More Relatives Reminisce about Sr. Benedicta

More McCorry Family relatives are sharing their thoughts about Sr. Benedicta, whose funeral was held Tuesday in Chicago. This note is from Sarah Jonas who wasn't able to attend, but has some fond memories to share:

Sarah Jonas (from her FB page)

I was able to stay with the nuns in Chicago in the late 1990s. My business partner Cam and I were just starting out, worked as cooks at the annual food and wine expo at McCormick Center in Chicago and we didn't have enough cash to get a decent hotel room for the weekend. My Mom suggested we call Eleanor and ask if we could stay in the retreat house. We did, and it was a wonderful time. We didn't get to spend too much time with them,  but they made us breakfast every day and shared some stories and thoughts about the neighborhood. I was glad to introduce Cam to them both, she enjoyed them and got to see that nuns were real people; kind, funny, smart. I found that Eleanor was very supportive of us as women in our family, she set a great example and lead the way for us to be accepted as smart, funny, kind people. She was an interesting person, always with something to add to the conversation. Her thoughtfulness and charity will be missed, but not forgotten.  

Love to all, 

Sarah

Also sharing her thoughts is Maureen (McCorry) Drabik who, fortunately, was able to attend the services. Maureen thanked our cousin David Schield for delivering the eulogy at the funeral: 

Maureen Drabik (l) with siblings Brian and Maureen

Beautiful, David!  Thank you for making the celebration so meaningful.

It is evident from what you have all shared that family was so important to Sr. B.  Both Sr. A and Sr. B have always been genuinely interested in all their nieces and nephews.  When they downsized upon their move from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, they divided their treasures among us all.  We learned they saved all the letters from each of us, which are now tucked away in our own memory boxes.  

I too as able to stay with them at Mt. Carmel when I visited a few times while I did my student teaching in the early '80s.  They were welcoming and provided the all-important listening ear when I shared my classroom experiences. Sr. B always put me to work in the kitchen too, which was so fun since I had never worked in such a large one!

Love to all,

Maureen 

Maureen is right about the nuns sharing personal items with their nieces and nephews when they moved out of Mount Carmel in Chicago. I have a clock presented to Sr. Benedicta as a parting gift when she left her job at the Mercy Hospital in Iowa City where she served between 1974 and 1984. It sits atop my bedroom dresser today.

Thanks to all for sharing their thoughts about Sr. Benedicta and all she has meant to our family. 

Sincerely,

Robert Mullins