Sister May Nguyen, pictured here with Erie Benedictine Sister Katherine Horan, received her white coat in a ceremony at Gannon University last month. The traditional white coat ceremony marks the transition for junior Bachelor of Science in Nursing students into the clinical phase of their program. Sister May, of the Congregation of Lovers of the Holy Cross of Hanoi, a Vietnamese congregation, is living at the monastery while she pursues her nursing studies. Sister Thi Hoa Nguyen is also living at the monastery and studying early childhood education.
From the Summer 2025 issue of The Mount magazine:
“I came to the monastery in January (2025), and it was covered in snow. Nevertheless, it felt warm inside the monastery because all the sisters welcomed us so graciously. That moment is one I will never forget,” said Sister May. In the months since then, May and Hoa have endeared themselves to the Erie Benedictines.
The Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross is a large Vietnamese congregation whose motherhouse is in Hanoi. They have four hundred professed sisters and about one hundred fifty in various stages of formation.
Sister May is studying nursing and Sister Hoa is studying early childhood education. Their first two years in this country they lived with the Dominican Sisters in Houston, Texas, while learning English. After they complete their studies at Gannon, they will return home to Vietnam.
Their biggest challenge is speaking and understanding English. “The difficulty after learning English is applying and using it in real-life communication and academic settings,” explained Sister Hoa. But the extra layers of difficulty that studying in a second language brings has not stopped the sisters from making progress in their studies.
They have seamlessly entered the rhythms of monastic life, especially shared prayer and common meals at the monastery. “These prayers are powerful and help me maintain my relationship with God, balancing my studies with my consecrated life,” said Sister May. The entire Benedictine community has been treated to Vietnamese specialties like spring rolls and egg rolls. As part of the Easter Vigil in the monastery chapel, Sister May and Sister Hoa offered beautiful liturgical dances with fluttering fans, generously sharing a part of their culture with us.
Sister Kathleen McCarthy is helping the sisters accommodate and integrate into life at the monastery and in Erie. She says, “It is a great gift to have Sister Hoa and Sister May with us. They have shared their enthusiasm, joy, prayerfulness, sensitivity, dedication, and their culture generously with all of us. We look forward to their return at the end of the summer.”
Sister Hoa notes that one of the lines she loves from the Rule of Benedict is, “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ.” (Chapter 53) And Sister May’s reflection on her life at the monastery confirms it is a lived expression: “My happiest moments at the monastery stem from the kindness and sisterhood shared among the sisters, which gives me a strong sense of belonging.”
