Who is Benedicta Riepp?
Sister Benedicta Riepp is the first Benedictine woman foundress in the United States
In 1852 three young sisters from St. Walburg Abbey, Eichstatt, Bavaria, Germany volunteered to serve in the mission area of the United States. They were responding to an invitation to teach the children of German immigrants in St. Marys, PA.
Twenty-seven year old Sister Benedicta Riepp was appointed superior of this small group.
Despite the invitation extended by Boniface Wimmer, OSB, from St. Vincent Abbey, Latrobe, PA, no one met the three sisters when they arrived in New York City, July 3, 1852. Strangers in this foreign land, unable to speak English, these young sisters made their way to Latrobe.
It was this same courage and will that characterized the work of Sister Benedicta Riepp throughout her short life in the United States. She faced the constant challenges of severe poverty in an unfamiliar environment, while enabling the love and care of the sisters to be shared with others in need. She accepted the reality of needing to find creative ways to live the Benedictine Tradition as women in a frontier land – not without much criticism and even strong opposition.
Sister Benedicta was engaged in constant struggle with Father Boniface over who was to be responsible for the life and finances of these Benedictine women. The understanding, experience, and desire of the sisters was to have an autonomous abbey of women with the local bishop having jurisdiction over their enclosure; Wimmer considered himself the head of the women’s community. Although she endured much suffering and extremely harsh treatment, with little real support, Sister Benedicta continued to strive for the recognition of the autonomy of the women’s communities. In 1859 a decree from Rome gave approval to the three Benedictine convents that had been established by this time (St. Marys, PA, Erie, PA, and Newark, NJ) and placed them under the jurisdiction of the local bishops rather than under Father Boniface.
Benedictine life continued to grow and flourish. The sisters responded to the needs around them with generosity and commitment. By the time of Sister Benedicta Riepp’s death in Minnesota on March 15, 1862, six independent communities of Benedictine women were ministering with the people of St. Marys, PA, Erie, PA, Newark, NJ, St. Cloud, MN, Covington, KY, and Chicago, IL.
In 2002 Benedicta Riepp was honored as 150 years of Benedictine life for women in the United States was celebrated. At that time Esther Fangman, OSB, President, Federation of St. Scholastic, wrote: Mother Benedicta Riepp brought the spirit of the Rule of Benedict across the ocean. Her courage, her conviction and steadfast faith carried her despite the obstacles presented by church authority and the tempestuous frontier. We celebrate 150 years of the gift Benedicta Riepp brought to this land. It is not simply the gift of a good education for immigrant people that we celebrate, although that in itself would be worth celebrating. Rather we celebrate the contributions Benedicta made that freed the human spirit and nourished the soul.” (From “150 Years of the Benedictine Spirit” in the anniversary booklet Celebrating 150 Years: 1852-2002)
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