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Benedictine Sisters of Florida

Saint Leo to get $20 million wellness center

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Saint Leo University will soon be home to a sprawling $20 million wellness center —integrating student recreation, fitness, health services, counseling services and campus ministry.

A groundbreaking ceremony earlier this month celebrated the forthcoming 59,000-square-foot wellness center, to be situated on the west end of the campus by Lake Jovita.

From left: Jon Akvan, project manager, JLL; Troy Powell, project manager; Creative Contractors Inc.; Dr. Melanie Storms, Saint Leo University senior vice president; Jose Caban, Saint Leo associate vice president of facilities management; Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese, Saint Leo president; Celine-Deon Palmer, student government union president; D. Dewey Mitchell, Saint Leo Board of Trustees chair; Alan Bomstein, CEO, Creative Contractors; and Joshua Bomstein, Creative Contractors president, at the ceremonial groundbreaking of Saint Leo University’s new Wellness Center. (Courtesy of Renee Gerstein, Saint Leo University)

Construction tentatively will begin in April, and university officials hope to open the wellness center in fall 2021.

The new facility will provide space for group exercise, spinning and yoga classes, and a large community fitness center. There also will be two indoor basketball courts, an indoor walking track, a healthy café and smoothie bar, a resort-style outdoor pool with a lakeside infinity edge and outdoor barbecue, as well as a relaxation terrace and garden. There also will be several multipurpose rooms, which could be used as space for meditation, specialty classes, gaming and so on.

Many of those amenities, such as a dedicated cycling and yoga studio, aren’t presently offered on campus. Also, “There will be new machines, new equipment on the fitness floor that we don’t currently have,” said Dr. Melanie Storms, senior vice president at the university, who is  spearheading the wellness center project.

The university’s current recreation and fitness offerings are mainly housed at Marion Bowman Activities & Aquatics Center.

But, once the new wellness center opens, the Bowman Center will become an exclusive training ground for Saint Leo’s various athletic programs, Storms said.

The Bowman Center has been somewhat limited for recreation and intramural activities because the space also is shared by the university’s intercollegiate athletic programs, such as the Saint Leo men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams.

Saint Leo University is building a 59,000-square-foot wellness center that integrates student recreation, fitness, health services, counseling services and campus ministry. The $20 million project will be housed on the west end of the campus by Lake Jovita. It is expected to be open by fall 2021. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Because of that, Storms said the regular student body has been pining for a “fully dedicated rec gym” the wellness center will offer.

“We definitely have had high student demand —  voices from the students saying they needed additional space, that the (recreation) hours and offerings just haven’t been sufficient to meet the needs,” Storms said.

The wellness center primarily will be for Saint Leo students, faculty and staff, but some features may be open to be public.

Storms said summer pool memberships will “definitely” be offered to the local community, while public-use options for the fitness center and health services are still being explored by university officials; the university is in talks with several health care providers that potentially could serve the community by delivering medical services on-site.

Storms said student health and counseling services currently offered at DeChantal Hall will move to the new facility once it opens, making it the “single source of health services” at Saint Leo. She added the DeChantal Hall building will stay in use for other purposes for the time being, as it also houses other university departments, such as theology faculty.

The wellness center project has been under discussion for a number of years, but officials say now was the time to proceed — as the school in the fall welcomed its largest incoming group of students in the university’s 130-year history (1,001 new students).

The school now has about 2,100 students on campus, plus more than 700 faculty and staff.

Said Storms, “With the increase that we saw in our student population this past fall, and the anticipated coming in next fall, we just realized it was time; our recreational facilities are overloaded.”

Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, presented a history of the site, during a ceremony celebrating the groundbreaking for Saint Leo University’s new Wellness Center.

Creative Contractors of Clearwater is serving as the construction firm for the project, while S3 Design Inc., of Braintree, Massachusetts, is handling the architectural design; and JLL of Tampa will provide project management services.

The university has secured financing to proceed on the multi-million project, but also is working to secure private fundraising and state funding, Storms said.

The wellness center is going on land that originally belonged to the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

With that, Storms believes the facility “fits within the historical context of who they are and how they used the space.”

She observed, “The site is very special in the sense of being dedicated to the mind, body, spirit, and the sort of holistic well-being of the individual, and sort of carrying forward their legacy in that way. It’s beautiful because it’s lakeside, it’s very serene, and I couldn’t think of a better way to use the land than this.”

At the groundbreaking, Saint Leo president Dr. Jeffrey Senese predicted the new wellness center will have a significant impact: “We are creating an iconic building for Pasco County, Tampa Bay and Florida. It is our vision that this building will take your breath away.”

Published February 19, 2020

Sister Mildred enjoyed ‘tinkering’ with machinery

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Sister Mildred Gelis, OSB, was known for motoring around Saint Leo University on her little scooter.

