Monday, August 28, 2006 - Sisters Of St. Benedict

Departments
The D me
Spring 2006
Volume 6, Number 1
Volunteers find blessings in
serving others 3–5
Individuals who volunteer their time and talent at the monastery
often feel they are the ones who are being blessed.
Profile: Partner of St. Benedict 7
Rich Risemas says he feels good being part of the mission of
the Ferdinand Benedictines.
Profile: Monastery Angels 9
With their “long-time connection” to the Sisters of St.
Benedict, John and Sandy Wilson make the community “one
of our priorities.”
In memoriam 14
Remembering Sister Francesca Brogan and Sister Mary Edith Hohl
Partners of St. Benedict 6–11
Monastery Angels 8
St. Hildegard Society 10
From the News Desk 12–13
Calendar of Events 15
Published by
Sisters of St. Benedict
Monastery Immaculate Conception
802 E. 10th Street • Ferdinand, Indiana 47532-9239
812-367-1411 • www.thedome.org
Prioress
Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau, OSB
Director of Mission Advancement
Sister Rose Mary Rexing, OSB
Director of Communications, Editor
Karen Katafiasz
Communications Associates
Sister Paulette Seng, OSB
Angi Seffernick
Communications Assistant
Sister Jeana Visel, OSB
The Dome is published for the friends of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand,
Indiana.
The Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, are 190 religious women who
minister in schools, parishes, church institutions, health care facilities, retreat
centers, and social service agencies in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Italy, Peru,
and Guatemala.
MISSION STATEMENT
We, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, are monastic women seeking God
through the Benedictine tradition of community life, prayer, hospitality, and service to
others. By our life and work, we commit ourselves to be a presence of peace as we join
our sisters and brothers in the common search for God.
You bless us. Just by being who you
are, you bless us.
The feature article in this issue of The
Dome describes five of the many people
who volunteer at the monastery. I was
struck by a feeling they shared — that
they are blessed by their volunteer work
here.
The blessings are mutual! Those
individuals who volunteer bless us — the sisters
— by being here, by their generosity, by sharing their
uniqueness with us, just by being who they are. They
really give us two gifts: the gift of their service and
help by volunteering and the gift of themselves.
Thinking of our volunteers brings to mind how
interdependent we all are. None of us is able to do
everything on our own.
Within our Benedictine community, we see that
interdependence lived out in many different ways.
Just as it happens in every family, we all depend on
one another. For instance, sisters help with the sick,
they sit with someone who is dying, they take on
another’s dishwashing chore when that person can’t
do it, they join in when there’s a project that needs to
be done.
As a community, there’s a lot that we can and do do,
but we also depend on others to help us and to work
with us. Of course, we depend on our employees. We
couldn’t run the monastery without them. In addition,
our volunteers are filling important needs here on the
hill, as the feature article explains. I think also of the
women who have been coming in to quilt regularly
— creating quilts for the gift shop and next year’s
Summer Social. They are giving something unique and
wonderful too. And as time goes on, our relationship
with all these people deepens, and theirs with us.
Religious communities haven’t always been as open
to involving lay people in their work and lives. That
change has happened over the last 30 to 40 years, and
it’s a good change. There’s an awareness now that
both parties have gifts to give each other — something
that is unique to them.
The fact that you receive The Dome means that
you have a connection to us. That connection, that
relationship is important to us. We treasure it — and
the gift you are to us.
Your relationship with us is one of the aspects of
life that nurture our spirits. You are a gift in and of
yourself; you bless us just by your presence. May you,
in turn, know many blessings during this holy Easter
season!
2

Volunteers find
blessings
in serving
others
If you have ever visited Monastery
Immaculate Conception
during community meeting days,
you likely were welcomed at the
switchboard desk by a volunteer.
Perhaps you have stayed at Kordes
Retreat Center. Chances are that
a volunteer has helped serve your
meal. Have you lit a candle at
the Lourdes Grotto or walked the
outdoor Stations of the Cross on
the monastery grounds? If so, you
may have seen a volunteer working
with sisters in the flower gardens.
Every year, over 50 volunteers
offer their time and talent helping
out at the monastery. From
marking new products in the gift
shop to facilitating organizational
meetings, from stuffing envelopes
to staffing booths at the annual
Christkindlmarkt festival, volunteers
join the sisters in a variety
of tasks to keep the monastery
running.
They come for many different
reasons, but a common theme
seems to emerge from their experience:
in assisting the sisters, they
feel that they are the ones who are
being blessed.
Many persons begin volunteering
because of a connection with a particular
sister. A native of Evansville,
Indiana, Phyllis Claycamp first came
to know the sisters when she visited
Sister Mary Roman Dall, who taught
her son. She grew more acquainted
with the
commu- “
nity and,
in 1976,
became
one of
the first
Oblates.
For the last 10 years, Phyllis
has volunteered at the monastery,
helping both with switchboard
duties and with meals and activities
in the infirmary, now known as
Hildegard Health Center. She has
a soft spot in her heart for the senior
sisters, and she enjoys playing
cards with them and taking them
for walks. Phyllis says that just being
around the sisters is a blessing:
“Coming up here is the best part of
my life. … I feel so blessed when
I’m able to come up here to the
holy hill.”
At least once or twice a week,
Vic Begle comes to the monastery
to volunteer with Sisters Mary
Carmen and Mary Carmel Spayd.
A local man from Ferdinand, his
involvement initially grew out of
visits he and his wife Linda made
to see Sister Mary Judith Fleig, his
Coming up here is the
best part of my life.
”
Volunteer Phyllis Claycamp enjoys taking Sister
Mary Charlotte Kavanaugh for a stroll.

Volunteer blessings
“
I’m the one who’s being
blessed. And I bet every
volunteer feels that way.
sister-in-law. Semi-retired, Vic had
a little more time on his hands,
and he wanted to give back to
the local community. Sister Mary
Judith proposed working in the
gardens with the two sisters, who
are twins.
This was a fitting suggestion.
Vic likes landscaping, and he knew
Sister Mary Carmen from his high
school days. He remembered her as
being a good, no-nonsense teacher
from whom you could learn something,
as well as a peacemaker in
student government negotiations.
They got along well then, and he
enjoys working with her now.
He says he gives back to the
sisters, both because of his connection
with Sister Mary Judith
and because, back when the sisters
were teaching him, they received
hardly anything for their work.
The sisters, for their part, appreciate
Vic’s hardworking
spirit and
his attention to
detail. Whether
it’s tilling a flower
bed in spring or
repairing plasterwork and
caulking windows in winter,
Vic is willing to help. Sister
Mary Carmen says enthusiastically,
“He is a super, super volunteer,
and Sister Mary Carmel
and I want everyone to know
that.”
A number of volunteers
first connect with the
sisters while attending
retreats at the mon- mon-
Volunteer Vic Begle often can be seen
around the grounds landscaping
gardens, painting, or helping with other
monastery maintenance.
astery. When
Ann Collins, a
Lutheran from
Princeton,
Indiana,
overheard
others
talking
about
volunteering at
Kordes Retreat
Center, her
response was,
“I want to do
that!”
Ann says
that because the
retreat center
has been such a
wonderful place
for her — she values
the hospitality,
the welcome,
the people — she
feels privileged to
share it with others.
“When you’re
on the hill, you can just feel the sacredness
of the place. … I’ve never
had a not-wonderful experience
here, ever.” The sisters have taught
her a lot about different ways of
praying, she says, and these tools
have helped deepen her prayer life.
By volunteering, she says, “I’m the
one who’s being blessed. And I bet
every volunteer feels that way.”
Another volunteer at Kordes,
Shirley Stern, is a former member
of the community. In 2001, Sister
Leona Schlachter asked her if
”
Former member of the
community Shirley Stern
welcomes retreatants and helps
serve meals during retreats at
the monastery.
she could assist the staff with
hosting the annual Vocations
Conference, and Shirley has
been helping out at the retreat
center ever since. Today
Shirley enjoys volunteering
because it keeps
her connected with the
sisters. “It’s good for me
to be around the nuns. …
They still treat me like I’m
part of community.”
Many
After working a volun-
weekend at the teers are
monastery, Ann affiliated
Collins leaves with with the
her body tired
Ferdinand
but her spirit
Bene-
refreshed.
dictinecommunity
as
Oblates.
Julie
Beck, a
regular
volun-
teer at the
switchboard
welcome
desk,
came
to
know
the
sisters
when she
started
4

