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SUMMER / FALL 2016St. Benedict Monastery

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

BenedictinesBenedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh

Monastic Women with Discerning Hearts

146 Years of Ministry and Still Going Strong

Culture of Giving 2016 Award Recipient John Lally

Graduating Class St. Teresa of Avila

Dear Friends of the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh,

The sands of time drop one by one and for our community, the hour glass, turned over so many

times, is soon to observe one hundred and forty-six years of Benedictine presence in settings from

Johnstown, PA to Carrolltown, PA to Neon, KY, and Canton, OH, with the greatest concentration

of our presence in and around the dioceses of Pittsburgh and Greensburg over these 146 years.

During our history our Sisters have responded to needs, large and small, simple and profound,

with laughter and tears, compassion and understanding, ministering as we attempted to spread the

gospel message of Jesus wherever we found ourselves.

A blessing over the years has been the beautiful friends and co-workers who have walked shoulder

to shoulder with us. As you read this, know that you are among those special individuals.

As I write this, events in France, Turkey, our own country, and at other places around the world,

present issues that frighten and cause concern. As Benedictine Sisters we attempt to follow St. Benedict’s

admonition, “Let peace be your quest and aim.”

I am sure that you will join us in that quest.

As you read this issue you will find news about women and men whose lives demonstrate peace

lived in many ways and venues.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with US!

Blessings always,

Sister Karen Brink

Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh

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From the Prioress

By Sister Karen R. Brink, OSB

U.I.O.G.D. – Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus!

‘That in all things GOD may be glorified’.

______________________Z______________________


Table of Contents

146 Years of Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 and Still Going Strong

In the Still of the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Jubilarians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Patrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

John Lally Culture of Giving . . . . . . .13 2016 Award Recipient

The Next Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

We are the

Benedictine Sisters

of Pittsburgh,

continuing 1500 years

of seeking God in

Community,

Prayer

and Ministry.

BENEDICTINES is a publication of the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh, PA for families, friends and benefactors of the Community.

Managing Editor: Elizabeth Tamburri, DirectorOffice of Community Advancement

St. Benedict Monastery3526 Bakerstown RoadBakerstown, PA 15007

Phone: 724-502-2600Fax: 724-502-2601Website: www.osbpgh.orgEmail: [email protected]

Abbey Press Printing, Printer

Please remember the Benedictine Sisters in your Will.

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Mark Your Calendar

September 21, 2016Day of Giving

September 24, 2016Spiritual Spa

May 6, 2017Gala

OblatesBy Sister Elizabeth Metz

Our Benedictine Tradition is vital and brimming over in the expression of the lives of our Oblates. These persons are very busy with the day to day needs of living, as we all are and continue to be Seekers. Oblates seek to find the path to God. Their association with the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh at Bakerstown provides these persons opportunities to collaborate in the Prayers, the Community and Ministry of the Sisters.

One of our Oblate artists recently exhibited her paintings, another two Oblates continue the message of Jesus through the developed Good Shepherd program for the children of their parish Church. A mother of twelve children and her Oblate sister provide our group with an outstanding presence of fifty years of affiliation with our Community. There is the woman who is a talented seamstress and has created many items for our Gift Shop and our Summer Craft Fair.

Presently, only women attend the monthly meetings. Our Community and the Oblates would welcome men and children as seekers to join them in this journey of Love for God.


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Five years after the civil war ended, Reconstruction was well underway. Fortunes were being made in oil, on railroads, and in iron and coke mines. The lives of Bissel, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Durant and Carnegie were already decorated with custom made clothes. Their homes had bathrooms, they played tennis, and sent their children to private schools. But, for the vast majority of people, including the immigrants flocking to America by the thousands, life was very different. For them, the “Gilded Age” was a time of great hardship.

Work and workers were plentiful. Men, women and children living in the city found work in mills, factories, and canneries. Those living in rural areas worked in fields, on farms, or deep in mines. Wages were $.50 and the average work week was 72 hours. One accident could mean death in a time when safety in the workplace was far less important than production. Across the nation the plan to “Americanize the Red Man” was put into action and mandated boarding schools for Native American children were opened; the south was still a wasteland of abandoned plantations, and hate groups like the Know Nothing party in the north and the Klu Klux Klan in the south materialized with a vengeance. It was during this time in American history, amid the chaos and dichotomy of opulence and austerity, that a new, determined voice emerged…the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh.