When her scooter failed her, her mechanical skills went to work — to get it running again. She also was known to have a knack for maintaining cars, helping to keep costs down for her community of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, who live in Holy Name Monastery in St. Leo.

Sister Mildred Gelis, OSB, enjoyed riding her scooter around the Saint Leo University campus, and was known for her knack for maintaining machinery. (Courtesy of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida)

These are among the memories of Sister Mildred  shared in a news release from the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, who also announced her passing, which occurred on July 26.

Sister Mildred was born on June 28, 1925, and grew up in Slidell, Louisiana. She is survived by her Benedictine Sisters community, and several nieces and nephews, including Michael and Cynthia Lewis.

She attended public school, and when Our Lady of Lourdes School opened, the Gelis children went there. Our Lady of the Lourdes was staffed by the Benedictine Sisters from Holy Name, in Florida, and although she was very young, Sister Mildred became convinced she wanted to become a nun.

So, after her high school graduation in June of 1942, she left home and received her training as a Sister in the Order of St. Benedict at Holy Name in St. Leo.

She then attended Mount St. Scholastica College, in Atchison, Kansas.

Sister Mildred received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University, in New Orleans, and a graduate degree in Theology from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota.

She taught in parochial schools in Ocala, Jacksonville Beach and Sarasota.

She also taught at a little rural public school in St. Joseph, where she taught a combined class of  first, second, third and fourth grades.

After 31 years of teaching and leadership positions, she retired in 1981.

That retirement was short-lived.

Sister Mildred decided to return to school to learn printing; after that, she went to work for Saint Leo University, eventually running its Copy Center.

Although she loved the work, she did say “the pressure of meeting deadlines could get hectic at times,” according to the release.

Her other roles in service in her community included Scholastic Mistress, sub-prioress, and councilor. She also volunteered for a number of years on the St. Leo town commission.

Sister Mildred was remembered in a vigil and a Mass of the Resurrection last weekend.

Anyone wishing to honor Sister Mildred can direct donations in her memory to Benedictine Sisters of Florida, P.O. Box 2450, St. Leo, FL 33574; BenedictineSistersOfFl.org.

Published August 07, 2019

Holy Name Monastery: A tranquil place on a hill

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Funny how a place can be both otherworldly and so much a part of this world.

Holy Name Monastery is like that. It’s a peaceful place where Benedictine Sisters of Florida rise before the birds are up to pray quietly in their chapel, then return for daily Mass and more common prayers throughout the day.

A ribbon drapes a wooden cross beside vegetables growing in Sister Miriam’s aquaponic garden. (Karen Haymon Long)

Then, rather than sit idly enjoying their monastic peacefulness, they head out into the world – to a childhood center, a thrift store and food bank, to chamber of commerce meetings and to an aquaponic garden that produces so many vegetables they sell some to Benedetto’s Ristorante, a popular Pasco County restaurant.

The 16 nuns who call this monastery home use the Internet, read newspapers, watch TV news and invite in experts who inform them about political candidates and topics, such as human trafficking.

And, “we definitely vote,’’ says Prioress Roberta Bailey.

Sister Mary Clare Neuhofer, prioress before Sister Roberta, says they are well aware of the stark divisions in our country today.

“Our response is to pray for a just solution and for our leaders, so that they will have the guidance they need to make just decisions for the good of the people,” she says.

Many of the sisters write to lawmakers in Florida and Washington D.C., about peace, justice, the death penalty and other issues that concern them.

Sister Mary Clare Neuhofer joined the monastery in 1956, fresh out of high school.

They stay busy reaching out to help those in need, whether it be the homeless, the hungry, spiritual searchers, or those who just need a friend.

Because they are a community of sisters, they pool their wages into a common account and are given monthly allowances of $70 for clothes, shoes or whatever they may want to buy. They haven’t worn the restrictive, long black habits since the 1960s, but instead prefer slacks, tops and comfortable shoes, since they always have someplace to go, someone to help.

One sister serves as director at Daystar Hope Center in Dade City, the thrift store and food bank, while four of her sisters and a crew of other volunteers help run the operation.

Two other sisters teach at Sacred Heart Early Childhood Center in nearby Saint Joseph. Another sister is a data analyst at Saint Leo University, across the street from the monastery. Another works at an area assisted living center, where one of their sisters lives.

Others, like Sister Donna — who is famous for her homemade rolls and cookies — feed Habitat for Humanity volunteers at their worksites.

Sister Roberta Bailey is Holy Name Monastery’s prioress who says, ‘there’s no retirement when you are a sister.’

Many of the sisters host monthly music concerts and retreats in a wing of their monastery built in 2017 to meet the demand for retreats.

Asked how many retreats they host a year, Sister Mary Clare laughs and says, “That’s impossible for me to answer.”

There are too many and too many kinds to keep track.