her Oblate preparation. Sister
Sylvia Gehlhausen directed her
studies, and in the process the two
became close friends. Julie still
considers Sister Sylvia her “spiritual
mother,” and she volunteers
to give back to the sisters for the
spiritual guidance she has received.
“It is my great pleasure to volunteer!
I am the one who is truly
blessed by my association with this
wonderful community,” Julie says. “I
find peace when I come here, and
I can’t wait to come. As I drive up
the hill, my problems, worries, and
concerns just seem to disappear.”
In his Rule, St. Benedict says
that monastics should serve one
another in love, giving help as
needed (Chapter 35). He knew
that only through the partnership
of many hands could the rhythms
A secretary by profession, Julie Beck regularly
volunteers as a receptionist for the monastery during
community meeting days.
of the monastery continue day
after day. In their willing service to
the religious community, volun-
teers also embrace the Benedictine
spirit, seeking and finding God in
the ordinary.
Some volunteers at the monastery have had a unique opportunity
to experience the Benedictine life of prayer and work.
Women from the area have been coming to create quilts that
will be sold at For Heaven’s Sake or raffled off at next year’s Summer
Social. During their visits, they’ve been invited to join the
sisters for prayer, and most have done so. Most have also eaten
with the community and taken a tour.
Some quilters have even been part of a Quilters’ Retreat,
says Sister Mary Ruth Krack, who coordinates the quilter
visits and retreats. The Quilters’ Retreat offers a schedule
that includes prayer and Mass, meals, and an optional talk
along with quilting. Retreat participants can stay at the
monastery guest house for one or two nights. Room and
board are provided at no charge.
Volunteers don’t have to know how to quilt, Sister Mary
Ruth notes. “Folks have helped with making bindings or
have done other helpful jobs around the monastery,” she
says.
Quilters have come from at least 13 parishes, including
St. Ferdinand, Ferdinand; St. Boniface, Fulda; St. James,
Haubstadt; St. Mary, Ireland; St. Mary, Mitchell; St. Peter
Celestine, Celestine; St. Philip, Mount Vernon; Holy Family
and Precious Blood, Jasper; and Holy Rosary, Holy Spirit,
Resurrection, and St. Joseph, Evansville.
“
Stitch by stitch, a group of women from St. Mary Parish in Ireland, Indiana,
create a beautiful quilt.
I find peace when
I come here, and I
can’t wait to come.
Volunteer blessings
”
Quilters combine prayer and work
“Some groups have told us that they will do a quilt for us at
their parish,” Sister Mary Ruth adds. “And the quilters from St.
Mary in Mitchell took donated hand-stitched blocks home and
will piece and quilt them for us.”
Individuals and groups can schedule a Quilters’ Retreat by contacting
Sister Mary Ruth at 812-367-1411, ext. 2658, or by e-mail
at mrkrack@thedome.org.

Partners of St. Benedict
The Sisters of St. Benedict of
Ferdinand, Indiana, gratefully
acknowledge all Partner gifts
received in 2005.
The sisters benefit greatly
from the generosity of our
benefactors — those who support
our mission and ministries
through their prayer, good will,
and financial assistance.
THE PARTNERS OF
ST. BENEDICT
We deeply appreciate those
who partner with us. Together we
can continue to strive to make a
difference and bring God’s love to
the world.
Supporters join with us as
Partners of St. Benedict at these
levels of giving:
St. Scholastica Circle
St. Scholastica Circle members
are benefactors who have made
an annual gift of $5,000 or more.
Benedictine Society
Benedictine Society members are
benefactors who have made an
annual gift of $1,000 to $4,999.
Founders
Founders are benefactors who
have made an annual gift of
$500 to $999.
Anniversary Partners
Anniversary Partners are
benefactors who have made an
annual gift of $139 (one dollar
for every year the Ferdinand
Benedictines have been in existence)
to $499.
St. Scholastica Circle
$5,000 and above
Becher Funeral Home
Dr. Daniel C. Eby & Dr. Linda
M. Hanekamp-Eby
Mr. & Mrs. James D. McNeil
Mobel, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Scott Plunkett
Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. Reising
Jim & Pat Thyen
Herb Thyen Family
Foundation, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick E. Wright
Benedictine Society
$1,000 to $4,999
Anonymous Donors (4)
Mrs. Olivia G. Adler
Mr. & Mrs. Charles J. Alles
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Jack Alles
Mr. & Mrs. Harlan J. Altman
Dr. Ben W. Asdell
Mr. & Mrs. Doyle J. Baehl
Ms. Elaine Baumgart
Mr. & Mrs. Ray Bawel
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Becker
Best Chairs, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Hilary P. Blessinger
Mr. & Mrs. Dean Bosler
Mr. Wilfred C. Bussing & Dr.
Phyllis Beshears Bussing
Mr. Tyrone Byrd
Rev. Larry Coulter
Mr. & Mrs. William M. Darish
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Dieter
Rev. William J. Dietsch
Mr. & Mrs. Jack V. Dippel
Mr. & Mrs. William F. Dow, III
Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Durliat
Mr. Norman H. Elsner
Dr. & Mrs. Stanley R. Epperson
Linda & Butch Feulner
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald F. Fleischman
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D.
Gebhart, Jr.
Ms. Carol J. Gerlach
Mrs. Marilyn F. Gettelfinger
Mr. & Mrs. George M. Goetz
Good Shepherd Bingo Booster
Club, Evansville
Mr. & Mrs. Donald J. Greulich
Mr. & Mrs. Keith J. Grossman
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Gunter
Mrs. Barbara T. Habig
Doug & Nancy Habig
Thomas L. Habig Foundation, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Eugene R. Hausmann
Ms. Florence Henderson
Mr. & Mrs. Michael J.
Hochgesang
Mrs. Eloise D. Hughes
Indiana Furniture Industries, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Jochim
Marilyn & Leroy Jochum
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth E.
Kavanaugh
Mrs. Edwina L. Kempf
Mrs. Pauline C. Kern
Mr. & Mrs. John R. Kidwell
Mrs. Joan A. Kleinhenz
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew C. Klem
Mrs. Patricia A. Koch
Mrs. Mildred P. Kordes
Michael & Norma Kreilein
Mr. & Mrs. John F. Krempp
Kenneth & Jane Krempp
Stanley & Mary Jane Krempp
Mrs. Rita K. Kunkler
Ms. Lois McGregor
Mr. Timothy B. Mahoney
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis A.
Mehringer, Sr.
Dr. & Mrs. Matthew B.
Monesmith
Mr. & Mrs. James H. Muehlbauer
Mr. Davin J. Nuttall
Leon & Mary Ann Olinger
Joan & Nathaniel Pace
Dr. Judith G. Palmer
Guy Neil & La Verne Ramsey
Mrs. Helen A. Renner
Mr. Richard L. Risemas
Mrs. Margaret A. Ruhe
St. Benedict Cathedral Parish,
Evansville
St. Mary Parish, Evansville
Robert & Penny Schafer
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth G.
Scheessele
Ambrose & Sally Schmitt
Mr. Elmer A. Schmitt
David & Mimi Schmitz
Mrs. Leona E. Schnaus
Mr. Gervase Schwenk
Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Schwenk
Mr. & Mrs. S. Michael Shrode
Ms. Judith A. Stetter
Mr. & Mrs. Terry W. Stolz
Swiss Investment Corporation
Dr. & Mrs. Eugene R. Tempel
Mrs. Mary F. Thinnes-Brazeal
Mr. & Mrs. William Thornhill
Mr. & Mrs. Alvin C. Tretter
Mrs. Mary Jo Uebelhor
Uebelhor Developments
Mr. & Mrs. Blaine A.
VanDerSnick
Dr. Bernard J. Verkamp
Ms. Jean Walker
John & Florence Schmitt Ward
Robert and JoAnn Weber
Mr. & Mrs. Donald P. Weinzapfel
Jim & Linda Wenning
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce J. Weyer
Mr. Ernest B. Weyer
Mrs. Mary A. Weyer
Weyer Electric, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. James L. Will, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. John T. Williams
John A. & Marian R. Witting
Ms. Linda Youstra
Mr. Louis Michael Zeller, Jr.
Rev. Joseph L. Ziliak
Founders
$500 to $999
Anonymous Donors (4)
Mr. & Mrs. Norbert E. Adler
Mrs. Mary Lee Allen
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Angelo
Bob & Martha Baehl
Don & Fran Bartley
Mr. Bill Bassler
BKD, LLP
Mrs. Loraine Blume
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Book
Mrs. Lee Ann Briggeman
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph E. Buehler
Mrs. Estella Burger
Ms. Paulette M. Campana
Dr. Marc W. & Jeanne Marie
Campbell
Mrs. Eileen M. Carter
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Dall
Mr. J.J. Dauby
Mr. John R. Daunhauer, Jr.
Mark & Beverly Dean
Mr. & Mrs. Fred J. Dewig
Mrs. Irene Dippel
Mr. Donald J. Dowling
Mrs. Ann Elpers
Mr. & Mrs. Vincent B. Elpers
Mr. & Mrs. Linus W. Elsner
Harold & Jane Englert
Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Erny
Rev. Bernard T. Etienne
Mr. & Mrs. John Falls & Jennifer
Ms. Bea Forlano
Mr. Dennis L. Gehlhausen
Mrs. Carl L. Gogel
Mr. & Mrs. F. Wendell Gooch
Mr. & Mrs. Michael
Gramelspacher, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen C. Gubler
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Haas
Rev. Eugene F. Heerdink
Robert D. Hess, Ph.D.
Mr. & Mrs. C. Raymond
Hufnagel
Randy & Cindy Hupfer
Mr. & Mrs. Clifford J. Huther
Jasper Seating Foundation, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Stanley J. Keller
6