Find us on the Web at www.osbpgh.org

In October of 1870, under the care of Mother Adelgunda Feldman, three Sisters traveled 79 miles south of their Monastery in St. Mary’s to Carrolltown PA. The Benedictine Brothers living there had built a Monastery, convent, and St. Benedict School. The Sisters were needed to teach the German immigrant children living in the mountain area and in St. John’s school in Johnstown 30 miles further south.

The following year the Bishops of Erie and Pittsburgh met with the Sisters and insisted they remain in Carrolltown permanently. They were told to establish a new Community under the auspice of the Diocese and to make the convent their official Mother House. The new Community would be known as the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh and the convent, St. Scholastica.

During the next seven years the coke and steel industry grew, as did the need for workers. Cities and communities near factories and mills, like Pittsburgh and Allegheny City, were filled with working Irish and German immigrants and families. To protect their religion, and their children from Protestant teachings, they sought the support of the Diocese. The Bishop responded by opening more Catholic schools.

The Bishop of Pittsburgh requested Sisters to teach at St. Mary’s school across the river from Pittsburgh. For the task, Mother Adelgunda assigned three Sisters. Before long, the majority of the Sisters from St. Scholastica

146 Years of Ministryand Still Going StrongBy Sister Karen Brink and Elizabeth Tamburri

Johnstown PA

St. Scholastica Convent Carrolltown

St. Mary’s Convent Canal St.Pittsburgh 1878

were teaching in Allegheny City (North Side). The Diocese again asked the Sisters to change their Mother House, this time to Pittsburgh. While some Sisters remained in Carrolltown until 1889, St. Mary’s Convent on Canal Street in Pittsburgh was founded in 1878.

In 1906, Sister Genevieve Johnson, and a companion, whose name has been forgotten, went to Saint Teresa of Avila Parish to establish a private Catholic elementary school. In the course of time, the school became a part of the diocese of Pittsburgh system of schools. The school was located in a farming area of what is now Ross Township in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. At the time of the founding of the school, the Benedictine Sisters owned property adjacent to the parish; the plan was to “build a summer home in the country” for Sisters who suffered from tuberculosis, an illness that took the lives of several sisters at an early age.

Care of the whole person was central to the educational endeavors of the Benedictine Sisters throughout their one hundred and eight-year presence in the school which this year celebrates 110 years of providing Catholic education. Sister Gemma Liberati tells the story of her mother, Helen Wojtyna, who was enrolled in the school knowing only the Polish language. Not only did the Sisters provide her and her siblings with lessons in English, they also provided meals for the poor students and during snow storms when the mile trudge to school found them wet and cold, hung their wet coats, shoes and hats near the boiler to dry so they could have a more comfortable walk home on the muddy road which is now Perry Highway.

“That was my first assignment.” This comment is often heard when community members talk about Saint Teresa of Avila School. A training ground for new Sister teachers, including this writer, the assignment was one usually enjoyed and many Sisters were assigned to teaching and/or administration positions during their education careers.

Throughout its history, community members who taught at St. Teresa found that the parents/guardians of the students were “involved in the school and their kids’ education,” commented Sister Roberta Campbell, and “one of my students at St. Teresa is now on the staff at Carlow University where I currently minister.” Sister Marilyn Fox, one of our most senior members, noted that “the students at Saint Teresa did well in school because their parents had high expectations of their children and worked with the faculty.” Another comment from Sister Benita DeMatteis was that “the parents were very cooperative and helped to make my years of teaching there happy and memorable.” Having taught four years at St. Teresa as her first assignment, Sister Barbara said that “it was my favorite place to teach. I loved it there.” Sister Bridget Reilly remembers that “my classes were very large and I loved the children.”

