Seldom Seen #14

This "seldom seen" is not seldom seen because it's hidden away or on a seldom traveled path. On the contrary, it is really right out in the open. This is our necrology board and it holds the names of 261 of our sisters who have died since we came to Erie in 1856.

It came to mind for me because last week as we marked the first anniversary of Sister Veronica Byer, whose death last June marked the beginning of the 10-month span in which seven of our sisters died. So, when Veronica's anniversary was announced at Evening Prayer (which we do every day) I thought, "Oh my goodness, the first anniversaries of the seven sisters are beginning."

Our necrology board, located right past the coat room near the front foyer and switchboard . Two hundred and sixty-one names of Benedictine Sisters of Erie plus Sister Benedicta Riepp, the first Benedictine Sister to come to the United States. She helped found the community here, but kept going west and is buried at St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, MN. Most of our sisters are buried in Trinity Cemetery in northwest Erie, although 3-4 are buried elsewhere.