Some are for big groups, some for just one person. Some are for Roman Catholics like themselves. Others are nondenominational or for Episcopalians, or members of other faiths. Some retreats are silent, except for meals. Some are not.

Some attendees stay in one of the retreat wing’s 10 hotel-like double rooms at a rate of $45 a night, or $75 for room and meals. Others go home at night.

The sisters offer spiritual counseling and days of reflection they direct themselves. Some groups direct their own retreats. Either way, guests are welcomed to walk around the grounds, sit in the rose garden, take a nature trail or peruse books in the monastery’s library.

Individuals on retreat “immerse themselves into our lives,” says Sister  Roberta. “They eat meals with us, pray with us.”

The Benedictine Cross on the front of the monastery.

Sister Mary Clare adds: “If they want to take a nap, they take a nap, and some of them take naps as soon as they get here.”

It’s easy to see why. Cellphones are only allowed in certain places. Signs remind: “Quiet, please, in hallways,’’ and many areas are softly lit or full of comforting natural light. Talk of politics is discouraged at meals, reason enough for some people to flock here on retreat.

Noise and traffic in the outside world can be so intrusive, Sister Roberta says. When retreaters leave, “They say, ‘I forget until I come here how impossible it is to stop and think about God, and to think about life and how I want to live it.’”

Some visit for other reasons: During Hurricane Irma in September of 2017, the sisters housed 18 people who fled the storm.

Day in and day out, the sisters take turns serving meals, doing the dishes and performing other needed chores. They come from all sorts of backgrounds and range in age. The youngest is in her mid-50s; the oldest was Sister Helen Lange, who was 105 when she died on March 18.

Sister Miriam Cosgrove loves working in the aquaponic gardens at Holy Name Monastery so much she calls it play instead of work.

Sister Roberta, who has short, wispy gray hair, blue eyes and a sweet pixie face, was just 16 in 1953 when she moved from DeLand to St. Leo to attend high school at Holy Name Academy, run by the Benedictine Sisters of Florida. She joined them as a nun in 1957, calling her decision “a call from God.”

She is proud that she started the first accredited Montessori school in Florida in 1970 and served as principal of St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School in nearby San Antonio for 15 years.

She serves on Saint Leo University’s board of trustees, a chamber of commerce board, on every Holy Name Monastery committee, plus, she is always available to her fellow sisters.

Asked if she has ever not worked, she smiles and says, “No, I’ve always been involved. There’s no retirement when you are a sister.’’

Sister Mary Clare has her own long history of serving as a Benedictine Sister. The middle child of 11 who grew up on a chicken farm in Saint Joseph, she had just graduated from Holy Name Academy in 1956 when she followed her older sister into the monastery. Before that, she hadn’t considered it, but was encouraged to join by friends and family.

“When I entered the monastery, I felt at home and wondered why I hadn’t wanted to do this,” says Sister Mary Clare, who has gray eyes, short reddish brown hair and a ready smile.

Vegetables from Sister Miriam’s garden feed the nuns and some are sold to Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano in Pasco County.

Over the years, after college, she taught elementary students in Catholic schools in Jacksonville Beach, Sarasota and North Miami, then ran the campus ministry at Saint Leo College, which is now Saint Leo University. Afterward, she was the college’s acting dean of women, then director of residential life. In 1988, she resigned to take a sabbatical and travel, then returned to the  monastery, where she became the treasurer of the community, then the prioress.

Now, she serves on many monastery committees, including music and prayer, she’s an organist, helps with retreats, coordinates hospitality and takes part in other house missions, as well as serving on the local board of Catholic Charities.

The Benedictine Sisters, she says, were not formed to do “any particular work, such as teaching, nursing or working with the poor. We are free to do many types of work.’’

Sister Miriam Cosgrove, who joined the monastery at 18, chose gardening after dedicating more than 40 years to teaching and guidance counseling in elementary schools. In the nine years since “retirement,” she has developed a prosperous aquaponic garden that produces eggplant, lettuce, squash, cabbage and many other types of vegetables.

She also tends schools of Red Nile tilapia whose waste is changed by “good bacteria” into nitrates that fertilize her plants. Schoolchildren sometimes visit and others, too, and the sisters eat her vegetables at mealtime. Sometimes, they even eat her tilapia.

Sister Tracey Adams calls herself a ‘baby sister,’ since she only joined the monastery last June.

Fit and tan and sporting camouflage cargo shorts, a white top and straw hat, she works hard in her garden, but doesn’t seem to consider it work at all.

“I don’t work. I play,’’ she says, laughing. “It’s not work if you love it.”

She relishes the peacefulness of her garden and monastic life.

“People who come here on retreat say how peaceful it is. And, when they leave, they say, ‘This is exactly what I needed. I’ll be back.’”

Sister Tracey Adams, whose brown eyes are the same color as her hair,  calls herself “a baby sister,” since she only joined the sisters last June. She came to the monastery from St. Petersburg, where she was a hospice nurse.

