Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Holy Name Monastery

“I must be personally present in my gift.”

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When is the last time you sought a big rock to dash your unruly thoughts against?  Uttered something in a language you never studied?  Or, like what happened to St. Benedict, had a goblet crack down rim to stem and spill out its poisoned contents?  After all we live at HOLY NAME monastery and the evangelist Mark quotes Jesus telling us these will be our signs if we are baptized and believe in the Holy Name!  And, on top of that we have the command to: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

A little overwhelming, isn’t it?  But we had best take the message to heart all the while assured by the words in the Gospel: Jesus took his seat at the right hand of God but they (meaning we) went forth and preached EVERY-WHERE, while the Lord worked with them.”

Praise God the full brunt of the message does not fall on us alone.  But we must take seriously our commitment to shoulder our share of the burden to spread the Good News to all with whom we come into contact. We write a new page of the gospel each day through all that we do and by whatever we say.  Others read what we express with our lives.  We express what we believe in a variety of ways in multiple community documents:  in our PHILOSOPY statement, our MISSION statement, our VISION statement, our CORPORATE COMMITMENT and our CORE VALUES.  We recognize and acknowledge our responsibility to harken to Jesus’ call personally and to contribute to its fulfillment in the context of our Benedictine vocation.

There is an ancient beautiful story about the ascension of Jesus into heaven. When the grand welcome ceremony was over, the angel Gabriel quietly approached Jesus and shared some doubts.  “I know that only very few in Palestine are aware of the great work of human salvation you have accomplished through your suffering, death and resurrection. But the whole world should know and appreciate it and become your disciples, acknowledging you as their Lord and Savior. What is your plan of action?”  Jesus answered, “I have told all my apostles to tell other people about me and preach my message through their lives. That’s all.” “Suppose they don’t do that,” Gabriel responded. “What’s your Plan B?” Jesus replied, “I have no other plan; I am counting on them.” That fanciful story reminds us that Jesus is counting on each one of us to make Him known, loved and accepted by others around us.

Our mission is both easy and hard: easy to understand but hard to carry out.  Words of Pope Benedict XV express well the attitude and the necessity of self-giving: “My deep personal sharing in the needs and sufferings of others becomes a sharing of my very self with them….  I must give to others not only something that is my own, but my very self. I must be personally present in my gift.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Congratulations Graduates, one and all. 

Happy Mother’s Day, ALL who “mother” us in a variety of roles – thank YOU!

 

 

First Reading:   Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11         Second Reading:  Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
Gospel:   Mark 16:15-20
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Founders Day

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133 Years and counting

In Sunday’s 2nd reading St. Paul exhorts us: “Therefore, my beloved, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”  What an appropriate and uplifting message to us (the Benedictine Sisters of FL) as we approach the celebration of the 133rd anniversary of the day the Benedictine Sisters first set foot in Pasco County Florida on February 28, 1889.  The “Founding Five” Sisters from Pennsylvania asked the same question as the man in the Gospel: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Let me explain what prompts me to share what will follow – something I know you’ve already heard.  Pope Francis, in 2018, when pitching his idea for a book to Loyola Press, reminded the editors that elders have been “entrusted with the task of transmitting our history” to the next generation.  His book: Sharing the Wisdom of Time soon became a documentary series available on NETFLIX.   Indulge me now as I share the “Cliff Notes” version of our history; the beginnings of our community here is central Florida.

We can trace our lineage in U.S. history to Mother Benedicta Riepp and her companions who arrived in Latrobe, PA in 1852 from Eichstätt, Bavaria.   Now, leap frog over almost forty (40) years to 1889.  From central Florida, the voice of God spoke in the guise of Fr. Gerard Pilz to his Benedictine sister-friend Dolorosa Scanlan: “Please” he pleaded, “come and educate these children.”  The superior and bishop in PA blessed the five respondents, “Go in peace!”

On departure day, there was a 6’ snowfall as the train left Allegheny County, PA.  Three days later it was a toasty 80 degrees when they arrived in Pasco County, San Antonio, FL.   These Sisters had been divinely commissioned to “spread the Good news everywhere.”  They began the very day after their arrival, founding Holy Name Academy, assuming administration of Saint Anthony Parish School, and shortly thereafter the school 3 miles away in St. Joseph, FL.  From 1929 to 1959, the community also operated St. Benedict Prep and from 1970-2002 Holy Name Montessori early education center.  They fed the hungry, looked after the sick and buried the dead.

In the long view of history, this growing band of visionaries who just could not say NO, were involved at all levels of education: early childhood to college level, adult education and tutoring programs.  They were administrators and teachers, drama and music directors, school bus drivers, coaches for debate and sports teams.  They established a litany list of schools in Florida, Texas and Louisiana and conducted weekend and summer catechetical programs at Good Counsel Camp and parishes with no Catholic school throughout central FL. In 1902, the FL community was instrumental in the founding of the motherhouse in Cullman, AL.  In 1911, their 3-story wood-frame home was suspended on logs and pulled by oxen for the move from San Antonio town plaza to the shores of Lake Jovita in St. Leo.

