Artisans of the monastery, according to St. Benedict in Chapter 57 of his Rule, are to share their craft with all humility. While trapping and relocating wild animals may not be a traditional craft when one thinks of artisans of the monastery, it is an art and a skill that Sister Jacinta Conklin brings to the community. Erie Benedictine Oblate Mary Hembrow Snyder can attest to Sister Jacinta’s expertise. “A possum and a raccoon have been knocking my bird feeders and bird bath down at night for weeks,” she explained. “I shared my frustration with Sister Anne Wambach who suggested I talk with Sister Jacinta. Now I am one happy oblate!”

Sister Jacinta, who at one time was a licensed trapper in the state of Pennsylvania, set traps in Mary’s backyard and caught the two creatures. With appropriate caution, she took them to a forested wildlife area around dusk and released them, “a fitting Benedictine gesture of hospitality toward these ‘lovely’ creatures on the Feast of St. Francis,” according to Mary.

“I grew up in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, and farming, hunting, and fishing were part of my life. I entered the Benedictine Sisters in St. Marys, the first Benedictine women’s community in the U.S., and continued to farm and hunt until I moved to Erie in 2016 when the monastery in St. Marys closed. Trapping and relocating animals is one way I stay close to the land. I’ve also gotten to know local Erie farmers and enjoy sharing in their harvests, providing the monastery with fresh corn, vegetables, and fruit.”