While many community members were engaged in the ministry of Catholic education, others who taught there also transitioned into other ministries in the parish…

Sister Raphael Frank who was parish director of religious education commented, “I experienced St. Teresa Parish as an ever growing “family of believers” and a people of prayer and worship. “I have been fortunate to have had a long and fruitful relationship with the people of St. Teresa,” reflects Sister Rosalyn Soller. “There is something magical about this parish,” she notes. Sister Irene Moeller, current pastoral assistant said that “I have watched the parish, the school and the local community blossom and nurture leaders in all walks of life. And Sister Karen Brink, currently prioress of the community, is filling in as the administrator of the school. Having been principal there for eleven years, she is happy to assist “the school and parish which I love so much!”

Our 110-year ministry at St. Teresa has been a blessing to our community…We hope it has been a blessing to the St. Teresa Parish as well!


5Find us on Facebook

St. Teresa of Avila


6 Find us on the Web at www.osbpgh.org

The Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh returned to the North Side on May 7th for their inaugural gala, “In the Still of the Night.” Mike Clark of WTAE was the Master of Ceremonies attended by 230 people at Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at The Priory. Following cocktails and Hors devours, the St. Benedict the Moor choir opened the gala with 4 selections.

Former Prioresses, Sister Michelle Farabaugh, Sister Roberta Campbell, and Sister Benita DeMatteis were recognized for their many years of leadership and strength. Sister Karen Brink, insisting the night was “to be for others,” was — to her surprise — presented with a basketball secretly signed by her former St. Benedict Academy teammates.

Mrs. JoAnn Rooney was recognized as an Esteemed Alumna. Unfortunately, Mrs. Rooney was unable to attend the event.

Andrea Carelli of PNC, District Attorney Marjorie Fox, and Mr. Andrew Purcell gave speeches honoring the work and labor of Sister Sue Fazzini, Sister Audrey Quinn, and Sister Florence Lynch.

The presentation of the first Culture of Giving award was presented to Mr. John Lally of Lally and Associates, North Hills. Mr. Lally was unanimously chosen as awardee for his ongoing commitment to the welfare of the Sisters through his work on the Capital Campaign, aiding the Sisters in achieving their financial goals, and his ready response to any request for volunteerism. His continued demonstration of support has been profound.

The evening closed with the incredible music of the Tania Grubbs Quartet.

100% of the proceeds were given to the Ministries of the Benedictines Sisters of Pittsburgh.

In the Still of the Night


Photography by Geoff Crowe, Alicia Photography

Sister Karen Brink and Mike Clark

Brent Haberstroh and Andrea Carelli

St. Benedict the Moor Choir

Sister Benita DeMatteis, Sister Roberta Campbell, Sister Karen Brink

and Sister Michelle Farabaugh (seated)

Kiera Lally and Heather Esswein Joe and Rita Nowak, Sister Raphael Frank, and Sister Michael Mack

Mike Clark, WTAE News Anchor

Pat and David Tamburri

Sister Evelyn Dettling and Reverend Paul Taylor

JubilariansBenedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh


In 1956 both Sister Judith Nero and

Sister Mary David Lecker made their first vows.

Sister Judith Nero

In 1948 Sister Leona Lascny was the eighth grade

teacher at St. Benedict’s school in Canton Ohio. Anna

Nero had been a student in the small 4 classroom

school house since the 5th grade, and Sister Leona

would be her teacher for the first time. Neither

teacher nor student realized it would be a pivotal year

in Anna’s life, or that Sister Leona would become the

single, greatest influence on Anna’s future.

“I was of the age when you think, ‘I want to be like that.’ At the end of that eighth grade school year Anna approached her father, Cipriano Nero, and asked if she could join the Benedictines.

Cipriano and Anna’s mother, Santella, were 1st generation Italians who taught their two daughters, Jean and Anna, the importance of family. Santella suffered from Parkinson’s that by 1948 left her unable to speak or move independently. With the help and support of friends and relatives who often baked for the family, coordinated spring cleanings, visited, and “filled in,” Cipriano, Anna’s sister Jean, and Anna provided the round-the-clock care Santella needed. Anna’s father was a hard working steelworker and his work shift varied from week to week. He was also a devout man. Each day, with Santella lying on the couch nearby, he knelt on the kitchen floor and prayed the Rosary, Litany of the Blessed Mother, and a Novena. When Anna approached him with her wish to join the convent, he saw few options; it wasn’t the time for change, and he told Anna he needed her at home.

