Mass Opens Benedictine Sisters' 150th Anniversary Celebration
FERDINAND – Bishop Charles C. Thompson celebrated Mass at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand on Aug. 20 to open a year of celebration for the Benedictine Sisters of Ferdinand’s 150th anniversary.
A dinner immediately followed Mass with the bishop. After dinner, the Benedictine sisters and their guests enjoyed a concert by Second Wind (an all-women a cappella quartet) and an ice cream social.
On Aug. 20, 1867, four young sisters arrived in Ferdinand from St. Walburg Monastery in Covington, Ky. The German sisters came to the predominately German town to teach area school children.
Today, with 144 members, the Benedictines of Ferdinand are one of the largest communities of Benedictine women in the United States. They continue to serve in education and also minister in parishes, church institutions, health care facilities, retreat centers and social service agencies in Indiana, Kentucky and the South American nation of Peru.
“As we reflect on the gifts of the past 150 years and look forward to our future with hope, we do so with gratitude to God,” said Prioress Benedictine Sister Barbara Lynn Schmitz. “We are also grateful for our family, friends, and supporters that have championed us.”
During the year of celebration, the sisters will join privately with various groups (e.g. their families, Oblates, and donor organizations) to celebrate. The Monastery Gift Shop will celebrate its 20th anniversary and the sisters’ 150th anniversary on Oct. 22.
The sisters will host a concert of area school and parish choirs in the monastery church on Dec. 11. The concert is open to the public, and all are welcome.
The 150th anniversary celebration will culminate with the Benedictine Sisters’ Summer Social on June 2-3, 2017. All are welcome to attend.
More information on the history of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand is available online at the Monastery Immaculate Conception website, thedome.org. Information on upcoming events also will be posted on the dome.org as it becomes available.
