Benedictine Sisters Welcome New Postulant

The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica welcomed postulant Margaret DelDebbio in a traditional ritual at their evening meal on August 12, 2006. A native of Chicago, Margaret has worked in secondary education and youth ministry, and has served as a volunteer in programs in Nigeria and Samoa.

With a strong commitment to social needs and justice, she was living at the Catholic Worker House in Kansas City, Missouri, when she made a retreat at Sophia Center on the grounds of the monastery in Atchison. There she discovered a new level of commitment which captured her interest. “Here was this group of women who expressed a natural yet profound peace about life together in Christ,” she explains.

Last year, she moved to Atchison and began teaching high school religion at Maur Hill-Mount Academy. She attended daily prayers at the monastery and became ever more convinced of her own calling. As a postulant, she will continue to teach part-time and engage in the community living, prayer and study which will help her and the community determine whether this is the right choice for her life. Right now, she is happy to be moving in that direction and expresses her hopes, “I have found here a centeredness in God that is a living and dynamic spirit moving throughout the community. I only hope I might be able to be able to be a part of it and contribute something to such a challenging and inspiring group of women.”

At supper on August 12, 2006, Peg Del Debbio asked to enter our community. Sister Anne, prioress, listens as Peg states her request. Sister Patricia Seipel, vocation minister, worked with Peg to prepare her for her entrance.


Sister Cecilia Olson, director of initial formation, receives a blessing
from Sister Anne as she begins her work with Peg.


Sister Anne presents Peg with our Liturgy of the Hours prayer book and
an apron so she can pray and work with us in community.



Peg will live with the St. Hildegard’s living group: Sisters Cecilia Olson, Linda Herndon, Brendan Fry, Mary Ann Dice, Joachim Holthaus, Loretta Schirmer,
and Mildred Vey. Sister Joan Offenburger is also in this living group.


Sister Therese Elias welcomes Peg to our community.


(from L to R) Sisters Yvonne Barrington, Brigid Kelliher, and
Mary Kratina wait to greet Peg at her reception.