Benedictine Sisters re-elect prioress

HOWLAND — The Byzantine Benedictine Sisters of Queen of Heaven Monastery re-elected Sister Margaret Mary Schima as prioress for a term of six years.

Sister Esther Fangman, president of the Federation of Saint Scholastica to which the sisters belong, presided at the election and the installation that followed.

Sister Margaret Mary, a native of Chicago, was elected as the first prioress of the foundation of Byzantine Rite Benedictine Sisters in 1969. She served two terms at that time, and then was re-elected March 16, 1997. She is now beginning her sixth term of office.

Because of a decrease in membership, the sisters are selling their monastery and property in Howland Township and are planning to move to smaller quarters in the area. They hope to continue to be of service to the Byzantine Catholic Church and the community.

They are changing from the present status as an independent monastery and becoming a monastery dependent on their original founding community, the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Lisle, Ill. An element of Sister Margaret Mary’s ministry in this new term will be to complete these plans.