Dr. & Mrs. Bernard P. Kemker, Sr.
Dr. & Mrs. Clarence F. Kirby
Mr. & Mrs. Melvin J. Kissinger
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth W. Klem
Mr. & Mrs. Paul E. Knies
Knights of Columbus #6679,
Linton
Koch Development Corporation
Ken & Marlene Krasavage
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew B. Krempp
Mr. & Mrs. Walter J. Lake, Sr.
Drs. Rodolfo & Veronica Lim
David & Mildred Lowe
Mr. & Mrs. Demetrio M.
Maglalang
Marian’s Card & Gift Shop,
Evansville
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond J. Market, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy R. Martin
Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. McGuire
Dr. & Mrs. William L. McNiece
Mr. Curtis H. Meyer
Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Mischler
Mr. & Mrs. Robert A.
Montgomery
Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Morris
Mrs. Betty Jean Nicheols
Dr. & Mrs. Carl B. O’Connor
Mr. & Mrs. Cletus M. Oing
Mrs. Melvin R. Oing
Mr. & Mrs. Jerry L. Outlaw
Mr. & Mrs. Earl A. Peters
Mrs. Cecilia M. Ploetner
Precious Blood Parish, Jasper
Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Pund
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy M. Quinton
Mr. Joseph A. Ream
Mr. Mark A. Robinson
Mr. Joseph Sadowski
St. Anthony of Padua Parish,
Evansville
Dr. Frank J. Sasse & Dr. Mary
Louise Gomez
Dr. & Mrs. Alan Schapker
Mr. & Mrs. Harold J. Scheller
Ms. Cindy Schlachter
Mr. & Mrs. Urban G. Schmitt, Sr.
Rev. Eugene A. Schroeder
Mr. & Mrs. Norbert J. Schroeder
Mr. & Mrs. Edmund J. Seebauer
Mr. Alan J. Seng
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence E. Seng
Seufert Construction &
Supply Co., Inc.
Jack & Kate Siemers
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph A. Simms
Mrs. Edna T. Sollman
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph A.
Sonderman
Ms. Georgia K. Spaetti
Mr. & Mrs. James J. Stenftenagel
Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Stengel
7
Mr. David E. Strange
Gene & Marty Tenbarge
Mr. & Mrs. Peter J. Tennyson
Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Tennyson
Ron & Mary Jane Thyen
Mr. & Mrs. Vincent J. Trosino
Mr. & Mrs. William F. Tuley
Mrs. Helen G. Tyring
Ms. Rita S. Uebelhor
Mr. & Mrs. Miguel R. Urban
Mr. & Mrs. Norbert J. Volny
Harold & Roselle Weinzapfel
Mr. & Mrs. Eugene C. Welp
Mr. & Mrs. Chris G. Weyer
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald J. Weyer
Tom & Ann Weyer
Mr. Gerald A. Wildeman
Ms. Barbara L. Zimmer
Anniversary Partners
$139 to $499
Anonymous Donors (7)
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel J. Ackerman
Rev. Donald K. Ackerman
Mr. & Mrs. Gene A. Adler
Mrs. Margaret M. Adler
Partners of St. Benedict
Mrs. Rose C. Adler
Teri Hollander Albin & David
Albin
Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Altstadt
Dr. & Mrs. Frank J. Amodio
Paul & Barb Angermeier
Mr. & Mrs. Clemens A. Baehl
Mr. David W. Baehl
Jim & Esther Barnett
Dr. & Mrs. Nicholas E. Barreca
Mr. & Mrs. Ralph L. Bartley
Ms. Mary Lou Bassler
Mrs. Lucille Baurley
Mr. & Mrs. Louis A. Beach
Mr. & Mrs. Roman A. Becher
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth L. Beck
Janis & Gordon Becker
Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Becker
Mr. Richard S. Becker
Mr. Frederick N. Beckman
Mr. Paul Beckman
Mr. & Mrs. Norbert Begle
Mr. & Mrs. Victor A. Begle, Jr.
Diane & John Bender
Mr. & Mrs. David J. Berger
Bierhaus Foundation, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Biever
Mr. Robert J. Blankenberger
Rev. John L. Boeglin
Dr. & Mrs. Richard J. Bohm
Mrs. Irma M. Bolte
Dr. Amada M. Sarnate Bouffard
Alan & Sharon Braun
Mr. & Mrs. Larry J. Breivogel
Mr. James J. Breslin
Rev. John G. Brosmer
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel J. Burke
Mr. & Mrs. John G. Buechler
Mr. & Mrs. Edward A. Burkhardt
Mr. & Mrs. Michael G. Burris
Mrs. Anne K. Cecil
Mr. & Mrs. Peter J. Chovanec
Mrs. Mary C. Cisco
Mr. & Mrs. Ambrose M. Clements
Mr. J. Terrence Cody
Mr. & Mrs. Herbert E. Collignon
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Conway
Mr. & Mrs. William H. Culver
Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Curtis
Mr. & Mrs. Albert G. Dauby
Marie & David Daunhauer
Ms. Barbara J. Davis
Michael Davisson & Susan
Fillichio
Partner of St. Benedict: Rich Risemas
“I see and hear about all the good the nuns are doing, and I feel good
about being a part of their mission.”
That’s what Rich Risemas says about his partnership with the Sisters
of St. Benedict of Ferdinand. Risemas, a semi-retired teacher and coach
from Evansville, Indiana, has been a partner of the sisters for 20 years.
He belongs to the Benedictine Society, donors committed to giving
$1,000 to $4,999 annually.
“I’ve never given that much to any other institution. But the more I
give, the more that comes back to me.”
In addition to his annual Partner gift, Risemas has remembered the sisters in his estate
plans. “I’ve not found a better organization than the Benedictines. They’re my number one
group to donate to, and my money is put to good use.
“I strongly support what the sisters are doing. They do so much good. They’re teaching
Christian values in their ministries. They work with the poor in mission countries and are
always helping others. I know someone who attended a program at Kordes [the retreat
center sponsored by the sisters] and he can’t stop talking about how much it meant to him.”
Why is Risemas so committed to the sisters? “The Benedictines are in my blood. I’m
indebted to them. I had eight years of Benedictine nuns teaching me in grade school at St.
Benedict’s [Evansville] and another 12 years of teaching with them. They were awesome.
They’re leaders and very capable people. My all-time favorite boss was Sister Karlene
[Sensmeier], my principal. She encouraged me to join the Benedictine Society.”
Risemas recalls one of his teachers, Sister Cuthbert Seng, telling him that he might want
to be a coach someday. “She was the best athlete.” He followed her suggestion and coached
sports for many years and still conducts a basketball camp in the summer at Notre Dame.
Risemas describes his partnership with the sisters. “They have about 200 nuns in their
community. And if they have 2,000 or more financial supporters, they’re able to do more
good. That’s where I can help. I feel important as a partner in their work.” He says he feels
valued and affirmed in this partnership.
“One of my commandments is ‘Surround yourself with good people and you will be good.’
The Benedictines are good people, and I am a better person because of them.”