Eighth grade was the highest level offered at St. Benedict and with the Catholic high school too far from their home, the following year Anna followed her sister to the public high school. There she conquered opponents in speech and debate clubs, went to dances, helped decorate their home for holidays, welcomed visitors, and experienced the magic and angst that only the teen years can create.

Continued on page 10


They were united by a spiritual commitment but lived lives that followed

very different paths. This year they are both celebrating their 60-year Jubilee.

The first sixty years of Sister Mary David Lecker’s life

were spent in St. Mary’s, PA. Hearing her describe

the 11-acre farm that was her childhood home or the

evenings spent huckleberry picking after dinner with

the other Sisters at St. Joseph’s Monastery, you can

feel her love for the place and you know immediately

she is a “country girl” at heart.

“I was so happy and so mischievous when I was a girl. Sometimes when my parents went out we took the tractor and drove it over these old mines that were like rolling hills. I was 11 years old – we could have fallen in at any time. Someone was definitely looking out for us.”

Ethel Lecker was the 7th of ten children. In addition to running a farm, her father also worked part-time making sewer pipes. Her mother worked at home raising the babies, canning vegetables and fruit, and making bread and desserts, “she baked every night.” All of the Lecker children had their daily jobs. “I was the babysitter but I also helped with the canning and preserving fruits and vegetables. We worked hard but I was always smiling.”

At 17 Ethel met Sister Gabriella Koglmeier at her family’s parish church. Ethel enjoyed being with Sister and began helping her around the church. Together they cleaned, painted and did odd jobs – Ethel could always be counted on to tackle the “high” places Sister was afraid to attempt. Two years later, Ethel Lecker entered the doors of St. Joseph’s Monastery and never returned. Being a Benedictine Sister was the life Ethel was born for and always wanted. At the end of her Postulant year she was handed a small piece of paper and was asked to suggest 3 names she wanted to take as her own. Her maternal aunt, Sister Auxilia Hassennetter, was also part of the Community and wanted her to take the name of a former Prioress, Helen. Ethel had another name in mind,

Sister Mary David Lecker


Continued on page 11

Anna began working after graduation and within 3 years had tried her hand at four jobs. Each position offered more responsibility and more training of a new skill. But, inspiration didn’t come until Anna was 20 years old and she heard of a cadet training program for those interested in teaching. The program was sponsored by Kent State University in Canton and Anna signed on. For 1 year Anna spent her days working full time and her evenings preparing for and attending night classes. At some point during the year it occurred to her that her physical presence in the family home, her help in caregiving, was nominal at best. She spoke with her sister who spoke with Father Regis, the pastor of their church. Jean then approached Mr. Nero. “She just wants to find out if the Benedictine life is right for her.” This time Cipriano gave his blessing.

Father Regis had been planning a trip to St. Mary’s Convent in Ross Township to pick up the Sisters assigned to teach at St. Benedict’s. Arrangements were made for Anna to travel with him. On August 16th Anna loaded her trunk into the limousine Father Regis had borrowed from a community undertaker. She waved one last goodbye to her mother who was sitting on the porch and she and Father Regis left for St. Mary’s Convent in Pittsburgh.

“There were 8 postulants in my group. Since Sister Marie Vigna died, I’m the only one who remains. Mother Dolores Bigenwald was Prioress and Sister Pauline Stevens the Novice Directress. At the Investiture ceremony, we were given a white veil, a habit, and our name. I didn’t receive any of the names I suggested, but I was honored to be assigned the name of Judith. My patron is St. Jude, the Patron saint of hope and impossible causes.”

In 1956 Sister Judith was given her first teaching assignment at St. Benedict Academy in Ross Township, and in 1958, her first mission at St. Teresa’s in Perrysville. Although she returned each weekend during the course of her mission, it was the first time in the four years since her arrival that Sister Judith lived outside of the Monastery.

