FORT SMITH — The Benedictine nuns at St. Scholastica Monastery will honor nine members of the community who have served a combined 595 years of monastic life during Mass at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The Rev. David McKillin will preside. Family and friends are welcome.
The oldest of the sisters, deChantal Hyland, 103, will be commemorating 85 years of Benedictine life. A former teacher and principal, Hyland continues to remain active in the community, attending daily prayers and Mass in the chapel.
First cousins Rose Ashour and Consuella Bauer are each celebrating 75 years of Benedictine life. While serving as principal of St. Scholastica Academy, Bauer helped desegregate the school. Ashour, who taught elementary school, transferred to Our Lady of Peace Monastery in Columbia, Mo., in 1969 but returned to St. Scholastica this year when the Missouri monastery was dissolved.
Pierre Vorster, who is celebrating 70 years of monastic life, had a long career as an elementary and secondary school science teacher.
Two of St. Scholastica’s 60-year jubilarians are former prioresses. Sister Mary Hawkins was prioress from 1981-85 and Sister Louise Sharum served from 1985-1993. Hawkins went on to found St. Benedict Monastery in Canyon, Texas, formerly a dependent monastery of St. Scholastica. Sharum wrote two histories of the Fort Smith monastery and serves as director of Hesychia House of Prayer in New Blaine.
Sister Miriam Hoffman, also celebrating 60 years, is the monastery kitchen manager, while Sister Anne MicheleRaley welcomes guests as a receptionist and mail clerk in the monastery office.
Sister Regina Schroeder, celebrating 50 years of service, has taught elementary school, served as formation director and gift shop manager and more.
The monastery is at 1301 S. Albert Pike Ave. Information is available by calling (479) 783-4147.
Mormon youths convening at UA
FAYETTEVILLE - A multi-stake youth conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be held July 29-31 at the University of Arkansas. More than 1,000 students ages 14 to 18 from Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma are expected to hear motivational speakers, participate in cultural activities and perform service projects.
Elder John Groberg, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, a governing body within the denomination, will be the keynote speaker at 1:50 p.m. July 30. Groberg’s missionary work in the South Pacific in the 1950s was the subject of a feature film, The Other Side of Heaven, starring Anne Hathaway. The movie is based on Groberg’s book In the Eye of the Storm.
Susan Jones, a representative from the Church Young Women’s General Board, will also speak during the conference.
Communities of Faith is a compilation of church and religion news for Northwest Arkansas. The deadline for submissions is noon Monday before Thursday publication. Please send information, including a phone number, to Christie Storm, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 7, Springdale, Ark. 72765, fax it to (479) 365-2984 or e-mail:
Religion, Pages 32 on 07/22/2010