Partners of St. Benedict
We wish to acknowledge those
who have died whose families
requested that memorial donations
be made to the Sisters of
St. Benedict of Ferdinand. The
sisters have designated that a
Mass celebrated at the monastery
be offered for the deceased loved
ones. (This list includes those
who have died from November
2005 through February 2006.)
We extend our sympathy to the
families of:
Rose C. Adler
Lucille M. Dilger-Bartley
Edwin A. Weinzapfel
Austin “Ozzie” Wilzbacher
To help us keep our records complete,
we encourage families to inform us when
they name the Sisters of St. Benedict for
memorial donations at the death of their
loved ones. Please contact Sister Rose
Mary Rexing at 812-367-1411,
ext. 2630, or rmrosb@thedome.org.
In Memoriam
The Sisters of St. Benedict extend
sympathy to Sister Mary Rose Hasenour
at the death of her mother, Hilda
Hasenour; Sisters Mary Leon Kiesel and
Mary Jane Kiesel at the death of their
sister, Elgene Bell; Sister Mary Roman
Dall at the death of her sister, Clara Mae
Hackman; and Sister Ida Otto at the
death of her brother, Danny.
The Sisters of St. Benedict and the
Academy Alumnae Association extend
sympathy to the families of Dorothy
(Rourke) Deiler ’52, Earline (Chickaway)
Flores ’78, Sister Eileen (Helen)
Price ’39, Irene (Weyer) Scroggins ’35,
and Marcia (Miller) Walters ’63.
Ms. Fatima Dean
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony D. Deig
Mr. & Mrs. James E. Denning
Ms. Ruth A. Denning
Norman & Katie Dewig
Mrs. Mary Virginia Dilger
Mrs. Madeline W. Doyle
Mrs. Lorayne Dudine
Mr. & Mrs. Addison L. Dyer
Mr. & Mrs. David E. Eckerle
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth J. Effinger
Mr. & Mrs. Michael D. Ehrhardt
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Eisterhold
Mr. & Mrs. Eugene W. Elpers
Mr. & Mrs. John D. Engelbrecht
Paul & Kay Etienne
Mr. & Mrs. G. Mark Evans
Mr. David E. Fechtmeister
Mr. Melvin G. Fehrenbacher
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J.
Fehrenbacher
Mrs. Mildred M. Fischer
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick T. Fischer
Dr. & Mrs. Michael L. Flannagan
Mr. Albert H. Fleck, Jr.
Ms. Margaret Flispart
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond A. Foos
Mrs. Theresa Forster
Mr. & Mrs. Edward V. Gaesser
Mr. Thomas A. Gallagher
Mr. & Mrs. James R. Garvey
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Gecsei
Mr. Keith F. Gehlhausen
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy H.
Gehlhausen
Gerard Chimney Company
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas M. Gerdon
Mr. & Mrs. Howard W.
Gettelfinger
Steve & Alice Ann Goebel
Mr. & Mrs. Melvin E. Goedde
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Goldbach
Mr. Stanley R. Goldys
Elmer & Jane Graf
Mr. & Mrs. Philip J.
Gramelspacher
Mr. & Mrs. Albert C. Gretler
Ms. Luan E. Greubel
Ms. Annette G. Gries
Mr. Albert E. Gross
Dr. & Mrs. Frank E. Gruber
Ms. Elizabeth Gruszczyk
Mr. & Mrs. James E. Gutgsell
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Hall
Mr. & Mrs. Jay L. Halter
Jane & Isaac Hargett
Ms. Joyce C. Harmes
Mr. Charles J. Harpenau, Sr.
Mrs. Patricia A. Hart
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Harte
Mr. & Mrs. William V. Hasenour
Brian & Linda Hassfurther
Bill & Ruth Hauser
Mr. & Mrs. Mike Heaton
Rev. Kenneth H. Herr
Mrs. Sylvia J. Hess
Mr. Larry W. Hilgeman, Jr.
Ms. Barbara Hillenbrand
Mrs. Ruth F. Hillenbrand
Mr. & Mrs. Bryan A. Hirsch
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth J. Hirsch
Mrs. Loretta Hoehn
Monastery Angels
Monastery Angels are those of our friends
who have chosen to give regular gifts biweekly,
monthly, or quarterly in support of
the Sisters of St. Benedict. We call them
Monastery Angels because they’re like the
Monastery Angel depicted in a stainedglass
window in our church who holds the
monastery in her hands. Their ever-present
generosity supports and sustains us. Our
Monastery Angels are remembered daily in
the sisters’ prayers and share in a special way
in the lives of the Sisters of St. Benedict.
January 1, 2005 – December 31, 2005
Anonymous Donor (1)
Dr. Sergio A. Aguilar
Mrs. Phyllis A. Alspaugh
Ms. Colleen Anderson
Mr. & Mrs. Randall E. Appler
Ms. Amy L. Baehl
Mr. & Mrs. William E. Batts
Mrs. Mary Bergeman
Mr. & Mrs. Henry J. Beuligmann
Tom & Henrietta Bishop
Mr. & Mrs. John J. Borho
Mrs. Robert W. Boyce
Mrs. Mary Jo Braun
Mr. & Mrs. Philip Buening
Mr. William J. Bush
Ms. Janet Cadogan
Mr. David A. Carlisle
Mrs. Vera Carrington
Ms. Elizabeth Casanova
Mr. & Mrs. Lorry A. Dufrene
Jim & Kathleen Ebert
Jeannene & Harlan Faller
Mr. & Mrs. Edward D. Fislar
Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Fox
Mr. Robert Fritz
Mrs. Jo A. Fruge
Mr. Kenneth J. Garrigan
Ms. June Goforth
Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Gossman
Mr. Wessley J. Gunchick
Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Hargrave
Mr. Philippus H. Herkata
Mr. Gary F. Hillenbrand
Mike & Ann Hopf
Mr. & Mrs. Robert K. Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. John Robert Kaiser
Ms. Lisa M. Koester
Ms. Carmen Kreider
Ms. Denise A. Leinenbach
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Little
Mr. Julio J. Lopez
Mr. & Mrs. Martin J. Malik
Ms. Sandra K. McNeely
Ms. Mary C. Medlock
Ms. Sylvia Meyer
Mrs. Mary M. Miller
Ms. Betty Mullen
Mr. & Mrs. William A. Neff
Mr. & Mrs. Donald L. Poag
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Renck
Ms. Arline W. Riley
Ms. Elaine M. Rodland
Mr. John S. Sarna
Mr. John Sauciunas
Mary Ann & Oliver Schapker
Ms. Bernice A. Schipp
Mr. & Mrs. Mason G. Schnapf
Mr. & Mrs. James G. Schneider
Mr. & Mrs. John P. Scott
Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Seibert
Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Sellers
Mr. & Mrs. William Smull
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Strahle
Bill & Angie Tempel
Ms. Mary A. Thale
Ms. Flora Thurman
Mr. Israel Torres
Mr. Robert B. Van Horn
Mr. & Mrs. Leroy F. Weinzapfel
Mrs. Anna C. Wellkamp
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy D. Weyer
Mrs. Betty Wezensky
Mr. & Mrs. John F. Wilson
Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Winters
Mamie A. Wright
Mr. & Mrs. William O’Bryan Wright
8

