Sister Janet Barnicle

My religious roots began and were nourished in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. I was born and raised in Carroltown PA, a small town located in Cambria County. My ultimate vocation to religious life was fostered both educationally and formationally, not only by my parents and grandmothers, but also by the Benedictine Sisters who staffed St. Benedict Parochial School.

In spite of how involved my mom and dad were with six children and their own mothers who lived with us, each of us siblings experienced, in her or his own way, a sense of undivided attention. As for the Sisters, even in their Pre-Vatican II confinement, they gave quality attentiveness to us young people, who whiled away the time with them after school hours. For me this precious and unpretentious togetherness gave the needed strength to the tender sprout of the call to become a Sister. As we read in the classic "The Little Prince" "It's the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." The Sisters gave me their time, which made me feel important; it was precisely this interest, so freely shown, upon which I in turn wanted to model my future - the desire to "waste" my time in order to make others realize their importance.

The elementary education I received from the Benedictine Sisters led me to pursue my secondary education at St. Benedict Academy, Pittsburgh PA, the high school owned and staffed by the Benedictine Community. Upon completion of high school, I joined the Order of Saint Benedict.

I always experienced a sense of pride, being bonded to such large hearted and free spirited women who were spending their lives accomplishing outstanding tasks for the Church and for society.

I have served the Church, these many years, in various ministries: school teacher (elementary and secondary), principal, social minister, director of religious education, campus minister and manager of a high rise for the elderly poor. My years in this Benedictine Community have been filled with grace—God’s life in me.