She says she had health problems and felt a desire to live simply, so after a road trip alone that took her to 22 states, she stopped by the monastery, which she heard about from her priest back home.

“I was on a mission to find what God wanted for the next portion of my life, she says.

She stayed with them one night, then another. Then, returned every month for a year.

“It was always hard to leave,” she says. So she became a volunteer, then an affiliate, then a postulate and now she’s a novice.

“I found a lot of peace here,” she says. She uses her nursing skills, takes care of the rose bushes “and I love to wash dishes, so I do that,” she laughs. She’s on the peace and justice and hospitality committees, and spends some of her time reading and studying.

“Like the Army, we try to be all we can be,” she says. “I may not be able to help’’ people on the other side of the globe. “But, I’m praying for them.’’

The Benedictine Sisters of Florida’s Holy Name Monastery is at 12138 Wichers Road, St. Leo. Contact (352) 588-8320 or BenedictineSistersOfFl.org.

By Karen Haymon Long

Published April 17, 2019

Sister Helen Lange’s life comes to a close at age 105

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Sister Helen Lange, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, was remembered last week at two masses at Holy Name Monastery, in St. Leo, and at a reception at St. Anthony Parish Hall.

She was 105 at the time of her death.

Sister Helen, formerly known as Laurina Lange, was still a teenager when she traveled by train from Texas to Florida to pursue the religious life, according to a memoir she wrote, called “Kicking the Habit.”

A look at Sister Helen Lange, before she shed her religious habit. She later wrote a memoir, entitled ‘Kicking the Habit.’ (Courtesy of Benedictine Sisters of Florida)

The year was 1930, and she was accompanied by four of her cousins — Irma Multer, Pauline Block, and Rosaria and Rosanna Matthiesen, who also had decided to answer God’s call.

In her memoir, Sister Helen described growing up on a farm in Olfen, Texas.

She grew up in a family that prayed often, enjoyed making music, and had frequent gatherings with friends and relatives, the account says.

She enjoyed shopping days with her mother. Once the necessary household items were purchased, she and her mother would stop by the drugstore for an ice cream soda, which only cost 25 cents back then, the account adds.

Easter season was one of her favorite times of the year.

“Holy Week was truly Holy Week. There were no radios, no running around, no dancing or partying,” her memoir says.

“On Holy Saturday, all of us kids were sent out to pick flowers to build Easter nests for the bunny to come. While we were out hunting the flowers, little did we know that mom was busy dying the eggs — which we never saw until Easter morning.

“We made small nests with the wildflowers we picked out in the fields.

“On Easter Sunday morning, we all tumbled out of bed to see what the Easter bunny had brought. There were eggs of all colors neatly laying in our nest of flowers. What a beautiful day!”

Over the years, Sister Helen would be a teacher, a band director and a principal. She would oversee a hostel for visitors from other countries. And, later, she would work in elder care.

Paramedic John Ward helps Sister Helen Lange blow out the candles during her 103rd birthday celebration at Heritage Park in Dade City. (File)

She also moved around quite a bit. Her first assignment took her back to Texas, but she also worked in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana, and in various parts of Florida, including San Antonio, Venice, Sarasota, North Miami, Ocala and Jacksonville Beach.

Most recently, she was living at Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center in Dade City.

That’s where Sister Helen celebrated her 105th birthday on Sept. 28, surrounded by 75 guests.

Besides other sisters from her community, guests included friends and relatives. Sister Helen’s cousin, Joan Schmidt, from Brandon, was there, as well as her niece, Monica “Shotsie” Keyes, who traveled from Salem, Virginia, and Keyes’ daughter, Stefanie Martin.

In a 2016 interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Sister Helen said one of the hardest things she had to do during her religious life was to leave one assignment for the next, because she had always developed deep attachments to the people where she was.

But then, she said, she’d form new attachments in her next assignment.

Ultimately, she wound up loving each of her assignments, whether she was teaching kindergarten or sixth grade, or working as a principal.

“The sixth grade was the most joyful. There were a lot of boys in the class. I loved teaching boys,” said the nun, who described herself as a tomboy at heart.

During that Laker/Lutz News interview, which occurred when she was 102, Sister Helen said she had “no regrets” about boarding that train to go join the Benedictine Sisters of Florida — to follow her spiritual call where it led her.

“I’d do it all over again,” Sister Helen said.

Donations in honor of Sister Helen may be made to the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, P.O. Box 2450, St. Leo, FL 33574-2450.

Published March 27, 2019

Sister Helen turns 105

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Sister Helen Lange, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida in Saint Leo, celebrated her 105th birthday on Sept. 28.

There were 75 guests at the party, including three relatives, according to Cheryl Chadick, development assistant for the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

The relatives who came to the party were Sister Helen’s cousin, Joan Schmidt, from Brandon; and, her niece, Monica “Shotsie” Keyes, who traveled from Salem, Virginia. Keyes was accompanied by her daughter, Stefanie Martin, who is Sister Helen’s grand-niece.

