The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have elected Sister Ramona Varela, OSB as their new prioress for the Tucson, Ariz., community.

Sister Ramona most recently served as the congregation’s prioress general, and just completed her term of office in June. She succeeds Sister Lupita Barajas, OSB as the Tucson prioress and will serve a four-year term.

A Tempe, Ariz., native, Sister Ramona entered the Benedictine Sisters shortly after her high school graduation. She made her first monastic profession on Sept. 12, 1963 and has held several positions throughout the congregation.

She spearheaded a variety of projects since her election as prioress general in 2002, such as an expansion of the Benedictine Sisters’ Web presence and e-commerce shopping site, development of a low-gluten altar bread, long-range strategic planning and exploration of renewable energy resources.

The Tucson monastery is home to 22 of the almost 100 members of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. In addition to a place to pray that is open seven days a week, the sisters offer several faith-based opportunities for Tucson residents. These include their Benedictine Oblate and contemplative prayer groups, and monastic experiences for youth. They also provide a meeting place for various local renewal and retreat groups.

Sister Ramona was officially installed into office during a ceremony held July 31 at the sisters’ Benedictine Monastery in Tucson. For more information, please contact Kelley Baldwin at kelley@bspa.us or (660) 944-2221.

With the help of John Wesley Miller, a Friends of the Monastery Board member, and his daughter, Katherine Kent, who owns The Solar Store in Tucson, two 4' by 10' solar panels have been installed on the 3rd floor roof deck, just outside the monastery laundry room. This active solar closed-loop system includes a 120-gallon storage tank and a tankless backup unit that will boost water temperature if necessary. Most of the time, however, the sun should heat the water to a temperature between 140 and 160 degrees. The sisters are extremely grateful for this opportunity to "go green" and profit from Tucson's abundant sunshine.

For the past year the Tucson sisters have often given fervent thanks for generous help donated by Knights of Columbus from Tucson and Green Valley. Not only have they been liberal with financial assistance, but they have also turned out in groups for various work projects ranging from picking oranges in the winter to coming very early on blistering hot midsummer mornings to repair, scrape and paint handrails in front of the monastery. Then there were meals: a fundraising pancake breakfast and a barbecue. They asked for a “wish list” and provided the assembly room below the chapel with a ramp and emergency lighting.

When the Knights learned we were considering having a freestanding holy water font made, they insisted on giving it to us, and found a skilled wood-worker and ceramic artist in Tubac, Arizona, who produced a beautiful font for the monastery Chapel.

As a way of showing the monastic community's gratitude for all these good gifts, and to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Knights of Columbus, the monastic community invited the Knights to join with them for a Sunday Eucharistic celebration and gathering afterwards. They turned out in force - 19 of them in full regalia - adding color and solemnity to the occasion. Fr. Van Wagner celebrated the Mass, assisted by Fr. Pat Crino, and gave a fine homily. The chapel was filled to capacity and there was even a delegation from the Arizona State officers of the Knights of Columbus: Stanley J. Schroeder, the State Deputy, along with Herbert Maddock and Gary Boscardin. The reception following offered doughnuts and orange juice from the oranges the Knights had picked six months earlier, and which had been immediately squeezed and the juice frozen. Although we were trying to give something to the Knights, the Knights again gave more to us in presentations made by the various councils. May God bless them richly for their service to Church and community!

Harmony, our new congregation newsletter, is now available for your on-line enjoyment from our Congregational web site.

A concert is planned for Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. by the Arizona Repertory Singers.  The concert will be held in the Chapel.