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Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration celebrate 75 years, with a Mass by Bishop Kicanas

by on Nov. 21, 2010, under Life, Religion

St. Benedictine monastery, Tucson

The Benedictine Sisters arrived in Tucson, Arizona from Missouri in August, 1935 (when the population here was only 39,000) and have been praying and worshiping for 75 years since then. Bishop Gerald Kicanas officiated over their celebratory Mass today at their chapel at 800 N. Country Club. Concelebrants were Rev. Pat Crino and Rev. Miguel Mariano. (see correction below in comments)

Bishop Kicanas spoke of St. Benedict‘s teachings saying that he believed that “God is present in every human being, that every person is a gift of God”. He also preached that “community is important, all can be a family/household in Christ.” The Bishop emphasized that Benedict taught that we need to “seek God above all”, as these Benedictine sisters have done for 75 years in Tucson.

St. Benedict, from wikpedia

What I found particularly moving in today’s Mass was hearing the sweet, lovely voices of the Sisters’ Choir, especially singing the communion song’s lyrics “worthy are the ones who believe to receive the goodness of God.”

“The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration are a contemporary monastic community with a distinctive dedication to the Eucharist.” Their information card states that they “serve the Church through our contemplative prayer, and witness to God’s presence in our world through community life, hospitality and a ministry of the Word”…

The monastery was build in 1940 by local architect Roy Place, who is perhaps best known for his 1928 Pima County Courthouse downtown. This monastery has also been called “The Pink Rose of the Desert”.

The St. Benedictine chapel is open every day, all day. Learn more about them at www.tucsonmonastery.com, phone 520-325-6401, email: osbtucson@benedictinesisters.org. They have very nice items for sale in their gift shop, which is also open every day.

I wrote about them last November, 2009 when they hosted the Tucson Boys Choir concert there (click here).

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 21st, 2010 at 11:58 am and is filed under Life, Religion. Tags for this post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • http://www.polishmexican.net Tedski

    Excellent post. I have one correction though: even though both Frs. Crino and Mariano were listed in the program, the celebrants were actually Fr. Chris Corbally, SJ and Fr. William Stoeger, SJ from the Vatican Observatory.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Thanks Tedski for the correction about the celebrant fathers there today.  I didn’t hear their names from the back of the room.

  • yayabrotherhood

    These sisters are essentially Hindu Catholics.  There is a reason the average age of their order is in the 70′s.  There is also a reason why young people are flocking to conservative/traditional orders and seminaries.  For some authentic Catholicism try:
    http://www.institute-christ-king.org/tucson/
     
     
     
     

  • http://www.benedictinesisters.com Kelley Baldwin

    Dear Carolyn, thank you for your lovely thoughts on the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Our world is blessed to be the recipient of their ministry, which is one devoted to prayer. As a semi-cloistered contemplative community, all their works take place within monastery walls. So it is through joyful events such as this celebration they can share with people in a more tangible way. Blessings to you!

    • Carolyn Classen

      Many thanks Kelley, I always need more blessings.  I found solace there in a particularly difficult time in my personal life, so I return there frequently to worship.

  • myperspective

    Though not a religious person, several years ago I attended a service devoted to people with AIDS. The atmosphere was loving,  caring, and all embracing. The sisters exemplify what all human being should strive to be.
    In addition to being a perfect place to seek  solace, the monastery is a magnificent architectural gem, one of the finest buildings in the city.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Thanks for your comments “myperspective”, the monastery is a beautiful place spiritually and architectually.

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