Mrs. Wilma J. Hoerner-Hudson
Mr. & Mrs. James P. Hoffmann
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy M. Hollander
Mrs. Mary Jo Holmes
Holy Family Sodality, Jasper
Mrs. Edward D. Hooks
Mark & Lisa Huber
Mrs. Paul W. Huber
Mrs. Margaret A. Hudson
Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd G. Hupfer
Mrs. Patricia Hurley
Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Jabour
Ms. Frances I. Jambrek
Ltc. & Mrs. Charles D. James, Ret.
Mrs. Bernice B. Jaynes
Mr. & Mrs. James R. Jerwers
Mrs. Marie L. Jochim
Mrs. Emma M. Jochum
Mrs. Kathryn R. Johnstone
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel L. Juhl
Bill & Sylvia Kane
Ms. Karen S. Katafiasz
Mr. & Mrs. David B. Kavanaugh
Dr. & Mrs. Harry M. Kavanaugh
Mr. & Mrs. Richard E. Kavanaugh
Mr. & Mrs. Peter J. Keethers
Ms. Donna Kelley
Mr. James P. Kelly
Mr. Bill Kern
Mr. & Mrs. Roman Kerstiens
Mrs. Elizabeth J. Kessens
Mr. Ted Keusch
Kevin & Sylvia Kline
Mr. & Mrs. Michael W. Kluesner
Dr. & Mrs. Charles F. Knapp
Victor & Monica Knies
Mr. & Mrs. James J. Koetter
Mr. Paul Kokalis
Mr. & Mrs. Norman F. Krack
Mr. Bernard J. Krampe
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond P. Kriske
Mr. & Mrs. James R. Krueger
Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Kuester
Ms. Rose M. Kuhn
Ms. Ann J. Lannert
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph U. Lasher
Mr. Darrell B. Lauderback
Gary & Judy Lautzenhiser
Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Leanhart
Mr. & Mrs. W. Earl Leclere
Mr. & Mrs. David M. Lee
Mrs. Janet M. Lemaire
Joe & Irene Limberger
Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Loehrlein
Dr. & Mrs. Robert M. Lombard
Mrs. Elizabeth A. Lomont
Mrs. Doris Jean Lottes
Ms. Teresa M. Lowe
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Luebbehusen
Mr. & Mrs. David A.
Luebbehusen
Mr. & Mrs. R. Daniel Lykins
9
Monastery Angels:
John and Sandy Wilson
Ms. Rosalee K. Mac Farlane
Mr. & Mrs. Linus Maffenbeier
Mrs. Rosemary Maier
Mr. & Mrs. Tim J. Maloney
Judge & Mrs. Frederick A.
Mandabach
Ms. Sara W. Manis
Mr. & Mrs. William T. Martin
Mrs. Jane Mathies
Kent & Erin Maurer
Mrs. Margaret McGuire
Mrs. Veronica M. Mehringer
Rev. Hilary G. Meny
Mr. & Mrs. Bernard D. Messmer
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Messmer
Ms. Anna Mae Metz
Mr. & Mrs. James P. Meyer
Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Michaels
Ms. Anna Mae Miller
Ms. Marilyn Ann Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Dwight Mobley
Dennis & Mary Moeller
Mr. & Mrs. Alfred A. Mohr
Drs. Michael & Myra Momot
George & Mary Motiff
Mr. & Mrs. Alfred J. Nappo
Dr. & Mrs. Gregory A. Naylor
Dr. & Mrs. W. Bruce Nonte
Mr. & Mrs. Louis H. Nussmeier
Mr. M. Herman O’Connor
Andy & Nancy Olinger
Ms. Julie Orman
Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Ostendorf
Mrs. Patricia G. Paulley
Ms. Kay Payne & Ms. Guyla
K. Payne
Partners of St. Benedict
John and Sandy Wilson of rural St. Meinrad, Indiana, are
“Monastery Angels,” what the sisters call their friends who
give regular gifts — bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly — in
support of the sisters.
It’s possible that John was no angel in the 1950s when
he was taught by the Ferdinand Benedictines in elementary
school at St. Theresa in Evansville, but he remembers
them fondly, and his relationship with the sisters has grown
through the years. Sandy became acquainted with the sisters
later. When the Wilsons’ children started school, she volunteered
one day a week to help Sister Mary Joyce Trimble
teach kindergarten. Sandy and John connected with many
other Benedictines when their two daughters attended Marian Heights Academy, the girls
school operated by the sisters.
The Wilsons consider it only natural that they would support the sisters. According to
Sandy, “We have a debt to the sisters. They gave such a wonderful education to our daughters,
and we received scholarships from them for the girls.” John agrees. “It’s because of what
they’ve done for me and our family. And I’m aware of their many years of working for little
or no money and aware of the unfunded liability they have because of that. There are many
worthwhile organizations asking for money, and given our long-time connection with the
sisters, it makes sense that they be one of our priorities.”
The Wilsons started contributing to the Sisters of St. Benedict “sporadically,” as John describes
it. Eventually they chose to make donations more regularly. “Since we frequently come
to the monastery church for Mass on Sundays, it’s a way to feel like we’re tithing. And especially
when there was such a need when the church restoration was underway,” says Sandy.
They also decided to simplify their giving by doing it electronically. They chose this method
of giving because “it’s less work, and we don’t have to remember to do it,” says John. Sandy
agrees that “people have a tendency to put off things like that.” Their donations are now
automatically transferred from their bank account bi-weekly, as they requested. “It makes the
sisters a part of our priorities that we tend to regularly, like paying our bills,” John adds.
The Wilsons are supporting the sisters in another way. About four years ago they named the
Sisters of St. Benedict in their will. By doing that, they became members of the St. Hildegard
Society, which recognizes persons who remember the sisters in their estate plans.
“It gives us a great sense of satisfaction that we’re partners with the sisters and doing our
little part to help them. And it feels good knowing that the sisters are praying for us.”
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Peter
Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Pitts
Mrs. Norma L. Pohl
Mrs. Edith M. Polen
Mr. & Mrs. Carl R. Popp
David & Nancy Prechtel
Mr. Ralph E. Probert
Mrs. Helen S. Pullen
Mr. & Mrs. Adrian F. Pund
Mrs. Pat Radefeld
Mr. & Mrs. Linus F. Rahman
Mr. Robert V. Rasche
Ms. Rose A. Rasche
Bill & Pat Reckelhoff
Mr. & Mrs. James N. Reibel
Drs. Eberhard & Ruth
Reichmann
Jason & LoSitah Reising

