On Sunday, October 7, 12th century Benedictine Abbess Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) was named Doctor of the Church. This honor is reserved to those who have made significant contributions to the Church’s tradition. Until 1970, no woman had been named a doctor in the church. Hildegard, canonized on May 10, 2012, now joins the three other women who have been bestowed with this title: Saints Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Sienna in 1970, and Thérèse of Lisieux in 1997. In his homily to mark this moment, Pope Benedict acknowledged Hildegard as a woman who showed herself to be “a woman of...

For the tenth time this year, the religious communities of women joined neighbors and friends of a victim of gun violence to “take back the site” and reclaim it as a place of peace and non-violence. The group that gathered prayed for the victim, Sammica Rose Roberts, as well as the perpetrator, and for their families, friends and neighbors. The plea for reverencing the sanctity of life was strong; the entreaty for help to live with love and in peace with one another was sincere.

Death by acts of violence is clearly on the rise in Erie; concern was felt and expressed. Local clergy...

The feast day of Francis of Assisi, long known as the patron saint of animals and ecology, will be celebrated this week (October 4). He recognized the sacredness of all creation and issued an invitation to hold sacred everything and everyone as a reflection of God.

Respect for the beauty and goodness of creation as a sacrament of God is one of the hallmarks of Benedictine monasticism. Recently, the elders among the Benedictine Sisters of Erie had the opportunity to show this respect first hand. A trip to the Erie Zoo, organized by Sister Rita Zattosky for the *This and That...

There are very few spiritual writers who can write a “thought a day” for 20 straight years—and have each one be meaningful. But our Sister Joan Chittister is one of them. Yes, since 1993 Sister Joan has produced a monthly edition of The Monastic Way. It’s billed as a publication “for people who lead a busy life, but long for spiritual depth.” And people all over the world who receive The Monastic Way attest to that claim.

Each month Sister Joan chooses a famous work of art for her reflection point—so not only are the words beautiful but each month readers also...

A beautiful fall day, a chapel filled to overflowing, and three women religious whose combined years of monastic commitment equals 100 years was reason for great rejoicing on Saturday, September 15. Jubilee Day could not have been more perfect for Golden Jubilarian, Sister Theresa Zoky, and Silver Jubilarians, Sisters Anne McCarthy and Elizabeth Adams. Together they renewed their monastic vows in the presence of their Benedictine community, family and friends. From beginning to end, the celebration of monastic profession was special as the jubilarians experienced overwhelming moments of...