Threshold - Winter 2004

News Notes

Five Tanzanian sisters from the Benedictine Sisters of St. Agnes, who are studying in Benedictine colleges in this country, were able to gather this summer for a reunion and workshop in Atchison. The African sisters were Sister Anamaria Haule and Redempta Ndunguru from Lacey, Washington, Sister Gotharda Nyoni from Yankton, S.D., and Sisters Susana and Presentasia of Atchison. Sisters Susan Barber, Genevieve Robinson, and Brendan Fry participated with the sisters. Sister Kathryn Pierce, IHM, facilitated their discussions on intercultural exchange.
Additional story and pictures

Mount St. Scholastica was one of the charities featured in a “Pillars of Philanthropy” supplement to the Kansas City Business Journal. The two-page ads, underwritten by supporting businesses, introduce worthy causes to the business community. The Geo. P. Reintjes Co. and Gould, Evans, Goodman sponsored this opportunity for the Mount.

Nearly 200 scholars from seven countries attended the Conference on the History of Women Religious at the Atchison Heritage Conference Center in June. Sister Judith Sutera, who is on the steering committee of the international group, chaired the planning for their triennial gathering.

In recent elections, Sister Elaine Fischer was re-elected to another term on the monastic council. Chosen as delegates for the 2006 general chapter of the Federation of St. Scholastica were Sisters Anne Shepard, Mary Palarino, Carol Ann Petersen and Mary Elizabeth Schweiger, with Bridget Dickason as alternate.

Sisters Lorene Judge and Gervase Judge, devoted fans of Benedictine College sports, were honored by Coach Larry Wilcox to have their photo on the Ravens 2004 football schedule posters which appeared throughout the area.

Brother Columba McNeill serves Sister Barbara Smith (photo on right) at the annual dinner for the sisters at St. Benedict’s Abbey. The sisters joined the monks for vespers and an elegant dinner in the monks’ dining room.

Sisters Patricia Seipel, Maria Nguyen, Oanh Pham, Suzanne Fitzmaurice, Carolyn Rohde, Kathleen Flanagan, Mary Palarino, Antonia Ryan, and Judith Sutera were among those who represented the community at the Vietnamese Marian Days in Carthage, Mo. Sister Patricia, vocation minister, was accompanied by Sisters Lou Whipple and Mariella Pucka at the state fair booth of the women religious of Kansas. 65 junior high girls attended the summer leadership camp, jointly sponsored by area religious communities, at which Sister Patricia was assisted by Sisters Lou, Suzanne, Barb Conroy and Susan Barber.

Many sisters also participated in the “Servin’ Sisters” volleyball game against a team of girls at Frankfort, Kansas, and in the vocation days for fifth grade students in both the Kansas and Missouri dioceses. 49 Benedictine College students are paired this year with individual sisters to be Partners in Prayer. Pictured here is Sister Rose Marie Stallbaumer is joined weekly at prayers by her college prayer partner Catharine Schoeneker

Youth groups that have recently visited the monastery included Boy Scouts from Holy Trinity in Lenexa, confirmation groups from Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Joseph and Sacred Heart in Emporia, the third grade of St. Peter & Paul in Seneca, and the eighth grade from St. Pius X in Mission.

Several “Come and See” events have been held, with the next scheduled for the weekend of January 14-16, which is the weekend of the monastic profession of Sister Barbara Langel. Single women, ages 18 to 40, who want to know more about religious life are invited to contact Sister Patricia for more information about these weekends.