Sister Mary Catherine Stana

In the beginning, when I was a young child, I had to have my tonsils removed as many children of my generation did. Our family doctor sent me to Rosalia Foundling Home for the surgery. At that time, that institution was staffed by Sisters of Charity, the same Sisters I had in grade school, coincidentally. I loved those Sisters and at a tender age wanted to be just like them. Actually, I wanted to be nurse or a cook and wear a long white dress and cute little bonnet like the Sisters at Rosalia. By the time I got to the eighth grade the Sisters must have seen a vocation in me and began “prepping” me to take the scholarship examination for their high school, Elizabeth Seton.

In the meantime, my Mother wanted me to take piano lessons. Since my cousin Eileen had Sisters Mary Grace at St. Benedict Academy, she thought it would be a good idea for me to start with her. So, at the tender age of 10 I began my journey to St. Benedict’s. I took lessons through the school years and summers, traveling by two streetcars (each way and getting sick every Saturday!). Then I fell in love! I was mesmerized by the quiet of such a big house, all the Sisters moving around with only the sounds of their swishing habits as they glided along, smiling as they went about their tasks. When my friends, the Conley family, brought me with them for their daughter’s profession I decided that I would like to come to the Monastery to live as an aspirant. The romanticism of the Divine Office sung in Latin, the beautiful harmonious sounds of the Schola, the sisters in their beautiful choir cloaks on feast days, the mystery of what was behind each enclosure door – all these special things led me here. I don’t remember asking my parents if I could come. I just figured it would be all right. As the oldest granddaughter in a Catholic family, everyone seemed to agree it was the very best thing to do.

I am in my third career at this time in my life. I taught for 25 years; math and sciences in grade school and biology, anatomy and physiology at our high school Academy. I loved every minute of it (except my very first year – what did I know at age 18 about teaching!). When we closed our Academy I gave birth to the Benedictine Center, a Senior Center and Adult Day Care. The 17+ years I spent as Executive Director were by far my most challenging and rewarding years of ministry outside of education. Now I am getting to know our older Sisters really well as I accompany many of them to their various medical appointments or shopping. I wish everyone could get to know these precious ones as I do. I know that they depend on me. I suppose that’s why I like this job so much!

The one constant that has always been with me is that no matter what I happened to be doing - dealing with an obstreperous child, struggling with budgets that barely stretched to pay the bills, getting stuck in traffic – there is someone in this house praying for me. I firmly believe this and am sure this knowledge has helped me throughout the years I have spent in community and ministry.

The older I get in community the more I come to appreciate our community life. There are so many wonderful people around. There’s always someone to help if you need or want it. I am also learning what a grace solitude is and I count myself very fortunate to finally realize this. I relish our prayer together. We are the praying Church. I love to sing – it is a gift that I inherited from my Dad. St. Benedict tells us to prefer nothing to the work of God. Praying together in choir has always been very import to me.

What does the Holy Rule say to me? It says seek peace and pursue it. Most of the time I do try “to make nice”. After all these year I hope it shows.