free roaming cat rooms, I am overjoyed when one of the cats runs up to me and twirls around my legs purring in greeting. I come home covered in fur, which for animal lovers, completes the outfit. The look in their eyes and the unconditional love given brings joy and peace to my heart. To coin a popular phrase - it’s a “win-win” situation. Animals can communicate so much with their eyes and actions or a look that they give you. They can express a thousand words just with their body language.

Sometimes I am asked, “Do you think our pets will go to heaven?” My opinion is yes. Do I say this simply because I want it to be, or is there biblical evidence to support such an idea?

In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn writes: “Isaiah anticipates an eternal Kingdom of God on earth.” Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 specifically speaks of the New Earth. Sandwiched between them is a reference very similar to that in Isaiah 11: “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox… They will neither harm nor destroy says the Lord” (65:25). These descriptions of animals peacefully inhabiting the earth may have a primary reference to God’s eternal Kingdom where mankind and animals will enjoy a redeemed earth. Yes, I believe our pets will be in heaven. I believe that each one of our pets, including Kitty, Sam and Teddy will be waiting there with all whom we love.

Caring for All God’s Creatures

By: Sister Mary Christine Carlin, OSB

Sister Mary Christine Carlin, OSB


Sister Wilfrid Palladino, OSBBy: Sister Susanne Chenot, OSB

Sister Wilfrid was born of first- generation Italian immigrants: Cataldo Palladino and Theresa Lovito. Cataldo’s first wife, with whom he had 5 children, passed away and he married Theresa, with whom he had three children: Joseph, Carl, and Nunziata (Nancy), later to become Sister Wilfrid. Nancy was born in Connellsville, PA, where her father owned Palladino’s Grocery Store. She began her schooling in the local public school, but while in the second grade, decided that she wanted to go to the Catholic School. One day she left her second-grade classroom and walked across the bridge to St. Rita’s, where, without question, the Sisters put her in their second grade. Her brother was horrified that she did this, but she finished out her grade school years there.

Nancy attended Connellsville Public High School and worked in her family’s store. Around the age of 21, she decided she wanted to be a Benedictine Sister. Her good friend, Sister Mary Robert King (Mary Frances), also from Connellsville, was going to enter, and this was further incentive for Nancy. Nancy’s name in religious life became Sister Wilfrid.

Sister Wilfrid taught at many schools: St. Boniface on the North Side, PA, St. Joseph in Manchester, PA, St. Benedict’s in Canton, OH, St. Teresa in Perrysville, PA, St. Athanasius in West View, PA, St. Philip in Donora, PA, Sacred Heart in Jeannette, PA, and St. Pius in Brookline, PA. St. Boniface was her first assignment. She remembers sitting at recreation with the sisters one night, when the topic turned to ice cream, which was a favorite of the local superior. Sister Wilfrid nonchalantly said: “I know someone is going to bring us some ice cream tonight!” Lo and behold – someone knocked on the door and there was a parishioner bearing ICE CREAM!

After many years in teaching, Sister Wilfrid became the first Director of the newly organized Benedictine Center Meals on Wheels Program, housed in the former St. Benedict Academy. When she retired to the monastery, Sister Wilfrid was up to her elbows in dough: bread dough, pie dough, and nut-roll dough.

Now 91 years of age, Sister Wilfrid continues to be an active Community member. She can be found checking the locks at night, setting up breakfast items early each morning, and keeping everyone laughing with her puns and witticisms.

What would we do without Sister Wilfrid?


Focus on: Sister Wilfrid and Sister Nancy

Sister Nancy Booth, OSBBy: Sister Donna Wojtyna, OSB

“Good morning! Benedictine Sisters” echoes Sister Nancy’s voice from the Monastery Portress room. Stationed at the front door entrance Monday through Friday, Sister graciously receives guests at the door or on the phone. Sister Nancy Booth has had this duty of Portress for over 15 years. In addition to receiving guests, Sister Nancy also enhances our dining room for special occasions and feast days by hanging colorful banners and decorating the tables. She also prepares beautiful candle bouquets for each Sister’s anniversary celebration.

