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An Afternoon with Two Benedictine Sisters from Rogers Park
By Michael Glasser and Eve Brownstone
May 2006
Two Benedictine Sisters from Rogers ParkWe had a most interesting afternoon walking through the facilities of the Benedictine Community, and then interviewing Sister Mary Melady and Sister Joanna Trapp who were born and raised in Rogers Park.
The Benedictine Sisters have served the Greater Chicago area in many ways, and, it seems, in a very "Rogers Park" fashion for 100 years.

Today, The Benedictine Sisters face a challenge they haven’t faced before. At one point in time, nearly all sisters actively participated in helping operate the monastery as well as working regular day jobs (and contributing their salaries to the community, presently only one third of the 56 sisters contributes. The rest are elderly, and live in a loving and dignified environment in the existing premises. In fact, a large portion of the north wing of the monastery serves as a nursing home and care facility for elderly or infirm sisters. The sisters who have given so much during their lives are adequately cared for in the only "home" that most have known throughout their adult years.

Sister Mary Melady: A Rogers Park Spiritualist with a Progressive Bent
By Michael Glasser

Sister Mary is one of the community's most active sisters. She serves as a Spirituality Director, a service that she offers to people in the Rogers Park community (and elsewhere), irrespective of her client's religious backgrounds or present beliefs. Mary believes that a person's inner spirit can offer us direction in life, and she is trained in helping people use their own perception of spirituality to find direction.

Sister Mary is a life long Rogers Park resident, growing up in the '50s and '60s near Sheridan Road and North Shore, attending St. Ignatius Parish through 8th Grade, and she attended St. Scholastica for high school. (Her mother was also raised in Rogers Park, and taught at Kilmer School, and later, at Gale Academy)

Sister Mary was greatly moved by the civil rights movement - and she was particularly impressed and influenced by Martin Luther King. At a young age, Mary decided that religious duty could help her commit her life to pursuing social justice and she took her vows with the Benedictine Community in the early 1970's

Since then, Mary has worked many jobs, living in the Cabrini Green community or many years, teaching 8th grade; teaching ESL at Taft High School in the "Back of the Yards" neighborhood (49th/Dan Ryan) where the Robert Taylor Homes were located; and working as a spirituality director in various areas.

Mary is glad to have been able to work in urban environments and focusing her efforts helping people from different ethnicities, economic levels and varying faiths. She values having had the opportunity to live within a religious community like Benedictine, praying together with her sisters twice a day, sharing a life in a vibrant communal style, and being able to work so many different gratifying jobs. "I like people" says Sister Mary. "It is a privilege helping them grow. I've been enriched by people I've worked with."

Sister Mary offers her spiritual direction service to people in the Rogers Park community. An appropriate contribution towards the Benedictine Community is always appreciated, but not mandatory. For more information, contact Sister Mary at 773/761-4383 or email mmelady@yahoo.com.

Where There is a Need
By Eve Brownstone

An Interview with Sister Joanna Trapp, O.S.B.

Where were you born and raised?
I am seventy-nine years old. I have lived in Rogers Park since I was three years old. My parish was around St. Ignatius. Everything centered around the parish. St Scholastica was my school as a teenager. I liked the community feeling and joined the Benedictine Sisters in 1946. I began teaching at St. Scholastica in 1965.

How did you know that you wanted to be a nun?
At eighteen, I had one year at Mundelein College. I knew in my heart I wanted to be part of the Benedictine Sisters. By my senior year at St. Scholastica, I felt like I was part of the family. Also sixty years ago, it was a good way for me to finish my education. Today, women who wish to enter the Benedictine Order must be 21 and have their college education.

What are your favorite subjects to teach?
World History. I teach two classes of World History for seniors and one class for freshman on World Culture.

Describe a time when you were in school at St. Scholastica?
It was my sophomore year and my favorite teacher, Sister Laura, kept crepe paper animals with the names of ancient Romans from our Latin class. in her office. Some of us snuck into her office and kidnapped the paper animals. Later the paper animals were returned with paper bandages and paper splits. We practiced First Aid on them. It was World War ll.

What do you enjoy about teaching your students?
I enjoy listening to my students’ comments and to see how they react to history. My students have great love of the royal family. I cover many of the highlights in history. My favorite periods in history are the Middle Ages and Tudor.

Please describe the Benedictine Sisters?
Our mission is reverence and through prayer and sharing gifts.

What are some of these gifts?
Our biggest effort is to ensure justice for all through education.

What is the motto of the Benedictine Sister?
“We strive to live out Benedict’s call to Listen my daughter, with the ear of your heart. We listen through communal prayer and scriptural reflection; we hear God’s call through dialogue with one another; we seek to respond as we are able WHERE THERE IS NEED, our community tradition and motto.” (from Benedictine Sister’s website) ,www.osbchicago.org

 
 

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