The Erie Benedictine community recently welcomed and blessed four women who have moved into the monastery. Sister Stephanie Schmidt, prioress, leads the blessing for (L to R) Calista Robledo, Melissa Pfeifer, Erin Falk, and Emily Brandt. Calista is an Mdiv student at Boston College who is living at the monastery while she completes a ministry requirement for her program at Monasteries of the Heart and the Neighborhood Art House. She will be at the monastery until early August. She is from Texas. Melissa, Erin, and Emily are the inaugural cohort for the new year-long Benedictine Peacemakers program. Melissa and Emily are from Kansas and Erin is from New York state.
The Peacemakers program offers women between the ages of 22 and 30 a year to be immersed in the monastic experience, develop within community, participate in the community's good works, and dedicate time to becoming their most whole self personally and spiritually. Program details are here. Applications for the 2026 cohort will open in the fall, sign up to be notified when they are open.
The Benedicta Riepp Monastic Experience Program accepts women of all ages, read about it here.