Sister Judith’s life took many turns after those first years. There was an early mission in Canton and though she lived 5 blocks from her family home, she was not permitted to visit her family more than once during the year. In turn, her family managed to visit her each month. There was the reclaiming of the Benedictine monastic history that led to the renaming of St. Mary’s Convent to St. Benedict Monastery; the loss of friends, many traditions and change of habits that came with Vatican II; missions in Connellsville, Pittsburgh, and more missions in and around the Canton area. From it all, Sister Judith says, “Meeting the needs of people while dealing with the system and bureaucratic obstacles has always been challenging. So often we forget that with passion, perseverance, and God’s Providence anything is possible.”

Through the years Sister Judith lost both of her parents, her mother in 1967, and her father in 1990; both Sister Judith and her sister Jean, have successfully battled cancer. Today, Sister Judith is as strong as ever. She often visits with Jean in Canton; volunteers as a tutor for the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council; and can frequently be found weeding the Monastery grounds. She knits and crochets for the Community gift shop and crocheted a beautiful afghan for the In the Still of the Night silent auction. Sister serves on the Benedictines for Peace committee, and this August will once again, make Pizzelles for the Founder’s Day Friends and Family festival.



Sister Judith Nero Continued from page 8

“Meeting the needs of people while dealing with the system and bureaucratic obstacles has always been

challenging. So often we forget that with passion, perseverance, and God’s Providence anything is possible.”

Sister Judith Nero

______________________Z______________________


being dutiful but also having the spirit of a young girl who snuck joyrides on a tractor, she wrote down, Mary David, Mary David, and Helen. “I wanted to be named after King David. He was a sinner and so was I.”

As a novice, Sister Mary David was to help Sister Immaculata Showalter in the Monastery bakery, “Had I known I was going to replace her I would have paid greater attention,” she said laughingly. Sister was also trained by Sister Loretta LaQue to make rosary beads. Later she would learn how to make them from rolled rose petals. But, of all the Sisters, it was Sister Julia Caruso who was the most influential. “She was just wonderful. We worked together for 20 years at St. Callistus church, in Kane PA. She was so quiet, and kind, and never sought recognition for the many, many things she did for others

Sister Mary David always wanted to be a nurse, but began her professional life as a 2nd grade teacher at Sacred Heart school in St. Mary’s. She also taught 1st grade, at St. Boniface in Kersey, a few miles south, “they were so cute...if they cried, I cried,” and remembers in sweet detail the days of coaching them through Christmas pageants. Sister continued teaching 5th and 6th grades for another 10 years.

Sister’s longest assignment was the Directorship of Religious Education in Kane, PA which she held for 20 years. In addition to her many job responsibilities, the assignment gave her the opportunity to minister to many people – visiting the sick in hospitals, in nursing homes, and the homes of shut-ins. When the position in Kane finished, Sister began working at Silver Creek Terrace as an aide, “I enjoyed that job so much because I could minister to God’s people who needed help. It was

“Through the events of my life, the good and the difficult, my focus has never changed. I always want

to be in a monastery loving and serving Christ that in all things God may be glorified.”

Sister Mary David Lecker

very rewarding.” In the evenings Sister worked in the recycling area of the Monastery, the infirmary, mowed the grass, trimmed bushes, and helped in whatever way was needed.

“I always remember being busy. I was never the sit-in-my-room-crocheting type of person. But now, not so much.” Age and change have made a difference and Sister Mary David feels the challenges of both. The Monastery she loved so much is gone. In January of 2012, the Sisters of St. Joseph’s faced the reality of a dwindling and aging Community trying to maintain upkeep of a building built more than a century before. With a remarkable show of courage and love for each other, they agreed to dissolve the Community. In 2014, Sister Mary David moved into St. Benedict Monastery and in 2015 celebrated Final Incorporation into the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh. Her many jobs have also changed. There are no more tractor drives or teaching jobs or jobs in a hospital. Today, she doesn’t always recognize the significance of her work or presence. Still wearing a traditional habit and sporting dark sunglasses, Sister is often seen heading to or coming from a visit with her younger sister Jane at the Veteran’s Nursing Home on Highland Drive. Sister is now the oldest of the 3 remaining children.

