Fifteen sisters and brothers marked important anniversaries this year as members of religious orders.
While many are past retirement age, they continue to serve the Church with prayer and in hospital and teaching ministries.
One way Catholics in the Diocese of Little Rock can support religious men and women is by donating to the national collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious Dec. 1-2. In 2006, the diocese forwarded $124,384.25 from the collection. More than 96 percent of donations were distributed to religious institutes for retirement needs.
This year the fund distributed grants totaling $86,314.52 to religious orders based in Arkansas. They include:
St. Scholastica Monastery, Fort Smith, $31,387.23
Holy Angels Convent, Jonesboro, $15,463.42
Carmelite Monastery, Little Rock, $6,575.26
Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco, $32,888.61
This year’s jubilarians include three women who celebrated their 75th anniversaries.
75 years
Sister Norbert Hoelting, OSB, a former prioress of St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, entered the order in 1928 from Nazareth, Texas. She has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and French and a master’s degree in theology. Over the years, she has worked as a teacher, principal, campus minister at the St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish in Fayetteville, minister to Native Americans, diaconate core staff, administrator of St. Joseph Home and monastery choir director.
Even in her 90s, Sister Norbert teaches Scripture, works on various monastery committees and serves as a mentor.
Sister Patrick Cingolani, OSB, a native of Lake Village, joined St. Scholastica in 1932 and soon after began her teaching career. In the summer she went to school to earn her bachelor’s degree. It took her 25 years to finish the degree, but she continued on for another 30 years as a classroom teacher.
After retirement, she visited shut-ins in Conway County and then moved to St. Joseph Home in North Little Rock to assist with food services. In 1997 she retired to the monastery and visited residents in long-term care facilities. Today Sister Patrick enjoys watching the birds while living in the monastery’s infirmary.
Sister Ricarda McGuire, a Religious Sister of Mercy, currently lives at McCauley Convent in Barling. She was born in Pueblo, Colo., and entered the order in 1932. She made her temporary profession in 1935 and her permanent profession in 1938. From 1935 to 1992 she taught in elementary and secondary schools in Arkansas. She earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in library science at Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio in 1952.
She was a high school librarian, audio visual specialist and coordinator. From 1982 until her retirement in 1998 she worked in patient relations at St. John Mercy Medical Center in Hot Springs.
60 years
Sister M. Angeline Massery, OSB, said she has always wanted to be a sister since she can remember. A native of Little Rock, she was inspired by her teachers at St. Andrew’s Cathedral School to become a sister. After graduating from eighth grade, she attended Holy Angels Academy and later entered Holy Angels Convent. She made her first vows in 1947. Her first ministry was working in the culinary department for St. John Seminary in Little Rock. After earning her degree in education, she became a kindergarten and elementary school teacher in Arkansas and Muenster, Texas.
Brother Martin Gocke, OSB, was born in Terre Haute, Ind., but his family later moved to North Little Rock. He came to Subiaco Abbey in 1942 and professed vows as a monk in 1947. For six decades Brother Martin worked in the direct service of the other monks. His was one of the more familiar faces in the monastery, though he is probably little known outside the abbey because his life’s work evolved around the daily needs within the Subiaco complex. He has served as refectorian, house custodian, assistant in the laundry and bell-ringer. In 2003 he moved to the monastic health center.
Sister Barbara Schroeder, OSB, received her bachelor’s degree in education from Avila College in Kansas City, Mo., and spent 57 years as an elementary teacher in Arkansas and Texas. She also served in the monastery diet kitchen and library at St. Scholastica Monastery. She is currently a pastoral minister at St. John Church in Russellville.
Sister Barbara followed the example of several members who joined the Benedictine order. An uncle and a brother were members of Subiaco Abbey. An aunt and three sisters were members of St. Scholastica.
Sister Catherine Markey, OSB, a native of Wellesley, Mass., made her religious profession in 1947 as a Sister of the Most Holy Sacrament. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in library science. For 26 years she taught in secondary schools in Lousiana and Mississippi and did archive work.
In 1979 she was named the archivist for the Diocese of Little Rock and learned about St. Scholastica Monastery. She requested a transfer to the order in 1990.
