LATROBE, PA — Sister Tina Geiger, R.S.M., and Sister Marian Wehler, O.S.B., will present “Experiences in Catholic Rural Ministry” at 7 p.m. April 16 at the Fred Rogers Center on the Saint Vincent College campus. The event is free and open to the public.
The Sisters will speak about their experiences running Catholic Rural Ministry in Oil City, PA. The ministry provides pastoral visits to the sick and homebound, spiritual education for youth and adults through reflection days and retreats, Bible studies, prison ministry, and vocation and mission awareness. Together with ecumenical collaboration, this ministry provides to families in need such social support services as food; clothing; assistance with rent, utilities and transportation; and referral information to area agencies. The primary goal of Catholic Rural Ministry is to bring hope and God’s compassionate presence to all.
Sr. Geiger is a member of the Sisters of Mercy of America. She holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and a master’s degree in religious education. Sr. Geiger was a founding member of the U.S. Catholic Coalition against Human Trafficking and has worked with Renew International, through which she developed understanding for the hunger in rural areas for spiritual catechesis and faith enrichment.
Sr. Wehler is an Erie Benedictine Sister of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and is a certified chaplain. She taught in Catholic schools and faith formation programs before teaching English in Tanzania for seven years. Sr. Wehler worked in the national office of the Alliance for International Monasticism in Erie, developing opportunities for Benedictine sisters to teach their peers in Africa.
The event is sponsored by the Boniface Wimmer Chair in Monastic Studies, Saint Vincent Campus Ministry and the Saint Vincent Theology Department. For more information, contact assistant professor of theology Dr. Lucas Briola at lucas.briola@stvincent.edu.
ATTACHMENT: Experiences in Catholic Rural Ministry flyer