Bishop Tylka celebrates closing of 150th anniversary with Sisters of St. Benedict
Bishop Louis Tylka presides at Mass during the closing Mass celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Sister of St. Benedict at St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island Oct. 13. (Anne Marie Amacher)
By Anne Marie Amacher for The Catholic Post Online
ROCK ISLAND – “It was a blessing to be here a year ago and feel the excitement as the sisters celebrate and reflect on their 150 years.
“It is great to be back to bring to a conclusion the year-long celebration,” said Bishop Louis Tylka. He presided at the 150th anniversary year closing Mass Oct. 13 for the Sisters of St. Benedict at St. Mary Monastery.
A lot of things have happened in this community. So many sisters worked in the school, were creative witnesses to parishes …. The most important thing in this celebration is the Lord is still calling them.” – Bishop Louis Tylka
Prioress Sister Susan Hutchens, OSB, welcomed those in attendance. “It has been a grand year of gratitude and thanksgiving for the gift of these 150 years as the community at St. Mary Monastery.
“We have celebrated with our Oblates, our former sisters, our St. Mary Academy graduates, our employees, our deceased sisters as we visited our cemeteries and our Nauvoo friends. And we will soon celebrate with our volunteers – with whom we could not have managed all of these events.”
FOLLOWING THEIR CALL
In his homily, Bishop Tylka said giving up and leaving behind others is not easy to do. “We are called to follow the Lord.” The sisters left Germany for Pennsylvania – crossing the ocean to a new land. The sisters would not know if they would see their family or other community members again.
They established themselves in Pennsylvania, then to Chicago, Nauvoo and eventually Rock Island. The sisters had “spirit and emotion to trust in the Lord.” The bishop said 150 years is a long time. “A lot of things have happened in this community. So many sisters worked in the school, were creative witnesses to parishes and they live out the Gospel.”
Bishop Tylka proclaims the opening prayer from the lectionary held by diocesan director of divine worship Philip Lee. (Anne Marie Amacher)
“The most important thing in this celebration is the Lord is still calling them,” Bishop Tylka said. “It is a great joy to be with you and look forward to what God has in store for you.”
An all-school reunion brought 200 to Rock Island. ‘We had to bring in 140 extra chairs (into the chapel for Mass).'” – Prioress Sister Susan Hutchens, OSB
The sisters arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania from Germany in 1852. They then went to Chicago, then Nauvoo, Illinois in 1874 and Rock Island in 2001.
While in Nauvoo they opened St. Mary Academy, Sister Hutchens said. The school closed in 1997 and the sisters relocated to Rock Island in 2001.
LIVE, WORK & PRAY BENEDICTINE VALUES
Today, as Benedictines, the sisters live, work, and pray by five values: prayer, community, hospitality, peace and justice, and care of creation.
Since the opening Mass last October, Sister Hutchens said the sisters visited Nauvoo in May to bless the deceased sisters at St. Peter and Paul Cemetery. From July 12-14 an all-school reunion brought 200 to Rock Island. “We had to bring in 140 extra chairs (into the chapel for Mass),” she said.
Sister Marianne Burkhard, OSB greets Bishop Tylka following Mass Oct. 13 at St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island. (Anne Marie Amacher)
Joining in the closing celebration were Abbot Michael Calhoon, who represented the monks of St. Bede Abbey in Peru, Illinois and local clergy from the Diocese of Peoria and Diocese of Davenport, Iowa.
Religious sisters from St. Benedict Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota; Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from Clyde, Missouri; Humility of Mary Sisters from Davenport, Iowa; and Franciscan Sisters from Clinton, Iowa traveled to the celebration.
Oblate members, donors and friends also joined.
“We were honored to have Bishop Tylka to not only open, but close our celebration,” Sister Hutchens said.
