When the Benedictine Sisters of Florida moved into their new Holy Name Monastery, at 12138 Wichers Road, they knew that the building would eventually need expansion.
After all, they were leaving a 100,000-square-foot building and moving into a 28,000-square-foot structure.
They knew they would need more room for retreats, and their original plans called for that.
(Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)
They just didn’t expect it to happen so soon, said Faith Pridmore, director of mission advancement for the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.
On April 30, not even three years after the sisters moved into their new quarters, an open house was held for the monastery’s new 10-room expansion.
Each of the rooms has two single beds, a desk, some chairs and a private bathroom. There’s also a separate room where laundry can be done and food can be refrigerated.
There’s a reception area, too, where a few people can gather for meetings.
That room is dedicated to Daniel and Florence Picciano, who are John Picciano’s parents. Picciano, who was at the open house, is the CEO of Ogelthorpe Inc. He donated $1 million for the expansion.
Kathy and Gary Kuta were there, too. Their mother, Sylvia Kuta has passed away, but made it known to them that she wanted to donate an artwork depicting St. Peter’s Square that she purchased during a visit to Rome.
The monastery’s expansion opens out onto a sidewalk that leads to a statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus, which is encircled by a rose garden.
People come to the monastery for all sorts of reasons.
Recently, there was a group of 15 people who came there to learn about aquaponics, she said. They are missionaries who do work in Haiti and other places.
Individuals also come.
“The reasons vary greatly,” Pridmore said.
“Some people come just overnight, to have a break from their hectic lives,” she said. “Some want it to be a quiet retreat. Some want it to be a directed retreat.”
People can choose whether they want to eat meals with others, or not, she said. A night without meals is $30; with meals, it’s $75.
Sometimes, people come because they need a place to sort things out, she said.
(B.C. Manion)
Recently, a young woman, who was at a loss after her father’s sudden death, decided to spend time at the monastery.
When she left, Pridmore said, the young woman said: “I feel so much better. I was doubting my faith.”
Some choose to join in chapel prayer. Some don’t. It’s entirely up to the guest, Pridmore said.
Some are facing a personal turning point. Others are trying to sort through feelings. Some just want to step away from the hectic pace of life, she said.
Sometimes, the only thing the monastery knows going in is that the person would like to spend a couple of days there.
“As they’re here, and they’re going to prayer and they’re feeling a peacefulness, it kind of really helps them gear down,” Pridmore said.
“We have some who do come and are very, very private. Most people will go to chapel prayer, but that’s not required,” she added.
There’s no pressure to reveal anything.
“They’re going to share, what they’re going to share. So, you just want to kind of be there,” Pridmore said. “The Benedictines have a great saying: ‘Listen with the ear of your heart.’”
Visitors tend to open up, if they sense “that you are interested in what’s going on with their lives,” she said.
Sometimes, people are there to do soul-searching.
“They’re really looking, within themselves … looking for answers,” Pridmore said.
She said one woman told her: “I just needed to find a place to get away, to think and reflect on my life and where I’m going from here.”
“It’s so wonderful to hear, when they are leaving: ‘This is exactly what I needed. I feel so much better.’,” Pridmore said.
For additional information about the monastery, call (352) 588-8320.
Published May 3, 2017