Nancy was born in 1939 and raised in Canton, Ohio. Her parents, Raymond and Marie, boasted of a large family – Nancy, the oldest, Martha, Katherine, Christine, Raymond and Leo; living together in a seven room house. Nancy attended St. Benedict Elementary School and then Central Catholic High School in Canton, OH, for two years. When Nancy was sixteen years of age, she came to live as an Aspirant at the Monastery for her junior year of high school. Having entered religious life in 1957, she made her first vows and became known as Sister Norberta. She kept this “religious” name until the Sisters were invited to return to the Baptismal names in the 1970’s.

As Sister Norberta, many years of service were given in the Monastery kitchen as a cook. Sister also served

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ARCHIVAL EchoesBy: Sr. Kathleen Mack, OSB


Sister Nancy Booth, OSB continued

in this capacity at some of the Mission Houses where the Sisters lived and taught. Sister Nancy served at St. Athanasius, West View, PA, St. Pius X, Brookline, PA, and St. Benedict Academy, Ross Township, PA.

In the 1980’s, Sister Nancy worked with pre-school children at the Learning Center in downtown Pittsburgh for about eight years. Children that she lovingly cared for as tots, occasionally appear on her doorstep as grown-ups and say, “Sister, do you remember me?” What difference does the current few feet of growth have to do with a child’s past memories! To them, Sister Nancy is the same loving Sister that cared for them when they were small.

Sister Nancy loves being creative and even though she suffered a stroke and a heart attack two years ago, she still keeps active tending to a variety of Monastery responsibilities. Over the past years, Sister Nancy proudly proclaims that she has made over 2,000 cards for all occasions that are sold in the Gift Shop. She also handmade all the Community Christmas cards for six years.

Most of Sister Nancy’s family still resides in Canton, Ohio, and she visits them as often as she is able. Even though her Mom and Dad have gone home to God, she enjoys her sisters and nieces and nephews and their families and they in turn look forward to her homecoming.

With the Community in transition, Sister Nancy says that her past is full of loving memories, especially during her formative years. Even though the future is uncertain, she counts on the love of her Sisters and friends to help deal with life’s ups and downs, joys and struggles. As in all things, UIOGD…”that in all things God may be glorified”.


In the early years of coming to the United States, the Benedictine Sisters brought education to German immigrant families. As far back as 1875, the Sisters found it important that the education be solid and refined.

As their reputation spread, the Sisters found that sharing their convent with their students was a wonderful way to spread the Monastic Witness that was an important part of their lives.

In 1875, they opened St. Mary School on the Northside of Pittsburgh. They not only opened the school, but they purchased property on Canal Street; remodeled the building; added a chapel and an academy to their motherhouse convent. By 1879, the school became known as St. Benedict Academy.

As the number of students increased, it was found necessary to open a day academy for young girls to receive a thorough education. A fire in 1923, forced the Sisters to look for a new home and a place to re-establish the school.

It was in 1931 that plans were made to open St. Benedict Academy as a private high school. The pastor of St. Athanasius Church in West View, PA, asked the Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh to take a class of girl students for one year. The Sisters agreed. The new school in Ross Township was called Saint Mary High School. However, at the close of the school year, the students requested to return for their second year. By 1935, the new school was recognized by the state and the name was changed to St. Benedict Academy – a private high school for young women.

From its beginning in 1875 to the closing in 1985, St. Benedict Academy was an outstanding educational center. Through the years, the monastic image of St. Benedict was a key center of the education given to the students. It was an education based in faith, spirituality and a Christ-centered approach to the world they faced.

A Benedictine Sister of Pittsburgh poses with her students in the 1890’s.

A 1969 Biology Class at St. Benedict Academy

SBA National Honor Society Members in 1980

SBA Student dance in 1947

What opens your heart? What do you yearn for? Sr. Elizabeth Johnson in her book, ‘Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God’ reviews the theology of German theologian, Karl Rahner as she explains how humans are continually curious, always searching for something more, always looking to the horizon, always looking for the Eternal Love. Being a vowed monastic woman or a monastic oblate is all about focusing on this search, being curious about God, being passionate for God. Our Sisters and Oblates reach out with monastic hearts loving God passionately, and in that passion they seek to bring the love of God to others through community, hospitality, prayer and service in many and varied ministries.