The story is relatively routine for the intervening years until 1959 when the Sisters’ home and girls’ academy was declared unfit living space by the fire department.  The townspeople responded to their dilemma, opening their homes and hearts to the Sisters and academy students during the construction phase for a new convent.  That building still stands having been renovated and renamed Benedictine Hall on Saint Leo University campus.  In 2014, the Sisters moved across the road to the new Holy Name Monastery.

And, the “rest of the story”???  Here we are 133 years since those 5 adventurous souls responded to the voice of God. We continue to strive to live the words of Scripture, voiced by St. Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians [Sunday 2nd reading]: “Be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord.”   We live assured, that every worthy venture we consider, is blessed by the promise of God.  We’ve lived that fulfillment, as St. Paul says, “knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

Please join us in prayer on Monday as we celebrate our 133rd anniversary of the day Benedictine Sisters from PA arrived in San Antonio (Pasco County) FL … now located in St. Leo, FL – Florida’s first incorporated township.

Thank YOU for being in our “Fan Club”

God bless

 

First Reading:   Sirach 27:4-7       Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Gospel:  Luke 6:39-45

 

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That In All Things God’s Will May Be Glorified

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The Benedictine Sisters of Florida are beyond grateful to announce our plans for reopening Holy Name Monastery.  It has been over a year since we were forced to close our doors due to a pandemic that no one could have imagined would last so long.  This difficult decision was made for the safety of those who come to us in need and in prayer, as well as for our Sisters.  For all of us our sphere of life based on connection and community has been greatly diminished during this time.  Hopefully, our outreach, sharing, and communications by phone, zoom and social media have filled some of the void.

After months of sheltering in place and vaccinations made available, we feel that the process of welcoming guests back to our home – Holy Name Monastery – can begin.  Beginning July 6th we will slowly and cautiously do so.  The plan follows and for everyone’s health and safety, we implore you to be vaccinated before visiting.

  • Friends and family of the Sisters are invited back
  • Individual guests and retreatants may also now schedule overnight stays

As we monitor what the CDC says about the Delta variant, large group retreats can hopefully take place beginning in early fall.

To schedule overnight stays and retreats, contact Sister Mary Clare at: (352) 588-8320 or email: maryclareneu@gmail.com

God’s blessings to all as we move forward to more normalcy in our lives,

Benedictine Sisters of Florida

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Benedictine Sisters Elect Prioress

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The Benedictine Sisters of Florida have re-elected Sister Roberta Bailey, O.S.B. to lead the community as prioress for the next six years. The election of prioress is really a discernment in prayer, listening for the voice of God regarding who should lead the community into the future. The Sisters of Holy Name Monastery came together for three days co-facilitated by Sisters from other Benedictine monasteries: Sister Kathy McNany (Baltimore) and Sister Marcia Ziska (Atchison). The president of the Federation of Saint Scholastica, Sister Lynn McKenzie, was there as well to help focus the group on what Saint Benedict instructs: Listen with the ear of your heart.

Sister Roberta has served as prioress since 2010, leading the efforts of the Benedictine Sisters at Holy Name Monastery in St. Leo in their ministries of services “to feed the hungers of the people of God.”  The community was founded 132 years ago by five Sisters from Pittsburgh, PA.   The Benedictine Sisters of Florida live a life of commitment to be-come a sign of God’s presence in the world.  In “Non-Covid” times the Sisters welcome guests to their liturgical services and host guests for retreats or “time away,” self-directed groups, monthly concerts and a variety of other small-group activities.

Sister Roberta’s career began in 1959 as a classroom teacher for infants through college aged students and  has been in educational leadership since 1970.  Sister previously served as principal of St. Anthony School (San Antonio) and Pope John Paul Catholic School (Lecanto, FL). She founded the Montessori schools in St. Leo, FL and at Blessed Trinity in Ocala, FL. She has served as a member of the advisory council for the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, a board member (and on the Quality Committee) for the Pasco-Hernando Early Learning Coalition and was a governor appointee on the Florida’s Universal Pre-K commission.  Sister is the past editor of the ECA of FL journal Children Our Concern, a former member of the Tampa Oratorio Society and Saint Leo Chorus. Currently Sister serves as a trustee of Saint Leo University, board member of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Sunrise Family Abuse Shelter, Premier Community Health Care and the diocesan Commission for Religious.

In accepting the Community’s election, Sister Roberta drew the Sisters’ attention to the reflection she had offered the previous weekend: “Do Whatever He Tells You.” That was Mary’s directive to the wine servers at the Wedding Feast at Cana. In today’s Gospel,  May 4th,  Jesus reassures us He will not leave us alone on our life’s journey in seeking His will. He promises: “My peace I give you, my peace I leave with you.”

 

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