benedictine sisters | Queen of Heaven Monastery

The Benedictine Sisters of the Byzantine Rite at Queen of Heaven Monastery, 8640 Squires Lane NE, Howland Township, recently sold the monastery to the Orthodox Coptic Church. The sisters will move to Infant Jesus of Prague Manor that is next to Sts. Peter and Paul Byzantine Church in Warren. The last liturgy was Friday and the last prayer in the chapel will be Tuesday when the sisters leave the monastery.

1950s: Two Byzantine Rite women from Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Minersville, Pa., entered the Latin Rite community of Benedictine Sisters at Sacred Heart Convent in Lisle, Ill. In 1954, under the direction of the prioress, Mother Aemila Shonka, the Community Chapter of the Lisle Benedictine Sisters established a Byzantine Rite Foundation of Sisters in Warren, Ohio. A pastor there, the Rev. Sylvester Hladky, asked the Lisle sisters to open a school for Sts. Peter and Paul Byzantine Rite Church. 1954 was the Marian Year and the Warren convent was named Queen of Heaven Convent in honor of Mary, the mother of God. Sisters Miriam and Judith Konkus of Minersville taught at the school.

1960s: Sisters in the Lisle Benedictine community petitioned the secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Church in Rome to function as a Byzantine Rite Benedictine community. The Byzantine Rite sisters in Lisle came to Warren in 1965. Under the leadership of Mother Mary Susan Sevier, the Federation of St. Scholastica voted to accept Queen of Heaven Convent in Warren as an autonomous member. On Nov. 19, 1968, a decree was received from Rome noting that Queen of Heaven Convent could function as an independent priory. Sister Margaret Mary Schima was elected first prioress of the Benedictine Priory on Feb. 2, 1969, during the formal founding ceremonies. In 1967, the sisters bought 10 acres in Howland Township to build a motherhouse and the sisters moved there Dec. 13, 1969.

1970s: The motherhouse was dedicated May 3, 1970. Sister Mary Judith Konkus was elected prioress in 1977 for four years.

1980s: Sister Agnes Knapik served two terms as prioress beginning Feb. 1, 1968. In 1986, the sisters voted to change the name of the motherhouse to Queen of Heaven Monastery because it more aptly described the place where Benedictines lived. Sister Barbara Pavlik was installed as fourth prioress in 1989 and re-elected for a second term. In 1997, Sister Margaret Mary was elected to again serve as prioress and re-elected in 2001, 2005 and 2009. The Benedictine Retreat House was blessed in 1982 and was a site for retreats for religious and laity. The retreat house is renovated and became the Benedictine Early Learning Center, a preschool/day care staffed by two sisters.

1990s: The sisters celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Byzantine Rite Foundation.

2000s: The monastery became a dependent monastery of Sacred Heart Monastery in 2007. The sisters mark the 40th anniversary of the Byzantine Rite Foundation.

Ministries: The sisters have taught at preschool, elementary, high school and college levels. They taught at Sts. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic School for 50 years until it closed in 2005. They have done office work, pastoral care, service to the sick, spiritual retreats, volunteer service and service within the monastic community. They have ministered to a number of Byzantine Catholic churches in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Sister Marion Dobois is director of Pittsburgh Archeparchy’s Office of Religius Education. The sisters belong to St. John Chrysostom Society, which promotes unity among Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

Other details: A group of Oblates, men and women, are attached to the monastery to promote their own spiritual growth and live according to the rule of St. Benedict. The St. Benedict Auxiliary has assisted the sisters over the years by sponsoring fundraisers and sharing in the spiritual life.