Partners of St. Benedict
SAINT
HILDEGARD
S O C I E T Y
The Sisters of St. Benedict of
Ferdinand, Indiana, express our
deep gratitude to the 334 living
and deceased members of the
St. Hildegard Society.
The St. Hildegard Society was
established in 1990 as a way to
recognize those who choose to
partner with the Sisters of St.
Benedict in their lives and
ministries by remembering the
sisters in their estate plans. The
society is named in honor of St.
Hildegard of Bingen, a celebrated
Benedictine abbess, composer,
mystic, author, healer, and preacher.
Below are listed the names
of the newest members of the
St. Hildegard Society. Their
support and generosity are deeply
appreciated.
Anonymous
Dennis L. Gehlhausen
Dr. Dolores Kiesler
Frank A. Bosse
Jan Hermann
John Harrison Brown
Leona B. Howell
Lorene Trenary
Mrs. Janet M. Lemaire
Peggy L. Albertson
Rev. William J. Deering
Rita Durham-Fortner
Theresa M. Wahl
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth P. Reising
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Reuter
Mr. & Mrs. Clarence S. Rexing
Ken & Rita Rexing
Kent & Paula Reyling
Mr. & Mrs. Bernard I. Rich
Mrs. Wilma C. Riedford
Mike & Linda Rodenberg
Mrs. Othilia Rupprecht
Mr. & Mrs. William F. Rust
Mrs. Betty Jo Salb
Ms. Cathryn F. Salla
Mrs. D. Jean Samples
Martha & Jim Scheller
Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Scheller
Mrs. Edna M. Schiffer
Rev. Ralph H. Schipp
Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Schitter
Dr. & Mrs. William G. Schmidt
Rev. Eugene R. Schmitt
Jerry & Martha Schmitt
Mr. & Mrs. Norman A. Schmitt
Mrs. Joan L. Schnur
Mr. & Mrs. Mark A. Schroeder
Rev. Francis A. Schroering
Mr. & Mrs. Vincent J. Schu
Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. Schuler
Schum Monuments, Inc.
Mrs. Ruth E. Schumacher
Mr. Scott Schwinghammer
Mrs. Angeline K. Schwoeppe
Roger & Marla Seaton
Mrs. Patricia M. Seckinger
Mr. & Mrs. Michael S. Segalini
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Seger
Mr. & Mrs. Ralph L. Seger
Mr. & Mrs. James T. Seidl
Mr. Michael J. Sellmer
Ms. Marilyn F. Seng
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald J.
Sermersheim
Mrs. Katherine L. Shafranske
Mr. & Mrs. Edward W.
Sinkhorn
Mr. and Mrs. Glen W. Songer
Ms. Brenda Stallings
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert A.
Steckler
Mr. Robert J. Steffe
Charles & Jan Stenftenagel
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth J. Stevens
Major Robert J. Straub, Ret.
Mr. & Mrs. Leander A. Tempel
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Thuente
Mrs. Bernice R. Tieken
Tom & Nancy Traylor
Mrs. Liz Tretter
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Troth
Miss Kathleen M. Trouy
Ms. Dolores E. Uebelhor
Jim & LaVerne Uebelhor
Max & Jen Verkamp
Ms. Jeanette A. Wahl
Randall Waibel & Catherine
Ordener
Mr. Alfred J. Waninger
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur L.
Wanninger
Mr. Michael R. Wathen
Stanley & Mary Jane Weber
Ms. Cindy Wehr
Mr. & Mrs. George T. Wehrle
Ms. Dorothy F. Weinzapfel
Mr. & Mrs. James A.
Weinzapfel, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Michael A.
Weinzapfel
Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Weinzapfel
Mr. & Mrs. Robert F.
Weinzapfel
Mr. & Mrs. Wilfred Weinzapfel
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel L. Wendholt
Mr. Benno E. Werne
Ms. Janet A. Werne
Mr. & Mrs. Clarence L. Weyer
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Weyer
Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Weyer
Ms. Evelyn M. Wildeman
Cyril & Pat Will
Mr. & Mrs. Stanley G. Wille, Sr.
Mr. David A. Williams
Mr. & Mrs. Robert John Wilson
Mr. & Mrs. John Winkler, Jr.
Deacon James & Marilyn
Woebkenberg
Mr. & Mrs. Harold N. Wolf
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Wright
Col. & Mrs. Joseph B. Wuertz
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Yabroudy
Mr. Richard L. Yowell
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph G.
Yungwirth
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Zarrella
Mr. & Mrs. Jerome A. Ziemer
Mrs. Judith K. Zivanovic
The Center of Our Lives Campaign To Restore the Monastery Church
Corrections for the Donor Lists
We deeply regret that there were some inaccuracies in the donor recognition lists for
the Center of Our Lives Campaign.
Mrs. Helen Tyring should be listed as a donor for the commemorative gift of the
First Station of the Cross (“Jesus Is Condemned to Death”) in memory of the Joseph A.
Griesinger and the Glen W. Songer Families.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Weinzapfel should be listed as donors for the commemorative
gift of an Angel Dome Window.
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence L. Weyer should be listed under Special Donors for the
campaign.
Our sincere apologies for these oversights. These generous donors are among the
more than 5,300 persons who funded the restoration of the monastery church. The
Sisters of St. Benedict are greatly appreciative of their gifts.
10

11
Light a Candle for a Loved One
Are there loved ones you want to remember in prayer?
Perhaps someone who is experiencing difficult times,
or someone who has died?
Or those who are serving their country and may be in harm’s way?
Or you may have your own special intention
that you would like held in prayer.
You can have a candle lit for your intentions at the beautiful Lourdes
Grotto on the monastery grounds. Grotto Hill is a favorite place for visitors
to stop for a moment, light a candle, and in the quiet, offer their prayers.
The Sisters of St. Benedict are faithful in coming to pray for those whom the
candles represent and for their intentions.
The sisters would be happy to keep a candle burning for your intentions at
Our Blessed Mother’s shrine — a candle that represents your faith and trust
in God’s provident care for you and your loved ones.
You can request a candle on our web site by going to www.thedome.org,
then click on “Support Us” on the left, and go to “Light a Candle.” Or you
can fill out the form on this page and mail it to us.
Automatic transfer can simplify your giving
You can have your donations to the Sisters of St. Benedict automatically
transferred electronically from your checking or savings account. Here are
some facts about automatic transfer:
• The contribution you specify is electronically transferred directly from
your checking or savings account to the Sisters of St. Benedict.
• You can choose either the first or the fifteenth of the month as the
day to have your contribution deducted.
• Your bank statement gives you an itemized list of your electronic transfers.
• Giving through automatic transfer costs nothing and saves you time
and the expense of a stamp and envelope.
• To sign up for automatic transfer, contact us for an authorization form,
which you complete and sign and return to us, with a voided check or
savings deposit slip.
• Contact Andrea Egloff at 812-367-1411, ext. 2633, or aegloff@thedome.org.
Please remember the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, in your will.
Partners of St. Benedict
The light shines
in the darkness,
and the darkness
has not overcome it.
—John 1:5
Please light a candle for the prayer
intentions I’ve written below.
Enclosed is my donation of $ ___________ .
� A candle for one week: $7.00
� A candle for one month: $25.00
� A candle for one year: $250.00
Name
Address
City
State Zip
Phone
E-mail
Prayer Intentions
Please return this form to Sister Rose Mary Rexing,
802 E. 10 th Street, Ferdinand, IN 47532-9239
or call her at 812-367-1411, ext. 2630.
CAN-D06-2

From the News Desk
News Briefs
In appreciation for her 13 years of ministry as pastoral associate
in their parish, St. Benedict, Evansville, parishioners gifted Sister
Mary Agnes Sermersheim, and a companion of her choice, with an
all-expenses paid, two-week trip to Rome. This gift was presented to
her during an appreciation and farewell reception prior to her leaving
the parish last summer. Sister Mary Agnes said she was “overwhelmed,
surprised, and very grateful for the gift.” After listing accolades for her dedicated
service, Rev. Gregory Chamberlain, pastor at St. Benedict, said: “So many areas of
our parish life have the thumbprint of Sister Mary Agnes. We will miss her faithful
service and her quiet presence.” Sister Mary Agnes currently assists in many areas
of service in the monastery and in its Hildegard Health Center.
She made the trip to Rome, her first one out of the United States, with one
of her sisters, Florence Ebenkamp, in late January. She said the highlights were
seeing St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, the Vatican museums, and the catacombs.
And she was especially excited and grateful to have the opportunity to visit
Subiaco and Monte Cassino, places in Italy where St. Benedict lived as a hermit,
started the first Benedictine monastery, and wrote his Rule for monastics.
Sister Karlene Sensmeier and Sister
Judy Dewig serve as principal and teacher,
Sister Karlene Sister Judy Sister Patricia
respectively, at St. Benedict School. In
January, when Father Gregory welcomed
Sister Patricia McGuire as pastoral associate,
he wrote in the parish bulletin: “It is
wonderful to have three sisters again from
Ferdinand. At one time St. Ben’s had 27 sisters working here. We may be a little
short on quantity but certainly not on quality!”
Sister Mary Roman Dall received Ferdinand’s Forest Park High
School “Positive Educator Award” at the end of the last school
year. She was nominated by senior honor student Aaron Ketzner,
who had her as a teacher in the first grade, for having such a positive
influence on his education. “I look back and ponder about
how lucky I was to have her, and how she got my schooling started
off in the right direction. She would listen to my stories… she taught me
to read and write and helped make the transition from kindergarten to first
grade a breeze.” Sister Mary Roman was a teacher and reading specialist in
the Southeast Dubois School Corporation for 27 years. She currently serves as
assistant to the monastery coordinator and does other supportive services.
Having been chosen as president-elect last year, Sister Sarah
Cathleen Yungwirth is now serving as president for the Academy
of Catholic Educators in the Archdiocese of Louisville, an organization
representing all grade school teachers in the Archdiocese.
Sister Sarah Cathleen teaches at St. Raphael School in Louisville
and was recently instrumental in their principal being named the
National Catholic Educational Association “Regional Distinguished Principal,”
one of 12 eligible for the national principal award in April.
Sister Kate Willegal, director of nursing services at the monastery’s
Hildegard Health Center, gave a retreat presentation entitled
“The Spirituality of Work” at the annual Good Samaritan Society
Directors of Nursing Workshop in Orlando, Florida, in January.
Her focus was on the Benedictine view of work and service. The
workshop, “Standards of Nursing Leadership and Management,”
was for directors of nursing services at Good Samaritan health care facilities in
the Midwest and Eastern United States.
Sister Sharon Hollander’s photo of the painting “The Madonna and
Child” by Sister Gregory Ems was used by Abbey Press in St. Meinrad
as one of its Christmas card selections in 2005. Another company that
prints religious greeting cards, Barton-Cotton, Inc., has requested to use
another of Sister Sharon’s photos of Sister Gregory’s paintings.
Pilgrimage: Journey to a
place of prayer and peace
Pilgrimages — journeys to a sacred place for
prayer and spiritual growth — have long been
part of the rich Catholic tradition. The Sisters of
St. Benedict are now offering pilgrimage opportunities
at Monastery Immaculate Conception
both for the public and for individual groups.
Last August 14, before the feast of the
Assumption, the sisters began a series of
Marian Pilgrimages for the public that
celebrated feasts of the Blessed Virgin. Since
then, pilgrimages have marked the feasts of
the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady
of Guadalupe in December and the feast of
the Annunciation in March.
Groups can schedule their own pilgrimage
for a day visit or an overnight stay. The
recommended group size is from 10 to 60
persons. Among the types of groups that
might arrange a pilgrimage are senior citizens,
families, women’s and men’s clubs, Red
Hat societies, RCIA classes, parishes, and
deanery groups.
A typical schedule would include conferences,
reflection time, prayer with the
Benedictine community, meals, a monastery
tour, and a visit to For Heaven’s Sake, the
monastery gift shop.
Possible topics for a pilgrimage are praying
with Scripture, the parables, Catholic devotions,
the Rosary, Marian theology, Benedictine
history and values, religious communities,
peace, and the gift of waiting.
More information is available online at
www.thedome.org/pilgrimage or by calling
812-367-1411.
More than 60 pilgrims process to the Lourdes Grotto while
reciting the Rosary during the Marian Pilgrimage on August
14, the day before the feast of the Assumption. The event
was the first in a series of recent pilgrimages held at the
monastery for Marian feasts.
12

