Helena native makes final profession after years of study

Published: July 10, 2010

By Maryanne Meyerriecks
Fort Smith Correspondent

Maryanne Meyerriecks

Sister Maria DeAngeli, OSB, prioress at St. Scholastica Monastery, presents Sister Cecelia Marie Brickell, OSB, with a ring as a sign of her commitment at her perpetual profession June 24.

Maryanne Meyerriecks

Sister Maria DeAngeli, OSB, prioress at St. Scholastica Monastery, presents Sister Cecelia Marie Brickell, OSB, with a ring as a sign of her commitment at her perpetual profession June 24.

On June 24, Sister Cecelia Marie Brickell, OSB, made her perpetual profession as a Benedictine sister at St. Scholastica Monastery. In doing so, she followed a 1,600-year tradition of monasticism currently practiced by 8,400 monks and 14,600 sisters throughout the world.

For the Helena native, the journey to St. Scholastica was not a direct route. She married and gave birth to a daughter, Jennifer Brickell. Following her divorce, she received an associate degree in nursing from Phillips County Community College and worked as a registered nurse in a Helena hospital for 25 years.

After her daughter was grown, she discerned a call to religious life. In researching different orders, she was attracted to the Rule of St. Benedict. On the advice of her spiritual director, Father Ed Graves, she decided to spend some discernment time at Hesychia House of Prayer. Shortly afterwards, her mother became ill, and she delayed her application to St. Scholastica while caring for her during her final illness.

Sister Cecelia's perpetual profession followed a five-year process during which she lived the monastic way of life in community, prayed, studied and discerned her vocation. She began a six-month postulancy in early 2005, becoming acquainted with monastic life and studies, guided by prioress Sister Maria DeAngeli, OSB, who was formation director at that time.

In June 2005, she was welcomed as a novice, and a more intensive period of study took place. With the formation director and prioress, she studied the documents of the early Church fathers, Scripture, liturgy, community history, monastic life, Second Vatican Council documents and piano.

During her novitiate, she lived in the formation area and helped in various departments in the monastery. On June 24, 2007, she made her temporary profession for three years.

During these years, she took classes in computers and Spanish at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. She began attending the Little Rock Theology Institute in 2008. She completed her first residency at St. Gregory University in the fall of 2009 and will complete her second residency next spring. She will receive her bachelor's degree in theology in the summer of 2011.

For the past three years, she has been meeting regularly with her director, Sister Elise Forst, OSB, and continuing to prepare for her final profession.

The Rite of Perpetual Monastic Profession took place during Mass presided over by Father David McKillin, OSB, the monastery's chaplain. The particulars of the rite are described in Chapter 58 of the Rule of St. Benedict.

Attending the Mass were her father Greg Fernicola, daughter Jennifer Brickell, brothers Joe and John Fernicola and sisters Janella Harbison and Susan Pearson.

Reflecting on her profession, Sister Cecelia said, "In preparation for this next step in my journey, I took some time to look back at the past. At each step I can see God leading and teaching me, even in the steps that began with my mistakes. With each step I learn to trust in and rely on God more and myself less. Although I don't know how many steps remain in my journey, I look forward to experiencing each one because each brings me closer to my God."