Sister Mary David is responsible for the care of the Monastery Chapel, is part of the team that tends to other Sisters in need, and on the days when she is making soap to be sold in the gift shop, the halls of St. Benedict Monastery are filled with the scent of lavender, or citrus, or frankincense. “Through the events of my life, the good and the difficult, my focus has never changed. I always want to be in a monastery loving and serving Christ that in all things God may be glorified.”

______________________Z______________________

Sister Mary David Lecker Continued from page 9




Summer once meant watching Romper Room and the Three Stooges on television each morning and playing baseball in the street all afternoon – sometimes into the evening. Summer days were hot and long, and filled with surprises like the neighbor or uncle or grandmother who quietly slipped a quarter from their pocket and placed it in your hand just as the bells from the Goodie Bar truck were heard. There was nothing quite like that wait for a fudgesicle or banana popsicle (with red polka dots on the wrapper) to reach your fingertips. That was summer and whether that dreamlike moment happened at the Goodie Bar truck, Hite’s Drug Store, Country Belle Dairy, the “ice cream truck” or standing in line in Isaly’s, Patrick would have been the person who handed you the quarter.

He grew up in the East End and fondly remembers the Sisters of St. Francis who taught him at Corpus Christi. “They worked hard all of their lives, taught so many children, did so much and are still doing so much. I give to them because in general, I think Sisters are the most in need and I know when I help them they appreciate it and I know the money isn’t going to fatten the wallet of some CEO.”

Life wasn’t a cake walk in the early 50s, certainly not in the East End. “My family didn’t have much when I was growing up but there was always a willingness to share.” That willingness and Patrick’s concern for others has been with him all of his life. “I was so impressed with Pat’s warmth, concern, and genuine interest during our first meeting.” Sister Karen Brink said.

Patrick was never sure how his name and address had been placed on the Benedictine Sisters

of Pittsburgh mailing list but he didn’t mind and never asked to have them removed. In April he received this year’s Bonanza appeal letter. Shortly after reading it he phoned Sister Karen. Within days of their conversation Patrick brought a $50,000 check to the Monastery for the purchase of a handicap accessible vehicle.

Patrick’s life has been one of production as well as service. He graduated from Connolly Trade School and worked in a steel mill for 15 years before he was promoted to Staff Representative for the International Union. He remained in the negotiation department for another 15 years. “I was there when the mills started closing. It was a terrible time. I always tried to remember those in need and hoped I helped, but there was so little room for negotiating at that time. Those mills were closing - period.”

When asked about the moments that stand out in his life Patrick’s eyes filled with tears. The challenges in those moments, and the courage it took to face them were also the moments that changed his life forever. “I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge,” he said wiping away his tears.

One challenge he recalls with great humor and appreciation was when he chose to invest everything he had in a venture with his brother-in-law. They made plans to build and open an Arby’s north of Pittsburgh. “It was a great

match,” he said, “My brother-in-law knew business and I knew people. If either of us had tried to do it alone it wouldn’t have worked, but we balanced each other perfectly. I still have relationships with some of the employees we hired.” Patrick and his brother went on to open four more Arby’s which they recently sold.

There isn’t anything Patrick looks back on with regret or wishes he had done differently. A true gift. He lived a wonderful life with his wife Thelma, who passed away seven years ago. Together they traveled to Ireland and Italy tracing family roots and making new friends. Today, Patrick walks hand in hand with Eileen who brought love to his life again. He works part time helping a law firm coordinate events. He lives in an apartment complex that feels more like a hamlet hidden by trees and backyard pathways where bar-b-ques are only on Wednesday and 90year-old neighbors grow beautiful gardens while willingly watering his plants.

“It boggles my mind,” Patrick said. “If you have the ability to help people on the bottom rung, why wouldn’t you do that? At the end of it all, It’s not like you win anything for having the most duckets.”

August 11, 2016, Eileen phoned St. Benedict Monastery this morning to let us know Patrick passed away. He will be remembered as a wonderful friend who taught all of us a great deal about love.

Patrick

Patrick and Eileen

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John was born and raised in Sharon, Pennsylvania and is one of eight children, fifth to be exact, to Francis and Charlotte Lally. His k-12 education was provided by the Sisters of Saint Joseph and Benedictine Sisters, both from the Erie Diocese. In the Fall of 1973, John matriculated to Saint Vincent College and graduated with a B.A. in accounting in 1977. He enrolled at The George Washington University in Washington, DC and obtained his Masters in Business Administration in Finance and Investments in December 1978.