Oblate and Deacon Jack Miller assisted Fr. Leroy DiPietro at the Sunday Eucharist Celebration on August 7th at the Monastery. The Sisters invited him to celebrate in honor of his ordination as a deacon June 11, 2011. We all enjoyed his humorous and meaningful homily.

Oblates Madelyn Svidergol and Cathie Schwarzmeier attended three sessions of the Thomas Merton Bridges program this past spring. They will attend the remaining three sessions this coming year.

Oblate Sue Ann Whittick Duff has created a Madeline Engelbreit doll house for the Benedictine Sisters that will be raffled off at the August festival at St. Teresa’s Parish. She has prepared a doll house each year to be raffled off with the proceeds being donated to the Sisters.

Sister Alice Rock and Sister Joann Hothersall both minister in Mercy Intellectual Disability Services (MIDS) at the Ross Center site. The program recently achieved a 100% score on their State Inspection for the 10th year in a row. Congratulations Sister Alice and Sister Joann and all those with whom you work.

Sister Amy Westbrook has achieved Dean’s List again this

spring as she pursues her studies in Early Childhood Education at Carlow University. Sister Amy will student teach in the fall at St. Teresa’s School in Perrysville. Her second assignment will be at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry. Sister Amy will graduate in December.

Sister Barbara Helder created outstanding special prayer services for the Community Days of the Benedictine Sisters in August. Sister Barbara is the liturgy specialist in the community as well as being the music minister.

Sister Bridget Reilly attended a STAR (Services for Teens at Risk) Conference at the University of Pittsburgh on May 6, 2011. The keynote address was entitled “Supporting Students at Risk during Difficult Financial Times.” Sister Bridget also attended a number of scholarship dinners throughout the spring for students from Quigley Catholic High School who received awards based upon scholarship and service. As Guidance Counselor at Quigley, Sister Bridget encouraged students to apply and often was asked to write recommendations. In her spare time, Sister Bridget walked in the Race for the Cure on May 8, 2011 along with Sister Susanne Chenot and Sister Dolores Conley.

Sister Corinne Moeller was busy this summer going to high rises to sign people up for OPT and ACCESS transportation. She was often accompanied by either Sister Mary Agnes Gmuer or Sister Georgine Schweers. On most Wednesdays, Sister Corinne and volunteer Mary Anne Dille go door-to-door doing outreach in the West View area to distribute information about the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging to senior citizens. Emphasis is on group trips to Keen Theater, the Casino, an Ice Cream parlor, Supper Club gatherings, and a varied selection of shopping sites around the county. Sister Corinne stated that, “Seniors today are transient in their activities, no longer just playing Bingo and cards.” Sister Corinne is available with this information at St. Athanasius Community Center and Franklin Park Municipal Center in Blueberry Park for their monthly Senior Luncheons.


14

By: Sister Susan Merrie English, OSB

Find us on the Web at www.osbpgh.org

Sister Dolores Conley is excited about publishing her first children’s book, “Bitsy and Big Leaf.” It should be out in the Fall. Sister Dolores is also looking forward to teaching art classes at the Focus on Renewal Learning Center in McKees Rocks this year.

Sister Donna Wojtyna is busy with her basket making and sales. She participated in the Vendor Sale at the Mews in North Hills on May 1 and did a basket presentation at Memorial Park Church in April. Sister Donna holds classes for the Osher program through the University of Pittsburgh as well as basket classes here at the monastery. Upcoming events are two Osher workshops, October 22 and December 1, and two basket presentations and sales at Butler Weavers Guild, October 5, and St. John Neumann Church on October 13. She will display her wood carvings and photo cards at the Artists and Craftsman Sale at St. Teresa’s Church in Perrysville on Nov. 5. Look for Sister Donna’s new line of prestigious Nantucket Baskets coming soon.