Sister Mary David Hydra escorts Sister Helen Lange to her 105th birthday cake, as Sister Roberta Bailey, Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida assists. Sister Helen resides at the Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center, and the other sisters live at the Holy Name Monastery in St. Leo. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Kym Hoerr honored Sister Helen with three dozen roses, Chadick added.

“The party was a huge success. Sister Helen looked beautiful, as usual,” Chadick said.

The festivities were held at Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center in Dade City.

Sister Helen, formerly known as Laurina Lange, was still a teenager when she traveled by train from Texas to Florida to pursue the religious life, according to an Aug. 17, 2016 Laker/Lutz News report.

The year was 1930, and she was accompanied by four of her cousins — Irma Multer, Pauline Block, and Rosaria and Rosanna Matthiesen. They, too, had decided to answer God’s call.

She recounted many of her experiences in a memoir she wrote called “Kicking the Habit.”

In the account, she describes growing up on a farm in Olfen, Texas.

Her family prayed often, enjoyed making music, and had frequent gatherings with friends and relatives, her memoir says.

One of her favorite times of the year was Easter.

“Holy Week was truly Holy Week. There were no radios, no running around, no dancing or partying,” her memoir says.

Standing before attendees as they sing ‘Happy Birthday’ at her party, Sister Helen takes the first taste of the cake celebrating her 105 years.

“On Holy Saturday, all of us kids were sent out to pick flowers to build Easter nests for the bunny to come. While we were out hunting the flowers, little did we know that mom was busy dying the eggs — which we never saw until Easter morning.

“We made small nests with the wildflowers we picked out in the fields.

“On Easter Sunday morning, we all tumbled out of bed to see what the Easter bunny had brought. There were eggs of all colors neatly laying in our nest of flowers. What a beautiful day!”

She enjoyed shopping days with her mother, her memoir reports.

Once the necessary items for the household were purchased, she and her mother would stop by the drugstore for an ice cream soda.

“They only cost 25 cents back then,” her account says.

“Another favorite treat was a chocolate bar with marshmallows and nuts. This was called a Tango. It was only five cents,” the memoir adds.

Of course, living on a farm required hard work.

There was “cotton to chop, cotton to pick, maize to head, tractors to run, cotton to haul to the gin, repairs to be done. Too many chores to mention,” the book recounts.

And, she attribute her family’s deep faith as a key influence in her decision to pursue the religious life.

Over the years, Sister Helen would be a teacher, a band director and a principal. She would oversee a hostel for visitors from other countries. And, later, she would work in elder care.

She also moved around quite a bit. Her first assignment took her back to Texas, but she also worked in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana, and in various parts of Florida, including San Antonio, Venice, Sarasota, North Miami, Ocala and Jacksonville Beach.

Published October 3, 2018

Gearing up for a Thanksgiving tradition

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What began 22 years ago, as a way to provide a Thanksgiving meal to international students at Saint Leo University, evolved over time into a joint effort by the Benedictine Sisters of Florida and Saint Anthony Parish to feed the hunger “of anyone alone or in need” on Thanksgiving.

“Our outreach is to migrants, the homeless, those who are alone, and those seeking fellowship on this day of thanks and gratitude,” Sister Roberta Bailey, prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, said via email. “It is always a fun day of family and friends coming together in community to give thanks,” she added.

It takes a lot of helpers to peel enough potatoes to feed about 350 people on Thanksgiving Day. (Courtesy of Benedictine Sisters of Florida)

The meal is served on Thanksgiving Day at 2 p.m., in the Saint Anthony Parish Hall. Deliveries are also made to people who are unable to get to the hall, according to Faith Pridmore, director of mission advancement for the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

Sister Mary David Hydro chairs the event and there are generally about 25 volunteers, including those that deliver, Pridmore said.

“We usually feed about 225 at the parish hall, plus the deliveries, plus we usually send pans of food over to the abuse center, so we feed about 350,” she said.

The menu consists of turkey, salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, pie, and coffee, iced tea, lemonade and water.

“We actually get the turkeys sliced,” Pridmore said, which cuts down on labor. But, volunteers “come the night before and usually peel 100 to 125 pounds of potatoes.”

“The Women’s Club over at St. Anthony’s do the pies,” she said. Except, “Sister Donna DeWitt does all of the pumpkin pies that go in the take-outs to the homebound.”

“The day of, Sister Donna does all of the cooking. So, the stuffing and the turkey and the gravy and the mashed potatoes and the green beans — and she has some helpers.

“Then, we have the drivers.

“Then, we have the servers at the parish hall,” Pridmore said.

“Ellen Mejias is the volunteer kitchen manager. She’s got two older daughters that help, usually, and her husband,” Pridmore said.

