The women in the Benedictine Peacemakers Program, Erin, Emily, and Melissa, offered "A Recycling Refresh" for the sisters at the monastery. In their final weeks of their year-long experience at the monastery, they decided to leave one more gift. The sisters have been recycling and composting for some time but the young women saw an opportunity to offer some updated information and to make some strategic changes to facilitate their efforts. “It’s in line with the community’s corporate commitment,” they explained as they began. That commitment is “The Benedictine Sisters of Erie and Oblates commit to being a healing presence and a prophetic witness for peace and justice and to climate conscious living. We will decrease harmful patterns of consumerism and work with others to create systemic change needed to meaningfully address the climate crisis.”

Sisters Anne McCarthy, Kathleen McCarthy, and Oblate Deni Howley are participating in the Great Ohio Climate March, walking more than 100 miles over thirteen days, May 16 to 28, to draw attention to the harms caused by the extractive oil and gas industries, particularly to our public lands, and to promote a cleaner, more economical path with renewable energies.

Benedictine Peacemakers program director Michelle Scully invited sisters and the three women who are completing their year living in the monastery (Emily, Erin, and Melissa) to an evening reflection on prayer and community using collage (and some storytelling and laughter, too). The evening was the official end to their year-long formation curriculum that has included regular study of the Rule of Benedict, sessions offered for the Peacemakers and sisters, and programs planned at the monastery and open to the public, either on site or on Zoom.

What if the creative force of life—the same energy that pours from sunbeams and makes flowers bloom—was already alive within you, waiting to be felt? In this special solstice retreat, we’ll explore exactly that: the radiant, living energy that Hildegard of Bingen called viriditas—the greening power of God alive in all things. Together, we’ll enter a space of wonder, exploring where body, spirit, and creation meet.

At this past Saturday's Neighborhood Art House Art & Sole 5K run/walk, Benedictine women made a good showing. They were among more than 200 runners and walkers supporting the annual fundraiser that support art programs for children in the inner city. The race route makes a loop through downtown Erie and the east side, the neighborhood where the Benedictines settled in 1856--170 years ago this summer. They were the first community of women religious in Erie and have continued to serve the same area ever since. Benedictine Peacemaker and runner Melissa Pfeifer took first place in the 20-29 age category and Sister Linda Romey, also a runner, took 7th place in the 60-69 grouping. Walkers Sister Anne McCarthy came in third in the 60-69 category and Sister Anne Wambach, first place in the 70-79 group. Oblates Mary Hembrow Snyder and Priscilla Richter placed third and fourth respectively in the 70-79 walkers category. Congratulations to all.

Thirty-five Benetwood residents, along with several staff and board members, joined the sisters for dinner at the monastery on Wednesday--the annual gathering to celebrate the special relationship of the two communities. The Benetwood Apartment complex was dedicated in 1981 on property adjacent to the monastery--it is a 74-unit HUD-sponsored complex. Sister Cindy Hoover, Benetwood Office Manager, shared everyone's sentiment, "The residents thoroughly enjoyed their time with the sisters. They are still talking about the food but best of all being with the sisters."

Elaine Nadeau, the archivist for the Congregation of St. Scholastica, of which the Benedictine Sisters of Erie are one of seventeen member monasteries, was in Erie this week to record stories for an oral history of Benedictines for Peace. Erie Benedictine Sister Mary Lou Kownacki, who died in January 2023, was a leader in the founding and early years of BFP. The movement came into being in 1980 following a weeklong peace witness at the Pentagon by Benedictine sisters during their 1,500th-anniversary celebration. Rooted in the monastic commitment to PAX (peace), BFP was created to transition from being merely peaceful to actively working for peace in society. Sisters from Erie have remained strong advocates for peace and justice. Sister Anne McCarthy is the current coordinator of BFP.

Twenty-eight retreatants, including long-term community friends and first-time guests, participated in “We Are One,” a Holy Week retreat held at the monastery. Retreatants joined the monastic community for the traditional Holy Week services in addition to participating in retreat programming.