Currently she is the monastery’s librarian and archivist. Sister Catherine also is committed to social justice work and regularly writes and visits men on death row. She received the Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Award, the Bishop Andrew J. McDonald Worker Justice Award and the Father Joseph H. Biltz Award.
50 years
Sister M. Lenore Dust, OSB, followed her sister’s footsteps and entered Holy Angels Convent in 1955. After her first profession in 1957 she worked in the hospital office for a few years. In 1966 she was appointed administrator of Consolata Retirement Home in New Iberia, La. She changed careers and began teaching in elementary schools in Arkansas and Texas. She was principal of Blessed Sacrament School in Jonesboro in 1992 when the school became accredited.
In the late 1990s she returned to hospital ministry and worked in pastoral care at St. Bernard Health Care Center.
Sister Elaine Willett, OSB, was influenced by her first grade teacher at Blessed Sacrament School in Jonesboro, Sister Fridoline.
“She impressed me so much that my secret dream was to be a sister, a teacher and a missionary,” she said.
She attended Holy Angels Academy in Jonesboro and entered Holy Angels Convent in 1954. Her first assignment after making her first vows in 1957 was as a teacher at Our Lady of Holy Souls School in Little Rock. After studying nursing in Colorado, she spent 20 years at St. Bernards Medical Center and other community-operated hospitals.
Her dream to be a missionary was fulfilled when she served the poor in Mexico for four years. In 1995 she was assigned to minister to Hispanics in northeast Arkansas.
Sister Dolorita Thompson, OSB, a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, served as a nurse during the Korean War, but when she returned to the United States she searched for a way serve others. She learned about St. Scholastica Monastery and made her monastic profession in 1957. She worked as a home health aide and with Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect.
In 1979 she became a founding member of St. Scholastica’s dependent priory, St. Benedict in Canyon, Texas. In 1999 she returned to Arkansas to work with St. Edward Mercy Hospice Program as a volunteer.
25 years
Brother James Lindsey, OSB, was inspired by the sisters at St. Paul School in Pocahontas and began teaching religious education classes at his parish. He joined Subiaco Abbey in 1980, professing his vows in 1982. In his 25 years at Subiaco he has served as infirmary administrator, laundry manager, assistant in the business office, sacristan, assistant guest master, teacher, dean director of the Benet program, assistant chaplain and director of the Divine Fools Clown Troupe. Presently he teaches religion and is campus minister and assists with the drama club at St. Joseph School in Paris.
Sister Dolores Vincent Bauer, OSB, got her educational foundation in a one-room schoolhouse in Spalding, Neb. After graduating from Kearney State College in Kearney, Neb., she taught for nine years in the public school system. In 1970 she spent one summer as a volunteer at St. Joseph Home, an orphanage in North Little Rock operated by St. Scholastica Monastery. Each summer she returned to St. Joseph until she decided the Lord was calling her to become a Benedictine nun.
After making her profession in 1982, she taught in Russellville, Paris and Fort Smith. In 1991 she was sent to serve at St. Joseph Home, which was open then as a day care and after-school center. Even after the day care closed, Sister Dolores Vincent continued to live at St. Joseph Home. She taught religion at St. Mary and St. Patrick schools in North Little Rock. She then ministered to the local shut-ins. Today she lives at St. Scholastica Monastery.
Sister Irmina Malek, OP, was born in Stanislawa, Poland, and made her first vows in 1982. She made her final vows in Poland in 1988. Shortly after, she arrived in the United States as a member of the Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Justice, Ill. She serves the Polish community at St. Peter the Fisherman Church in Mountain Home.
Sister Maksymilia Stanula, OP, was born in Dorota Stanula, Poland, and made her first vows in 1982. She made her final vows in Poland in 1988. Shortly after, she arrived in the United States as a member of the Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Justice, Ill. She serves the Polish community at St. Peter the Fisherman Church in Mountain Home.
Sister Rebecca Hendricks, RSM, is a native of Fort Smith and spent many years serving in hospital administration there. She graduated from St. Edward Mercy School in Nursing and received a master’s degree in business from Oklahoma City University. She also holds a certificate in spiritual direction and pastoral administration from the Diocese of Little Rock.
She is a former vice president of St. Edward Mercy Medical Center. She is currently the primary board member for the Sisters of Mercy Health System for Mercy-sponsored hospitals in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