The idea is to provide “a feeling of fellowship, community and faith” in addition to the holiday meal.

“The kids over at Saint Anthony’s usually do the decorations. We try to make it as special as we can,” Pridmore said.

The Saint Leo University student Social Work Club, under Dr. Veronika Ospina-Kammerer, does fundraising each year to support the holiday tradition, Pridmore said.

Others help, too.

For instance, Pridmore said, “The Golden Corral gives us the rolls and their honey butter.”

If you would like to help or attend this year’s gathering, please call (352) 588-8443.

Those wishing to attend are asked to call by Nov. 17 at 1 p.m., so organizers can get a head count.

Published November 8, 2017

Finding a quiet place to reflect, amidst life’s hectic pace

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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.

An event was held April 30 to celebrate the opening of the new guest and retreat wing at Holy Name Monastery, which is the home of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, in St. Leo.
(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.

Those making a retreat at Holy Name Monastery may want to spend a few minutes in an area featuring a statue of Mary, surrounded by roses.
(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

Play offers insights about the life of nuns

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Step into a conversation and mention the word “nun,” and it’s not uncommon for someone to describe a stereotypical incident of a woman wearing a religious habit and wielding a ruler to inflict discipline.

But, there is so much more to the story of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, and a play to be presented this weekend at the Saint Leo Black Box Theatre in Benedictine Hall, provides a glimpse into those lives.

Eight Saint Leo University students wrote the play, “Women on the Move: The Story of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.”

This poster announces an original play, written by eight Saint Leo University students, about the lives of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
This poster announces an original play, written by eight Saint Leo University students, about the lives of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

It shares the story of women who left their homes to join a new community in Florida, to carry out their faith through the work of their daily lives.

At times, the dramatization is touching, said Alicia Corts, assistant professor of theatre at the university, and the play’s director. At other times, it’s amusing, she said.

Corts, who arrived at the university last year, recalled the genesis of the play.

“When I first arrived at Saint Leo, we were getting a brand new theater, which is a big thing for Saint Leo,” she said.

The reason the university has the theater is because when the Sisters sold their old monastery building, the university had room to create the theater. It is housed in the space that had been occupied by the chapel in the former monastery.

“I knew all of that coming into the job, but on my first day, I was going to get my keys,” Corts said. As a security guard was giving her a ride to pick up her keys, they stopped to wait for traffic.

“I pointed to the theater and said, ‘Well that’s my new home. That’s my new theater.’

“And, he said, ‘You know when they moved out of that place was the first time I saw those ladies cry.’

“I thought that’s really dramatic, that’s interesting. I didn’t know that part of that.

“It got me to thinking about that idea of home, and leaving your home,” the play director said.

Even though the nuns sold the building, it still felt like they deserved an expression of gratitude, the play director said.

“So, I proposed that we write a play,” Corts said.

And, that’s precisely what happened.

The students went to work, researching the history of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida. They unearthed old records, conducted interviews and wrote vignettes.

“They went back to records from the 1800s. They contacted the original monastery that the nuns came from,” Corts said.

“These kids just dug into their (the Sisters’) lives and wrote this show as an expression of gratitude for the new home that we have. They (the Sisters) left their home and now we have our new place,” she said.

When they arrived in East Pasco from Elk County, Pennsylvania, in 1889, the religious sisters lived in a three-story hotel in San Antonio.

The play captures moments in these women’s lives and also dispels some myths about nuns, Corts said. At one point in history, she said, nuns were called witches because of the religious clothing they wore and the prayers that they chanted.

The production is sponsored by the university’s Department of Language Studies and the Arts.

It involves 30 people, counting both cast and crew. It will be premiered on the weekend of Oct. 28 through Oct. 30, with each show starting at 7 p.m.

The play will be performed to an 80-seat house at Saint Leo Black Box Theatre in Benedictine Hall.

Admission is free, but a donation of $10 or more is suggested. All proceeds will go directly to the Benedictine Sisters of Florida and their continuing work.

To reserve a ticket or for more information, email .

‘The great work still goes on’
Sister Roberta Bailey, now serving in her second term as Prioress at Holy Name Monastery, recounted the sacrifices made by members of the religious order during a 125th birthday celebration for the town of St. Leo.
“We preserve our stories because we want never to forget that the opportunities we have today were not simply lavished upon us,” Bailey said. “They were purchased at a great price, at travel from home; cold, cracked, work-worn knuckles; study by night with midnight oil; stomachs that ached with hunger; raking, hoeing and manuring groves and gardens; saving, skimping and salvaging.
“What firm faith and incredible courage our founding sisters must have had,” Bailey said. “Imagine what daring it took to venture south into this unknown territory,” Bailey said.
Since arriving in 1889, the sisters have been educators and administrators, town mayors and commissioners, members of various boards, leaders of religious programs and ministries, and involved in work in surrounding communities and in other states.
“The great work still goes on,” she said. “As long as there are gaps between our ideals and our reality, there will always be great work to be done.”

