Benedictine order's era ends at Holy Souls Parish, school

Nuns from Jonesboro helped found school in Little Rock in 1927

Published: August 28, 2010

By Dwaine Hebda
Little Rock Correspondent

Courtesy Our Lady of the Holy Souls School

Sister Henrietta Hockle, OSB, Holy Souls' principal from 1952 to 1957 and 1967 to 1976, breaks ground on the new church in October 1969 as Sister Anna Knoff and Pauline Jegley look on.

Courtesy Our Lady of the Holy Souls School

Sister Henrietta Hockle, OSB, Holy Souls' principal from 1952 to 1957 and 1967 to 1976, breaks ground on the new church in October 1969 as Sister Anna Knoff and Pauline Jegley look on.

When the 2010-2011 school year opened at Our Lady of the Holy Souls School in Little Rock Aug. 16, it looked in many respects like every other first day of school. But as the brightly uniformed students rushed into their classrooms, one element was quietly missing. For the first time since the school was founded 83 years ago, the school year opened without Benedictine sisters on staff.

"As a Catholic school, we are about more than just giving knowledge," said pastor Father Erik Pohlmeier. "We are about the formation of faith and helping kids and adults alike grow into that promise. The sisters gave us an example of a witness, someone with the commitment to lead a consecrated life."

"It was strange not having them here when school opened," said principal Ileana Dobbins. "When you think of Holy Souls, you think of the Benedictine sisters. They were the spirit of the school."

Through the years, many sisters have been assigned to Holy Souls, primarily in the capacity of teachers. Sister Laura Cathcart, OSB, and Sister de Porres Polk, OSB, were the last of the Olivetan Benedictines from Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro to reside at the Little Rock parish.

"The sisters' leaving is a great loss for Holy Souls," said Msgr. David LeSieur of Rogers, who served as pastor of Holy Souls from 1994 to 2006. "They were there not only to teach in the classroom, but to form in others a Catholic conscience. They were our connection with our history, having been there from day one. They were a living link to our founding."

In 1927, Our Lady of the Holy Souls School welcomed 40 students in four grades and two sisters from Holy Angels Convent. The venture predated paved roads or onsite lodging at Holy Souls, though both would eventually make it to the small mission-style church, which would grow into one of the larger congregations in the city.

Holy Angels' prioress Sister Mary Anne Nuce, OSB, spent 15 years at Holy Souls and remembers the rustic conditions in the 1950s.

"When I started, there were four of us in one room with double-decker beds," she said. "The road wasn't paved and (pastor) Msgr. Francis Allen would pick us up in his car. When it rained, we'd be out there in our rubber galoshes. Ah, we were all young then."

The parish and school grew substantially and the number of resident Benedictine nuns followed suit to meet the demand. In return, the parish built a two-story convent on the parish grounds in 1953 with enough rooms to house 14 nuns. The Benedict House continued to be a home for the resident nuns for nearly 50 years and today is used for the parish's youth ministry activities.

The sisters were also capable administrators. Principals, such as Sister Henrietta Hockle OSB, Sister Mary Anne and others, guided the school through changing societal and ecumenical times and in the process earned the respect of the educational community.

Those who studied under the nuns, as well as those who worked alongside of them, said the daily exposure to committed religious added something to their environment that cannot be overstated.

"Seeing sisters in the hall, the kids are almost in awe and as an educator it reminds you what you are there for," Dobbins said. "At the same time, there's the human side on display. Sister Laura, for instance, loved to laugh with the kids and she'd play kickball or volleyball. It made her very real to them."

"I was taught by a sister in every grade except one," said Sister Deborah Troillett, RSM, president of Mount St. Mary Academy who attended Holy Souls School through eighth grade. "Spending that kind of time with them and realizing how human they were convinced me that this was something I could do. They showed me there was room for a human side."

The impact of the Benedictine sisters was not limited to the classroom. The order has devoted itself to care of the sick as well as various other ministries. Sister Miriam Burns, OSB, was the parish's youth director and later was the pastoral associate in the 1990s. Sister de Porres lived at Holy Souls for 13 years while she served black Catholics around the diocese.

Likewise, Sister Laura spent several summers during her 12-year tenure at Holy Souls conducting mission trips to Nicaragua. Ironically, it was this part of her service which led to her new assignment, working with Hispanics in Jonesboro.

"I'm most proud of the children I taught and that I had the chance to watch them grow in their faith," Sister Laura said. "I'm also extremely grateful for the people of Holy Souls and their support of my mission trips, which helped hundreds of people."

Both Sister de Porres and Sister Laura said the decision to request new assignments was difficult, made more so by the knowledge their departure would break the line of sisters that had come before them. They, along with the parish, are hopeful the Olivetan Benedictines will one day return to Holy Souls.

"My years here have been really enjoyable," Sister de Porres said. "I wouldn't trade anything else for them and if I got the chance, I would do it again."