Three young women moved into Mount Saint Benedict Monastery nearly three months ago to begin a year-long live-in experience of prayer, community, formation, and good work through the Benedictine Peacemakers program. Melissa Pfeifer from central Kansas has been ministering at Emmaus Ministries and the Erie Spiritual Coalition. Erin Falk from Buffalo, NY, has been very busy on the staff of Groundwork Erie. And Emily Brandt is working with children at the Inner-City Neighborhood Art House. Each of them have unique stories to tell--and here's one of them. Emily, also from Kansas, is piloting a Substack she is calling Emily in PA. (Wonder if she's seen Emily in Paris?!) Here's where you can read her initial reaction to life in a monastery in Erie. She's pictured here with Sister Carolyn Gorny-Kopkowski.
Learn more about Benedictine Peacemakers here. Registrations for the 2026 cohort will open soon. We'll also be telling more stories about the experience over the coming weeks. The Brick By Brick Substack includes posts by a variety of persons who have lived at the monastery or are friends of the Benedictine Sisters. Find it here.