Sister Florence Lynch and her faithful volunteers keep themselves busy after working hours delivering furniture and home necessities to families in need through her ministry of Angels in Overalls. Sister Florence is often called by other social service providers to help people who have fallen through the cracks of other agencies. She aids many immigrants, refugees and elderly in the Greater Pittsburgh area by sharing her heart of gold.

Sister Judith Nero joined the staff of the Office of Community Advancement as Development Assistant and Database Manager the beginning of August, 2011. She will also be assisting with vocation ministry. For the previous two years, she served as Resident Manager of Leo Meyer Manor in McKees Rocks, PA, independent apartments for senior adults or people with disabilities, sponsored by Christian Housing, Inc. and partly funded by HUD.

Sister Linda Larkman and Sister Amy Westbrook will be attending the Good Shepherd Catechesis Training at St. John Neumann starting in August. This is a 13 month program and will prepare them to teach in a Religious Education program.

Sisters Marcia Koluder, Anne Lazar, Monica Silan, and Mary Kay Easly have been working hard to prepare crafts in time for the August festival at St. Teresa’s in Perrysville. The proceeds from the sale of the crafts will benefit the Benedictine Sisters. The Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh have served at St. Teresa’s Parish for over 100 years.

Sister Mary Damian Thaner attended a class reunion on June 10 with students whom she taught in 1947 at Immacuate Conception High School in Connellsville, PA. Twelve of the original 27 students were present for the re-union. Those present were either 79 or 80 years old. What a wonderful reunion!

Sister Michael Mack has created the colorful gardens that surround the Benedictine Monastery building on Perrysville Avenue. She is an expert in using donated flowering plants and making best use of plants that multiply and self-propagate.

Sister Rosalyn Soller and temporary professed Sisters Linda Larkman and Amy Westbrook attended the Formation Workshop at the Villa Maria Retreat Center, September 16-18. Ms. Melanie Prejean Sullivan presented the two day workshop entitled, “Whispers, Nudges and a Couple of Kicks: Recognizing God’s Invitation in Our Lives.”

Sister Shelly Farabaugh will present a workshop in November at Ohio Wesleyan University at the Ecumenical Regional Conference. The conference is entitled, “Radical Gospel Living: Monasticism Today.” Sister Shelly’s workshop is entitled, “Forgiveness in Benedictine Community Living.”

Sister Susan Merrie English attended a special coach training class to prepare to take her exams to be a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation. This is the highest level of coaching certification possible. Sister Susan will use what she has learned in teaching in the Duquesne University Professional Coach Certification Program.

Sister Susanne Chenot is chair of the Pittsburgh Benedictines for Peace committee. Her committee nominated her for a position on the National Board of the Benedictines for Peace. She recently received word that she has been accepted. In her new role, Sister Susanne will be participating in regular teleconferences to work with Sisters from other Benedictine communities to promote social justice causes.



U.I.O.G.D. – Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus! – ‘That in all things GOD may be glorified’.

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Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh4530 Perrysville AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15229-2296

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PAIDST. MEINRAD, INPERMIT NO. 16

Celebrate with someone who is marking a special occasion, comfort someone who is grieving, or offer prayers for someone who is ill by sending them a Spiritual Bouquet.

Spiritual Bouquet Cards commemorate any occasion and allow you to honor a loved one, living or deceased, in a lasting way. Persons honored are remembered by our Sisters in their daily prayers and ministries, and at the offering of the Eucharist each day at the Monastery. The deceased are also remembered in the prayers and sufferings of our elderly or ill Sisters and in a series of special Masses offered in November each year.

When you remember your loved ones with Spiritual Bouquets, you may also help to bring peace to the world and to assist strangers in need. By including voluntary offerings, you support our 1500 year-old-mission and legacy of seeking God in Prayer, Community and Ministry!

To request a set of Spiritual Bouquet Cards, please contact our Office of Community Advancement at 412-931-2844 x 101 or at [email protected]. Thank you.

All Occasion (Daisy)

Healing

Deceased

All Occasion (Stained Glass)

Spiritual Bouquets…

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