Allow me to introduce you to Sister Benedict Joseph. A quiet, unassuming, humble member of the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker.
Sister Benedict Joseph entered religious life on June 8, 1946. Sister was on of 17 children. She grew up on a farm and learned about
prayer, hard work and dedication from her family. She continued to work hard during her life as
a sister doing domestic tasks, especially cooking.
She was gifted with a
talent for cooking and could make the simplest ingredients taste like a feast.
Sister spent many years at All Saints Convent in Walton, where she
was famous for her baked goods. Whenever the parish had a bake sale, Sister
Benedict Joseph would always bake something. Some parishioners would get to the
bake sale early to make sure they were in time to purchase Sister’s rolls or
cookies.
At the original All Saints church, the convent was connected to
the church. Sister would make a roast for Sunday dinner and the parishioners
attending the Mass on Sunday morning could smell it during Mass. When sister wasn’t cooking, you could find
her in the church praying. She would
attend all the masses at All Saints on Sunday morning.
As she got older, Sister
began losing her hearing but she always made an effort to hear what people were
saying. Despite her declining health, she continued to cook up delicious meals
for the sisters who taught at Saint Joseph Academy. In the evening after praying, cooking and
cleaning up the kitchen, she loved to relax by playing a game of cards.
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| Sister Benedict Joseph with her father. |
Sister Benedict Joseph died ‘with her boots on’. She was assigned to St. William convent, the
Mother House of the community. On February 23,2002, she came out to the kitchen after
mass for a cup of coffee when she collapsed. She had a brain hemorrhage. She
was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital where she died early the next morning. Sister was 82 years old. At St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, “Brahms’
Lullaby” is played over the intercom system whenever a new baby is born. As Sr.
Benedict Joseph died, the lullaby began playing.