Sisters of St. Benedict publish
early history of monastery
The Sisters of St. Benedict
of Ferdinand have published
an early history of the
monastery written by an
unidentified sister in 1898.
The 84-page book titled
Sommerfrüchte (“Summer
Fruits”) includes
the German text,
which was originally
handwritten
in old German,
and the English
translation on
facing pages.
Photos from the
monastery archives
are interspersed
throughout.
The history covers
the first 31 years
of the Benedictine
sisters at Monastery
Immaculate
Conception. Sister Mary
Dominic Frederick, archivist,
says the work was discovered
among monastery documents
that German scholars Eberhard
and Ruth Reichmann
began translating from German
into English in 2001.
In the book’s introduction,
Sister Mary Dominic describes
the anonymous author as
“…a Benedictine sister who
reverenced the founders of
her order, St. Benedict and St.
Scholastica, who loved her
religious community and
its leaders, and who held in
esteem the accomplishments
of her sisters. She does not
develop a history filled with
statistics, nor does she produce
a pedantic, 19th century
literary work. She writes with
charming simplicity and without
embellishment, reflecting
an authentic faith in God and
in her community.”
The author conveyed a
sense of the daily life as she
chronicled the growth of the
religious community. “The
13
The cover of
Sommerfrüchte
sisters had to lead a life often
marked by scantiness,” she
wrote. “Meals in the beginning
were meager and limited; furniture
and utensils were scanty
and primitive, for no daughters
of millionaires, only girls from
the poor working
population, could
or wanted to enter;
and the dowry they
brought often was
not sufficient.”
She also
described the
surrounding community
and the
residents’ interaction
with the sisters.
“The location of the
monastery and the
town of Ferdinand
is one of the most
beautiful and healthiest in the
whole district,” she noted in
the book’s preface. Later, she
observed: “The general participation
of the Ferdinand parish
and adjacent areas in the joy
and sorrow at the convent was
a consolation…for the monastic
community.”
In 2001, the Sisters of St.
Benedict received an Indiana
Heritage Research Grant for
the English translation of the
monastery’s handwritten German
documents and chronicles.
Sommerfrüchte was among
these historical treasures.
The Reichmanns collaborated
in the translation and
arrangement of Sommerfrüchte.
They have been associated with
the Indiana German Heritage
Society and the Max Kade
German-American Center
at Indiana University-Purdue
University in Indianapolis.
Sommerfrüchte is available at
For Heaven’s Sake, the monastery
gift shop, for $8.96. More
information is available from For
Heaven’s Sake at 812-367-2500
or 4hvnsake@thedome.org.
News Briefs
From the News Desk
Sister Jane Becker had an article published in the
2005 Fall/Winter Benedictines magazine. The article,
“An Historical Turning Point,” is about the challenges
that monastic communities face today in downsizing,
as this cultural age provides fewer vocations, while
continuing to carry forth the life and ministry of the
order for future generations.
Sister Mary Ann Verkamp reviewed three books
with Benedictine topics for the November 2005
issue of the St. Anthony Messenger. The books reviewed
are Stranger to the City: Reflections on the Beliefs
and Values of the Rule of St. Benedict by Michael
Casey, The Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders: Thirty of
America’s Oldest Monks and Nuns Share Their Lives’ Greatest Lessons
by Mark McGinnis, and A Benedictine Legacy of Peace: The
Life of Abbot Leo A. Rudloff by Brother Jon Hammond.
Sister Kathleen Marie Cash, a novice in formation
at the monastery, recently received two scholarships,
each $500, from the Knights of Columbus of Linton,
Indiana, and the Lady Knights of Columbus of Washington,
Indiana. The money will be used for Sister
Kathleen’s education.
Sister Anita Louise Lowe, director
of vocation ministries, presented a
five-day workshop last September to
about 250 diocesan and religious vocation
directors gathered in Melbourne,
Australia, for the biennial conference of
Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia.
Sister Mary Frances Schafer, program
Sister Anita
Louise
manager of transitional services for homeless families at New Directions
Housing Corporation in Louisville, facilitated the group
process portion of the workshop. The workshop was similar to the
Vocations Conference sponsored by the Ferdinand Benedictines
each April. That conference has drawn lay and religious women
and men from around the world for the past 12 years. After the
workshop in Melbourne, Sisters Anita and Mary Frances presented
a conference in Sydney for the Sisters of St. Joseph from
Australia and New Zealand.
Sister Agnes Marie Dauby, assistant director of
vocation ministries, and Sister Anita Louise Lowe
hosted and gave presentations at a conference in
Ferdinand for Benedictine vocation directors in the
United States last November.
Sister Mary George Kissel received the 2005
Bish Thompson Memorial Award given by the
Optimist Club of Evansville for her “leadership and
accomplishments in the community through her
involvement with youth.” Sister Mary George is
director and reading therapist at The Reading Carrel,
Inc., a certified reading clinic she established in Evansville
in 1975.
Sister Jeana Visel had her vocation story
published on BustedHalo.com, an online magazine
sponsored by the Paulists for spiritual seekers in
their 20s and 30s.
Sister Mary
Frances