Originally published in The Laker/Lutz News on Aug. 3, 2016

Sister Helen’s secrets to a good life: Work hard, love people

By

Laurina Lange was still a teenager when she traveled by train from Texas to San Antonio to pursue the religious life — by joining the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

The year was 1930, and she was accompanied by four of her cousins — Irma Multer, Pauline Block, and Rosaria and Rosanna Matthiesen. They, too, had decided to answer God’s call.

Now known as Sister Helen Lange, the 102-year-old recently shared a few of her memories during remarks at the 125th birthday celebration for the Town of St. Leo, held at Saint Leo University.

Sister Helen Lange, who turns 103 on Sept. 28, enjoys every minute of life. Many of the experiences of her life are conveyed in a memoir she wrote called ‘Kicking the Habit.’ (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Sister Helen Lange, who turns 103 on Sept. 28, enjoys every minute of life. Many of the experiences of her life are conveyed in a memoir she wrote called ‘Kicking the Habit.’
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She told the audience that despite her age, she still enjoys every minute. She also noted that while she began her religious vocation in San Antonio, she was fortunate to travel extensively and do many different kinds of work along life’s path.

She told the crowd about a memoir she wrote, called “Kicking the Habit.” It records experiences during her life, in 10-year increments.

The title of her memoir doesn’t refer to her kicking the habit of smoking — rather it relates to the time when the requirement was lifted for nuns to wear a style of dress, called a habit.

In her memoir, she describes growing up on a farm in Olfen, Texas.

Her parents, Joseph and Helena Matthiesen Lange, had five boys and three girls — and all of the children were born at home.

It was a family where faith and hard work were cherished values, she writes in her memoir.

“Living and growing up on a farm taught us to be very responsible,” the memoir says.  “We were taught to be independent and thrifty.”

She has many fond recollections about growing up in a family which prayed often, enjoyed making music, and had frequent gatherings with friends and relatives.

One of her favorite times of the year was Easter.

“Holy Week was truly Holy Week. There were no radios, no running around, no dancing or partying,” her memoir says.

“On Holy Saturday, all of us kids were sent out to pick flowers to build Easter nests for the bunny to come. While we were out hunting the flowers, little did we know that mom was busy dying the eggs — which we never saw until Easter morning.

“We made small nests with the wildflowers we picked out in the fields.

“On Easter Sunday morning, we all tumbled out of bed to see what the Easter bunny had brought. There were eggs of all colors neatly laying in our nest of flowers. What a beautiful day!”

The ‘Spirit’ calls in strange places
She enjoyed shopping days with her mother, her memoir reports.

Once the necessary items for the household were purchased, the two of them would stop by the drugstore for an ice cream soda.

“They only cost 25 cents back then,” her account says.

“Another favorite treat was a chocolate bar with marshmallows and nuts. This was called a Tango. It was only five cents,” the memoir adds.

Of course, living on a farm required hard work.

This photograph was taken on the 25th anniversary of these five nuns joining the Benedictine Sisters of Florida. They traveled together from Texas to begin their religious vocation in San Antonio. Back row: Sister Irma Multer and Sister Rosanna Matthiesen; and, front row: Sister Rosaria Matthiesen, Sister Helen Lange and Sister Pauline Block. (Courtesy of Holy Name Monastery)
This photograph was taken on the 25th anniversary of these five nuns joining the Benedictine Sisters of Florida. They traveled together from Texas to begin their religious vocation in San Antonio. Back row: Sister Irma Multer and Sister Rosanna Matthiesen; and, front row: Sister Rosaria Matthiesen, Sister Helen Lange and Sister Pauline Block.
(Courtesy of Holy Name Monastery)

There was “cotton to chop, cotton to pick, maize to head, tractors to run, cotton to haul to the gin, repairs to be done. Too many chores to mention,” the book recounts.

She believes her family’s deep faith influenced her decision to pursue the religious life.

“Family prayers and Sunday obligations, plus monthly confession and communion, were never neglected,” she said.

Her Catholic education played a role, too.

“I think the seeds of my vocation were planted in fifth grade,” she writes.

“The Mother Superior visited our school quarterly,” she adds.

As Mother Superior doled out report cards, she would ask the students: “How many of you are going to be priests or nuns when you grow up?”

While growing up, she also spent a fair amount of time in the church, putting her musical talents to use.

“I played (the children’s) daily mass when I was in in fifth grade,” she recalls in her memoir.

But, it wasn’t until she was older that she actually decided to become a nun.

“The Spirit does call in the strangest places,” she notes in her memoir. “We were at a dance when Sister Irma (Irma Multer) came dancing by and casually stated to me, ‘Guess what? I’m going to enter the convent in a short time.’ My surprise reply was, ‘Wait for me! I’m going with you!”’