John began his professional career in the Pittsburgh office of Price Waterhouse (PW) in May 1979. He passed the Uniform CPA Exam in 1981 and remained with PW until November 1983. The highlight of his years at PW was meeting Kiera L. Ritchey; little did she know he had plans to make her his wife. In 1983 John left Price to open his own CPA firm. Over 32+ years, the firm has grown and currently employs 40 individuals. Lally & Co., LLC is located in McCandless Township in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

In the early 1990s, John was invited to help with the finances of a new not-for-profit start up called North Hills Affordable Housing Task Force. NHAHTF was a collaborative effort involving the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh. The mission was to provide housing for women and children in the North Hills area of Pittsburgh. Funding was raised from local charities and the Sisters agreed to renovate the third and fourth floors of their (former) academy to create 16 units for women and children. Shortly after, John was asked to join the Board of Directors for North Hills Affordable Housing. His relationship with the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh took root. For 25 years, John has served on several of the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh boards and committees making every effort to help the Community in any way

possible. In his words, “I have received much more from the Sisters than I ever provided them.

In addition to the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh, John maintains leadership roles with the YMCA of Pittsburgh, Saint Vincent College, and is a Director of Allegheny Valley Bank of Pittsburgh.

John and Kiera were married in June 1984 and have four wonderful, adult children: Alecia lives in Atlanta, GA,; Shaun in Charleston, SC.; Xenia in New York City, NY, and Kevin lives in Bellingham, WA.

Growing up in a home where values of religion, education, participation in sports, and caring for others were emphasized, John and his siblings share a considerable legacy of achievement. John’s father was a physician and his mother (whom recently passed at 95 years old) was a nurse. They worked hard all of their lives and guided their children in doing the same. Through their example and encouragement, John’s sister Maureen E. Lally-Green went to law school and eventually became a PA Superior Court Judge, Frank a cardiologist, Michael a vascular surgeon, Patrick an ophthalmologist, Carol (Shields) an ocular oncologist, Margaret a dermatologist, and John’s brother Bob – also a CPA – is one of his partners in Lally & Co., LLC. Each considers their life blessed and a tribute to their mother and father.

“I have received much more from the Sisters than I ever provided them.”

John Lally Culture of Giving 2016 Award Recipient

John Lally

These famous lines, borrowed from Shakespeare, encapsulate where I find myself at this particular moment upon life’s stage. I’m here, with a beautiful community of Sisters, women who continue to inspire, to serve, and to love. My entrance to this newest venture did come with a few exits from others. For an opening act, I worked professionally as an elementary teacher for 10 years in the North Hills School District. Talk about life lessons! Each day could bring an unexpected gift, a hand drawn picture for my desk or a much needed hug. Challenges were present, too, but knowing former students were plotting their own roles, from teaching to military service to acting and journalism, made the tougher days fade into the background. How grateful I am that simple classroom rules of respect and taking turns, along with the ABC’s and 123’s, remain building blocks for futures of promise.

My second act, and most important role to date, soon followed with the birth of my first daughter, then her sister, and finally, my youngest girl. Trading a teaching career for a traditional turn as wife and mother of three young ladies has educated me, enlightened me, and yes, even frustrated me. This is one act I know will last a lifetime, and it’s a gift.

“ All the world’s a stage, and all the men

and women merely players: They have

their exits and their entrances; and one

in time plays many parts.”

The Next Actby Kristen Dougherty

At this stage of the game, I was a stay-at-home mom who became very involved as a school parent. All three of my daughters attend St. Teresa of Avila in the North Hills. My energy and efforts for this past decade have focused on organizing family events, planning class parties, conducting story times, supporting the school mission, and even heading up the Parent Teacher Group for three years. It was at St. Teresa’s that I first got to work closely with Sister Karen Brink, then principal, and a truly gifted individual who can steal the show!