In Memoriam
Sister Mary Edith Hohl
1923–2006
Sister Mary Edith Hohl died on March
2 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Huntingburg,
Indiana.
Sister Edith was born in St. Henry,
Indiana, the fourth of seven children of the
late Frances (Kaelin) and Frank Hohl. She
is survived by two sisters, Sister Mary Lois
Hohl of Our Lady of Grace Monastery, Beech
Grove, Indiana, and Sophia Davis Taylor of Evansville, Indiana;
one brother, Leo Hohl of St. Henry; nieces and nephews; and
members of her religious community.
She entered the Sisters of St. Benedict in 1947, made her
first profession of vows in 1949 and her final profession in 1952.
Sister Edith was remembered as “a faithful servant of God,
dedicated to her ministry of religious education.” She was still
teaching religion classes just a week before suffering a massive
stroke prior to her death. Following Jesus’ words “Let the little
children come to me,” she loved children and led many to him
through religious instruction, especially in preparing them for
the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. She taught
religious education at Schnellville, St. Anthony, and Ferdinand
and was director of religious education at St. Ferdinand Parish
and St. Henry, where she was also pastoral associate. She also
served as communion minister to the sick and elderly in their
homes, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Prior to her religious education ministry, Sister Edith taught
school in Evansville at St. Joseph, Holy Rosary, and Holy Redeemer,
and at Boonville, St. James, Elberfeld, Rockport, and Haubstadt,
all in Indiana; Hawesville, Kentucky; and Norco, California.
During the wake service, sisters remembered Sister Edith as
“very warm and sociable.” They equated her with hospitality. She
was “one of the most hospitable and welcoming persons I know,”
said one sister. She cared about people and took time to be with
them. She had a special sense of humor and loved to tell stories.
Life was not always easy for Sister Edith. Already at 6 years of
age, she bore the loss of her mother. She later left a full-time job
to take her turn at housekeeping for her father and the remaining
siblings. She suffered various physical problems, including one
caused by a surgeon’s mistake, which resulted in a permanent
disfiguration of her face and required her to use artificial tears to
keep her eyes moist. With a deep faith in God and support from
her family and religious sisters, she carried her crosses peacefully
and quietly. Her sufferings did not lessen her love or her ability to
be with children, to welcome and affirm all who needed a pat on
the back, a smile of friendship, a word of encouragement, or an
act of kindness. As one sister said, “There was gentleness in her
strength and strength in her gentleness.”
Sister Edith loved her family dearly and had a genuine interest
in all aspects of their lives. She delighted in sharing their
stories, accomplishments, and successes, and was a source of
strength to them through difficult times. She loved her parish,
her hometown, and all the people who lived there.
Sister Mary Victor Kercher concluded her reflection at Sister
Edith’s funeral Mass with this statement: “We thank you God
for the life of Sister Mary Edith. We praise you for her gifts,
shared so willingly in her gentle, quiet way.”
Sister Francesca Brogan
1927–2005
Sister Francesca Brogan died
December 14 in the monastery’s
Hildegard Health Center.
She entered the Sisters of St.
Benedict in 1953, made her first
profession of vows in 1955 and her
final profession in 1958. She celebrated
the 50th anniversary of her
monastic profession in August 2005.
Sister Francesca was the second
of three children of the late Iva Lucille
(Woods) and Victor C. Brogan, of Indianapolis. She is
survived by her two brothers, Robert of Marietta, Georgia,
and Thomas of Fishers, Indiana; nephews; and members of
her religious community.
Sister Francesca was a teacher for many years but
always did “works of art” on the side. As one of her former
students said, “She really had the heart of an artist.”
She taught at Mater Dei High School in Evansville; St.
Benedict College, St. Ferdinand High School, and Academy
Immaculate Conception/Marian Heights Academy in
Ferdinand; and Vincennes University Jasper Center. After
she retired from teaching, she did support services at the
monastery and worked as an artist.
With an insatiable thirst for learning and a wide range
of interests and talents, Sister Francesca loved to instill
in her students, or “scholars” as she wished them to be, a
love for learning. They recall that she pushed them to be
inquisitive and always in pursuit of knowledge.
During the sharing of memories at her wake service,
Sister Francesca was described as a unique and gifted
woman and passionate about many things: creative
arts, beauty, sports, her family, gardening, learning, and
bridge. She was remembered for her quick wit, humor,
and mischievous smile. She loved to tease, but never at
anyone’s expense, and tolerated others’ idiosyncrasies
with lighthearted humor.
Sister Mary Dominic Frederick gave the reflection at
Sister Francesca’s funeral. Referring to the Gospel passage
“In God’s house there are many dwelling places,” she said:
“Let us hope that God was ready for Frannie, providing her
with an acre or two of ground for growing roses, gourds,
and select perennials; a large greenhouse for African
violets and tuberous begonias; a studio for painting and
sketching; space for making and firing pottery; a room for
basket weaving and needlework; a library filled with books
on mathematics, science, medicine, and flowers; and, of
course, a recreation area for playing bridge.”
Sister Francesca left behind a rich legacy of art work,
cherished friendships, and special memories. “God only
knows what further grand projects she will pursue with her
newly found freedom in heaven,” said Sister Mary Dominic.
As Sister Francesca adjusts to eternal life, her mantra
might be “Thank you, Jesus,” her favorite response when
she felt that she was especially blessed — even with something
as simple as a good bridge hand.
14

May
May 6
Holistic Wellness: Alternative
Approaches to Cancer — (At
Kordes Retreat Center)
May 20
Monastery Auction
May 21
Benedictine Oblate Meeting — Part
three of “The History of Monasticism”
by Sister Donna Marie Herr
Spring Music Recital
May 27
Golden Jubilee Celebration —
Sisters Joella Kidwell, Diane Fischer,
Maria Tasto, Madonna Helmer,
Jacqueline Shively, Anna Mae
Schepers, Helen Jean Kormelink,
Leona Schlachter, and Mary Celeste
Oberst will observe the 50th anniversary
of their religious profession.
June
June 2–4
Benedictine Retreat — “The Way
of St. Benedict” by Mark Plaiss (At
Kordes Retreat Center)
June 10
Community Day
June 13–15
Junior High Camp — An opportunity
for girls in grades 6, 7, and 8
to share prayer, friendship, and fun.
(Sponsored by the Vocations Office)
June 16–23
Intensive and Post-Intensive
Centering Prayer Retreats — (At
Kordes Retreat Center)
The Sisters of St. Benedict
invite you to experience the peace
and beauty of the monastery.
Guided Tours
Tuesday through Friday
10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m.
Visit the Monastery Gift Shop
Monday through Saturday
10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sunday, 12:30–4 p.m.
June 23–30
Guided Retreat — “Biblical Portraits”
by Rev. Konrad Schaefer (At
Kordes Retreat Center)
June 25
Academy Alumnae Reunion
June 30–July 6
Benedictine Life Week — Opportunity
for women ages 18-40
to learn more about monastic life.
(Sponsored by the Vocations Office)
June 30–July 7
Guided Retreat — “Soul Sisters:
Connecting, Bonding, and Healing”
by Edwina Gateley (At Kordes
Retreat Center)
July
July 7–14
Directed Retreat (At Kordes Retreat
Center)
July 12–19
Monastery Retreat — “To Be a
Benedictine: A Spirituality of Cenobitic
Life” by Sister Karen Joseph, OSB
July 23
Celebration of Church Restoration
with sisters from Our Lady of
Grace Monastery in Beech Grove,
Indiana (daughterhouse of the
Ferdinand monastery), and St.
Walburg Monastery in Covington,
Kentucky (founding monastery of
Ferdinand)
July 25–29
Community Days
July 29
Missioning Day
August
August 28
Dome Classic Golf Scramble
Upcoming Dates
To Remember
September 17
St. Hildegard Dinner — for
members of the St. Hildegard
Society
Summer 2007
Summer Social (Look for more
information in the next issues of
The Dome!)
Calendar of Events
Fourth Annual
Dome Classic Golf Scramble
Monday, August 28, 2006
Proceeds Go to the Care of the Senior Sisters
Golfers!
Here’s your chance to play
one of the best golf courses in the nation,
Victoria National Golf Club
in Newburgh, Indiana!
• Ranked 21st on Golf Digest’s list of “America’s 100
Greatest Golf Courses”
• Unique golf holes set among spectacular woodland,
lakes, and ravines
• Site of the 2006 USGA Senior Amateur Championship
September 16–21
Look what past golfers have said about the
Dome Classic:
“Great tournament, great day. Looking forward
to next year.”
“You run a first-class event — great fun!”
“Best event of this type I have ever played in.
And the sisters add a lot!”
“Thank you for a beautiful day of golf and
good people and good food!!!”
Reserve your spot!
Sign up online at www.domeclassic.org.
Or contact Dave Prechtel at 812-367-1411, ext. 2638,
or dprechtel@thedome.org.
Not a Golfer?
Be part of the Dome Classic fun!
Take a chance on winning an amazing assortment of
prizes in the Dome Classic Raffle!
Look for information this summer.

SISTERS OF ST. BENEDICT
Monastery Immaculate Conception
802 E. 10th Street • Ferdinand, Indiana 47532-9239
Spring and summer bring an array of color to the
monastery gardens. In addition to the lilacs on the
cover, the spectacular flora include (from top left,
going clockwise) impatiens, a flowering pear tree,
marigolds, and daffodils.
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Ferdinand, Indiana
Permit No. 15
Zip + 4