So, that’s how she and her four companions wound up on that train to Florida.

A life on the move
Over the years, Sister Helen would be a teacher, a band director and a principal. She would oversee a hostel for visitors from other countries. And, later she would work in elder care.

She also moved around quite a bit. Her first assignment took her back to Texas, but she also worked in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana, and in various parts of Florida, including San Antonio, Venice, Sarasota, North Miami, Ocala and Jacksonville Beach.

Generally, she didn’t know where she would be teaching until shortly before the school year began, she said during a recent interview.

“We were given a little piece of paper in August,” she said, indicating where she would be going.

And, it wasn’t always easy to leave the place where she’d been living, she said.

“You become attached to the people, to the families,” she explained.

But, then she found that she would form the same kind of attachments at the next place she went, she said.

“I loved every one of them,” said the former educator who taught everything from kindergarten to sixth grade, and served as a principal, too.

“The sixth grade was the most joyful. There were a lot of boys in the class. I loved teaching boys,” she said.

She was a tomboy, at heart, she explained.

When she was asked,as a young girl, if she wanted a doll for Christmas, her response was: “No, I want a baseball and bat.”

Now approaching her 103rd birthday, which is on Sept. 28, Sister Helen still manages to find joy where she is.

As she walks down the corridors at Heritage Park Care and Rehabilitation Center in Dade City, she greets residents, asks how they are and takes time to listen.

As she reflects on her life, she said she “has no regrets whatsoever” about boarding that train to join the Benedictine Sisters of Florida more than eight decades ago — to follow her spiritual call where it led her.

“I’d do it all over again,” she said.

Published August 17, 2016

Saying thanks, a million times over

By

John Picciano has fond memories of his years at Saint Leo University, and a deep appreciation for the influence that the Benedictine Sisters of Florida had on his life.

That’s what motivated the CEO of Ogelthorpe Inc., to donate $1 million to the Benedictine Sisters’ The Future is Now Campaign.

“The sisters, at that time, were very instrumental in bringing out my potential as a student,” Picciano said. “They emphasized Christian values.

John Picciano expresses his gratitude for the influence the Benedictine Sisters of Florida have had on his life through a $1 million donation to the sisters’ fundraising efforts. He is shown here, presenting an oversized copy of the check to Sister Roberta Bailey. (Courtesy of Benedictine Sisters of Florida)
John Picciano expresses his gratitude for the influence the Benedictine Sisters of Florida have had on his life through a $1 million donation to the sisters’ fundraising efforts. He is shown here, presenting an oversized copy of the check to Sister Roberta Bailey.
(Courtesy of Benedictine Sisters of Florida)

“They made me feel at home, and also were very good to help develop my self-esteem,” said Picciano, who went on to become a priest in the Diocese of Orlando, before stepping away from that vocation into a corporate role.

The Future is Now Campaign seeks to raise $1,650,000 to build an additional wing onto Holy Name Monastery, off State Road 52, across from Saint Leo University, near Dade City.

The additional wing was always part of the plan, but just not this soon.

“We knew the new facility would garner renewed interest in our community over a period of five or six years, but did not imagine it would happen so quickly,” Prioress Sister Roberta Bailey, said in a news release.

Requests have been flowing into the monastery from large groups wanting more than just a day retreat, Bailey explained. There also are women who are interested in discerning a vocation. Those needs require more space, Bailey said.

Besides donating $1 million, Picciano is chairing the fundraising campaign.

When Holy Name Monastery opened its doors in 2014, plans had already been drawn to expand the building at a future date. But, the need for larger quarters came sooner than expected. (File Photo)
When Holy Name Monastery opened its doors in 2014, plans had already been drawn to expand the building at a future date. But, the need for larger quarters came sooner than expected.
(File Photo)

A graduate of the class of 1969 at Saint Leo University, Picciano is the CEO of

an inpatient multihospital system dedicated to substance abuse care and counselling.

“I’m in the health care business. I work with drug addiction and psychiatric hospitals. We manage those facilities, and as a result of many things, we’re able to give back,” Picciano said. Last year, he gave $1 million to Saint Leo University.

Ogelthorpe, which has its corporate headquarters in downtown Tampa, has hospitals in Ohio, Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

Picciano’s contribution, combined with proceeds from a fundraiser and gifts from other donors, has brought the total raised to date to $1,334,896. Efforts continue to raise the remaining $315,104.

The additional space at the monastery is needed, said Picciano, noting he believes Pope Francis is inspiring more people to consider a religious life.

In addition to providing space for women who are considering vocations, the wing will provide more room for retreats, he added.

“I think the rooms will be well-used for their mission. The Benedictines are to work and pray, that’s what they do,” Picciano said.

For more information, visit BenedictineSistersOfFl.org.

Published March 30, 2016