Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh known for outreach

The Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh is a community of 49 Catholic women who have devoted their lives to prayer, ministry and the church.

They moved in April 2013 from their longtime monastery in Ross to a smaller one in the Bakerstown section of Richland, where they continue to run many ministries that are open to the public.

“Our current ministries include education on all levels, prekindergarten through college, ministry to prisoners, and to those most in need,” said Sister Karen Brink, prioress.

One popular program is the Spiritual Spa, offered for more than 10 years to women. The event is a daylong retreat to renew the spirit through candles, music, prayer, discussions on spiritual themes and friendship.

“I have been a fan of the Benedictine sisters since I started at St. Benedict Academy in 1963,” said Rosemary McLaughlin of Allison Park, referring to the sisters' former school. “I have attended two Spiritual Spas in the last year or so. Both have been informative, relaxing events that I enjoyed immensely.”

Angels in Overalls, another of the sisters' programs, enlists volunteers to help needy people with furniture, emergency repairs and other necessities.

The sisters are involved in the Guatemalan Mission Project sponsored by St. Richard Parish in Gibsonia, which provides support for an orphanage in Patzun, Guatemala.

Parishioners have visited the orphanage, and recently they brought a boy to America for treatment of a severe eye malady. Sisters Linda Larkman, Corinne Moeller and Jeanne Ubinger baked 200 nut rolls that were sold after Masses on Thanksgiving weekend to benefit the boy's treatment.

The sisters help to serve at fundraising breakfasts four times a year in the monastery, to benefit a variety of education and vocational training programs, and they collect medical equipment for Global Links, which distributes it to countries that need it.

Sister Judith Nero recently completed Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council training for volunteer tutors in the English as a second language and basic literacy areas. Tthrough her efforts, St. Benedict Monastery is a tutoring site for the council. She teaches two-hour sessions to a few students, twice a week.

The Exploring the Arts program int St. Athanasius Church in West View teaches skills such as carving wood plaques, oil painting, beads and frame weaving and calligraphy. Sister Dolores Conley, who has a master's degree in art education, is one of the teachers.

Another part of the arts program is the Basket Creations Studio, started in 2009 by Sister Donna Wojtyna. Each participant reflects on a selected theme, and weaves a one-of-a-kind basket.

Sister Donna recently began providing workshops through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, and the resulting baskets are sold at the monastery and at local craft shows with proceeds going toward scholarships.

The Benedictines for Peace committee sponsors a Peace Vigil and dinner each New Year's Eve, an event that began in the mid-1970s.

“Sometimes the program is to create a better understanding of different faiths, like the Muslim and Bahai,” said Sister Evelyn Dettling. “Other years, we have highlighted the struggle of African Americans, Native Americans, migrants and groups that are organizing around issues, to improve the lives of people who are struggling at many levels, especially economic.”

Sister Evelyn, a member of the committee, said 35 to 50 people usually attend the vigil.

Chasity Capasso is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media.