Answering the Call

ANSWERING THE CALL It was the coldest day of January 2019 when the call came in at 4:30 p.m.

The pipes in the sprinkler system at the Benedictine Motherhouse in the North Hills of Pittsburgh had frozen and burst. Water was pouring down the walls in sheets through electrical outlets … six feet of water filled rooms and hallways. Sisters had to quickly evacuate. Where to go? The President of that Congregation made one phone call, “Our home is flooding, we have to evacuate.” Corrine Giel, SCN, answered the call at St. Louise Convent, “Stay here.”

Karen Brink, OSB, recalls that most of her Sisters did not even have coats that January day. It was so dangerous inside their convent, they couldn't go back in to get one, “It was one of the worst nights of the year.” The Sisters at St. Louise didn’t think twice when the request came. Both Congregations looked to St. Vincent in this time of need and his words, “Do what’s before you.” Within the hour, Sisters at St. Louise welcomed those displaced, assigning rooms, offering food, and dispatching a volunteer to get dozens of toothbrushes and other necessities, left behind. The water was rising too fast. Water mixed with electricity was a dangerous combination.

As Benedictine Sisters arrived by car and ambulance, they were escorted to the dining room. A hot meal awaited them, blankets, coats, other clothes, and kind words. “We felt at home the minute we

Left: Corrine Giel, SCN, visits with Benedictine Sisters at their convent in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Right: SCNs and Benedictine Sisters enjoyed sharing Mass together daily at St. Louise Convent.

Top: The Benedictine Sisters and SCNs have organized outings together in the months since they lived together. Close friendships continue through these trips and shared prayer. Bottom: The Benedictine Sisters’ convent, pictured below, flooded when the sprinkler system’s pipes burst during frigid temperatures. The community lived with SCNs at St. Louise convent following the flooding and during months of repairs. The two communities coming together under one roof was a joyful time.

walked in,” recalls Sister Karen. “We were welcomed literally with open arms.”

The Sisters were assigned to rooms depending on their mobility, the SCNs were able to accommodate all 33 Sisters within St. Louise Convent itself. A nurse accompanied the Benedictine Sisters to ensure that those who needed assistance and additional health care had continuity. The staff at St. Louise cheerfully pitched in and helped the Benedictine Sisters move in, going out to the

cars and carrying boxes and bags up to different floors.

Sister Karen told her own Sisters she would go back to their home early the next morning to access the situation. “It was a snowy snowy night, we were not expecting the snow. The roads … I feared for my life actually the whole trip out. I got there and there were like 20 various teams of people coming to begin restoration. And I went back and I said to Corrine and to the Sisters, well, probably, we might be here a week.”

As clean up and assessments moved forward, the impact of the damage became clear. It would be a while before the Benectine Sisters could move back. The SCNs offered assurance that they would share whatever space they had. The dining room became a gathering space for the Benedictines. “We met there every day after prayer, I would have a little update on what was going on and what to expect,” recalls Sister Karen. “I also shared what was going on at St. Louise that we needed to know about, like upcoming events.”

As the days, and then months passed, what began as a crisis led to close friendships. Shared prayer, feast days, parties, Mardi Gras, and Easter took place mixed with moments of grief as members of each Congregation lost loved ones over the months. The Benedictines called St. Louise Convent home from January to April. “We had some absolutely wonderful gatherings, we doubled our communities actually,” says Sister Karen. “And that was very life giving,” adds Sister Corrine.

St. Louise Coordinator Marie Diane Novachek, SCN, says countless new friendships took root. “The spirit was definitely with us … Everyone struggles to find words powerful enough to describe what a wonderful gift it was to share community with the Benedictines.” “We are a different community now because of it,” says Sister Karen. “We couldn't have written a script for that, ‘How can we improve our community life?’ Let’s have a flood.” Sister Corrine adds with a mischievous smile, “Let’s go live with a different community that we never lived with before.”

But indeed it all worked out, leading Sisters to think about new ways to share and live in community. “We each maintained our own charism … and we brought out the best in each other. And I think there’s a lot in common.” Absolutely says Sister Corrine, the Benedictines arrived as visitors through the front door but left as family by the kitchen door nearly five months later.

The good byes were hard as the Benedictines packed and pulled their cars up to leave. Sisters of St. Louise Convent lined up to wave white handkerchiefs to say goodbye as the caravan pulled away. “The house was somber, quiet … there was no more excitement and laughter … over the months there was just constant excitement and everyone knew each other’s names,” says Sister Corrine.

“I must say I left with a heavy heart,” echoes Sister Karen. “I loved it there.” Months later the two communities continue to gather and share adventures. They had an outing on a boat which included riding “old school” buses to the destination, or as Sister Corrine likes to say, “Vintage gals on vintage buses.”

In November, the SCNs helped the Benedictines celebrate 150 years.

Sister Corrine was asked to give a reflection. “It was prophetic that we can prove to everybody that two communities of Sisters can live together … we all have that common vision, although we live it out in different ways but that common bond … it was spiritfilled what can happen.” Emphasizing it is God-inspired just how quickly and smoothly things came together without “meetings or long-term planning.” Pointing out once again what Saint Vincent teaches, “‘Do what’s in front of you.’ That’s what we did.”

Top, left to right: Susanne Chenot, OSB, Corrine Giel, SCN, and Karen Brink, OSB. The three recently reminisced about their time together living as two communities under one roof. Bottom: The dining room at St. Louise Convent was a frequent gathering place for the Benedictine Sisters and SCNs during their time together under one roof.