Sisters at Veronica House create a revitalized reading space

Having resided at Sancta Maria in Ripa, St. Louis, Sister Louise Bennecke enjoyed and appreciated the impressive library housed there. When she moved to nearby Bridgeton, Missouri to join Veronica House in The Sarah Community, she found there wasn’t anything quite comparable to that impressive collection for the sisters to utilize.

“There was not much of anything in the library (at The Sarah Community) as no one had it as a focus,” said Sister Louise. “I knew what we had at Ripa. I was inspired by Ripa’s special section on spirituality, but here, you were lucky to be able to find a book on it. I asked Ripa to pull some books to share.”

Sisters at Ripa obliged, and when books were delivered from Ripa, she would use a cart and travel around the building, asking sisters if they were interested in taking anything to read. Sisters would add their own books to bolster the options.

Then about two years ago, joined by Sisters Elaine AuBuchon and Sister Lorraine Soukup, the three undertook the project of categorizing and organizing the books they did have in the library space available on the second floor of the building. They weeded out books that were not being read for donation, added section labels to the shelves and began creating displays to generate interest - highlighting books on a particular theme, such as those related to a timely topic or holiday or new releases.

“The fact there were three of us and we could call ourselves a committee, we got to speak with the administrators (of The Sarah Community) so that finally we did receive more shelves,” said Sister Louise. “But there is no budget, everything is donated.”

As a result of their efforts, the library now features 10 fully organized and invitingly arranged shelves, with space for at least one or two more. Walking around the library, which also includes chairs and lamps for anyone wishing to read their selections in the room, visitors will find several full shelves of fiction, where books by James Patterson and Elizabeth Strout are popular. Significant space is dedicated to biblical study and spirituality books, as well as biographies and history. There is a shelf of digital media, which includes CDs and DVDs.

Staff members and sisters from other communities are welcome to visit the library and take out materials. Books are "checked out" via an honor system, and sisters often donate or share books with the library that they have personally received as gifts. One sister recently offered her collection of National Geographic, with issues being displayed both in the library and in public spaces throughout Veronica House.

In addition to the onsite library, the St. Louis County Library Bookmobile also visits The Sarah Community on a weekly basis.

“This is a house full of readers,” said Sister Elaine.

The sisters noted that even though the Bookmobile doesn’t typically have a large collection of books on spirituality, the librarians from the Bookmobile will order them for sisters upon request and then deliver them for sisters to check out. For their part, the sisters also donate books back to the library, putting into practice concepts of recycling and reusing encouraged by Laudato Si’.

The sisters are pleased to be able to encourage and support reading through their efforts. They have considered the idea of a book club but noted the difficulty in securing multiple copies of the same book for such an activity. The reorganized and reimagined library is undoubtedly a success, with each new donation being met with excitement, helping the collection to grow and evolve.

While visiting the library, Sister Connie Schmidt gave voice to a sentiment which is often shared by reading enthusiasts: “There is just something so precious about holding a book.”