Stories & News
Meet some of the women and men who benefit from the Retirement Fund for Religious.
Brother Anselm Allen, 76, Benedictines of Subiaco Abbey
Born in November 1938, Brother Anselm Allen has been a member of the Benedictines of Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas, since 1959. Like his fellow monks, he starts each day with Morning Prayer at 5:45 a.m., followed by Mass. During the day, he will return to the chapel three more times for communal prayer, while also making time for private prayer and sacred reading.
Underneath his habit, Brother Anselm is likely to be wearing overalls and a work shirt. At 76, he has ministered in religious life for more than 50 years, using his hands to serve God and his religious community. Following his first profession, Brother Anselm worked for a time in the community’s print shop before moving on to the maintenance department, where he continues to serve. Since 1965, he has helped to oversee the treatment of the water supply that provides water for both the monastery and the local town. As part of this work, he has tracked weather temperatures and precipitation for the National Weather Service for the last 45 years. In his “spare” time, he serves as a volunteer firefighter, an amateur radio operator, and can often be found exercising in the monastery’s health center.
From fixing the boilers to harvesting grapes and making the abbey’s Communion wine, Brother Anselm is happy to be able to serve in big ways and small. “I enjoy doing things to contribute to community life,” he says.
Sister Barbara Hawken, SLW
Born September 5, 1934, Sister Barbara Hawken—a member of the Sisters of the Living Word in Arlington Heights, Illinois—vividly remembers her first teaching assignment. The year was 1955, and she was given a class of fifty-six first graders.