Sister Andrea Verchuck knew she wanted to be a nun from the time she was a child. She remembers her mother praying quietly in song as she went about her work around the house, and thought, “wouldn't that be beautiful, to sing your prayers?”
When a Sister from the Bristow community was visiting family near Andrea's childhood home in Pennsylvania, she got her chance to learn about monastic life. That conversation confirmed her desire, and after some initial hesitation, her parents were supportive. On September 6, 1944, at age 15, Andrea boarded a train bound for Bristow, Virginia.
The process of joining a Benedictine community is intentionally slow and deliberate. Andrea lived as a postulant, observing the life of the community, for six months. That first phase of exploration was followed by two novitiate years, living very strictly to make sure she had the stamina and strength for the monastic way of life. After these periods of observation and an initial 3 year commitment to life in community, Sister Andrea took lifelong vows of stability, obedience, and conversion of life that she has lived out ever since.
The Benedictine Sisters have offered ministries of hospitality, presence, and spiritual guidance over the years, with huge impact on the greater community. Sister Andrea has spent 79 rich years in these ministries at the monastery. “My life,” she says, “has been one wonderful dream fulfilled.” Wind River is honored to partner with Sister Andrea and the Benedictine Sisters, inspiring harmony together through spirituality and service.
To learn more about the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia, visit www.osbva.org.