For me, the next act came earlier this year when I became aware of an opening in the advancement office at the Monastery. I hadn’t been gainfully employed in nearly twelve years. “Professional volunteer” had become my moniker. Interestingly enough, and with my husband’s support, I interviewed for the position, was offered the job, and now feel blessed and fulfilled as the assistant in the Office of Community Advancement for the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh.

This warm, welcoming environment, highlighted by encouraging and appreciative tutelage, has made this newest act an enjoyable one—rewarding, stimulating, and a chance to see that life’s stage is ever-changing in all the best ways.



You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.

Desmond Tutu

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Celebrating Sister Christine’s 95th birthday. Tania Grubbs and Daniel May on piano, Mike Clark to visit.

Students from Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh visit the Sisters with tea and flowers.

Brendon Burke organized a shoe drive for Heart and Sole, seen here with his father, Frank Burke.

Congratulations to our Octogenarians:Sister Rose Budicky, Sister Mary Edward Skovran,

Sister Estelle Svezeny, Sister Elizabeth Matz,

Sister Rosalyn Soller, Sister Anne Lazar, Sister

Jeanne Ubinger, Sister Judith Nero, Sister Mary

James Dippold, Sister Alice Rock, Sister Lucille

Snyder, Sister Mary David Lecker, Sister Michelle

Farabaugh, Sister Evelyn Dettling,

Sister Corinne Moeller.

And our Nonagenarians:Sister Christine Makowski, Sister Kathleen Mack,

Sister Marilyn Fox, Sister Monica Silan, and

Sister Julia Makowski.

Sister M. Estelle Svezeny, OSBDecember 3, 1929 – August 13, 2016

With deep longing, Sister M. Estelle, (Anna Frances) Svezeny yearned for the day she would reach her heavenly reward. Sister Estelle died in early evening, August 13, 2016, at St. Benedict Monastery, Bakerstown, PA. She was 86 years old, and in the 64th year of her Religious Profession.

Born in Vandergrift, PA, Sister Estelle was the oldest of three daughters born to John and Anna Sadecky Svezeny. Anna entered the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh on August 29, 1950 and was invested as Sister M. Estelle July 1, 1951. She made her first Profession on July 13, 1952, and her final Profession on July 13, 1955. She received the Consecration of Virgins on January 2, 1966, and celebrated her Golden Jubilee July 13, 2002.

During her religious life, Sister Estelle taught in elementary grades in the Dioceses of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Altoona-Johnstown, PA. In 1966 she retired from teaching to serve in the Monastery. She remained active and could be seen at all hours praying in chapel until her last few months when physical conditions confined her to her room. She had a deep love for the Church and Eucharist and will be remembered as a quiet, soft-spoken, faith-filled, humble woman of prayer, strong in her beliefs and living her life simply and totally for God.

Besides her religious community, Sister Estelle is survived by her sisters, Mrs. Mildred Sutara, wife of Steve, living in Natrona Heights, PA and Mrs. Irene Woscek, wife of William from Gibsonia, PA. She was preceded in death by her parents.

We are the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh, continuing 1500 years of seeking God in

Community, Prayer and Ministry.

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Corporate Commitment Statement

We, the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh, commit ourselves as a faith-filled community to be supportive of women, children and men who are struggling for dignity and justice in their lives; especially those who are most oppressed.

Philosophy Statement

As the Benedictines Sisters of Pittsburgh, our monastic life of community, prayer and ministry gives witness to the peace and joy of seeking God expressed in hospitality and simplicity. We strive to live the Gospel Values through the rule of Saint Benedict and the Federation of St. Scholastica. By living as a prophetic faith community, we develop humanly and spiritually within an atmosphere of faith, hope and love.

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To view this magazine online, go to www.osbpgh.org

Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh3526 Bakerstown RoadBakerstown, PA 15007

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PAIDST. MEINRAD, INPERMIT NO. 16

U.I.O.G.D. – Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus! –

‘That in all things GOD may be glorified’.

LIVE MORE ABUNDANTLYExperience Benedictine Monastic Community

Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburghwww.osbpgh.org

3526 Bakerstown Road, Bakerstown, PA 15007

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(724) 502-2605

Sister Karen Brink, OSB

benedictine sisters of pittsburgh benedictines · 2019-06-02 · benedictine sisters of pittsburgh...

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