By Paula Graham
Catholic Herald correspondent

Sisters open convent to hungry college students

LADYSMITH -- When fire recently destroyed Mount Senario College's kitchen at the student cafeteria, the Servants of Mary opened their doors to help, to express hospitality and to strengthen ties with their neighbor.

Early Friday morning on Nov. 10, a member of the college's night maintenance crew noticed smoke in McLaughlin Hall and notified security worker Brian Smith. Smith called the dispatch center at 12:41 a.m. Minutes later the Ladysmith Fire Department arrived. According to firefighters, who were on the scene until 3:22 a.m., the MSC kitchen was a total loss.

Late Friday morning, Victor Macaruso, appeared at the convent to plead the college's case. Well-known to the Sisters, Macaruso, who is an English professor at the college, serves on the advisory board of the Servite Center for Life.

Arrangements had already been made for Friday's meals: breakfast at the residence hall; lunch at the Rusk County Senior/Youth Center; dinner at Cazzoli's Pizza and Pastaria. "They were looking for a place closer to the college, something within walking distance, to avoid bussing," said Sr. Rita Stoeberl, House Coordinator at the convent.

Stoeberl paged the Sisters to the dining room so Macaruso could pitch his request with the whole group. "Of course, the Sisters said yes," said Stoeberl.

Friday afternoon Stanley Cram, dean of student affairs, and Jeff Haverson, college food service manager, inspected the convent's facilities and worked out the logistics of feeding about 225 students in three shifts of 75 each. Sodexho-Marriott, Inc., would provide the food, the staff and the dishes. Food for lunches and dinners would be cooked at the Ladysmith High School and transported to convent ovens for warming.

Saturday noon, the first shift of on-campus students arrived at the convent. Many of the athletes had to duck low doorways. According to Stoeberl, it took awhile for the students to get comfortable. "Is this really a convent," one student asked Sr. Mary Arlene Hendricks. She assured him it was. "I thought all you ladies wore black and white," he said. Before long, misconceptions disappeared and the Sisters and students were chatting like the long-time neighbors that they are.

Ties go back to 1962 when the Servants of Mary founded Mount Senario College, with Sr. Mary Hyacinth Gullan as first president. Sisters worked in the growth and development of the college, as teachers, administrators and librarians.

Fall semester 1962 began with an enrollment of 70 students, 65 women and five men. McLaughlin Hall opened in 1965; the residence hall in 1968. Enrollment increased rapidly. To give the college an opportunity to expand, the Sisters turned the institution over to a private board of trustees in 1972.

In the current crisis, one facet of the Sisters' decision to help was about using their building to be of service, said Stoeberl. "We also wanted to foster a better understanding of who the Servants of Mary are. We're glad they could meet the Sisters and see what this building is," she said. Hendricks agreed. "We had been eager to get to know our college students other than waving as we pass on the roads. Now we know their names."

While it's been a good deal for the students, the Servants of Mary say it's been a learning experience for them. "The international flavor of the student body is stimulating," said Stoeberl. Three students from Kosovo arrived early Saturday to help haul tables and chairs to the dining room. "They spoke English to us, not to each other," said Stoeberl. When the soccer team arrived, with students from Argentina, Jamaica, Sweden and Africa, the mix of languages made Hendricks think of the first Pentecost.

It's also been a win-win situation for the Sisters. "We got meals cooked on the weekends when we usually don't have someone in to cook," said Stoeberl. "And Sr. Mary John (VanderLoop) enjoys having a break from dish duty." Sr. Florence Dowd, who indulged her sweet tooth at the dessert table, was uneasy using disposable plates and silverware. "Sr. Florence considers having to throw away plastic utensils her penance," said Stoeberl. "I'm not saying who did it, but many times plastic forks and knives ended up in the dishwasher rack."

"This coming together happened for a reason," said Hendricks. "I'm sorry it had to be a fire. But it also happened for a Reason, capital R. We don't know God's full plan yet, but it strengthened ties between us."

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2000