January 6, 2008

       Dear Friends, 

       In 2009 the Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery will celebrate 150 years of prayer and service in the Diocese
       of Covington. Our Sesquicentennial Committee has been meeting regularly, planning events for this milestone in our
       history. 

       The members of our community have made many suggestions about possible ways to give expression to our gratitude
       for the blessings of the past 150 years. At an early meeting one sister asked that we consider doing something for
       the poor in the city of Covington where we arrived and established ourselves in 1859. Her idea of rehabbing a house
       or a similar project sparked our interest and enthusiasm, and we decided to ask Housing Opportunities of Northern
       Kentucky (HONK) if we could partner with them for this social outreach project.

       HONK has agreed to construct a single family house in the neighborhood surrounding the original foundation
       of St. Walburg Monastery, now known as the East Side Neighborhood, and has agreed to complete the house
       by June 2009 to coincide with our anniversary. 

       In addition to the work of many volunteers, the cost of a new three-bedroom home constructed by HONK
       is $100,000. The Benedictine Sisters will make a significant contribution toward this cost. We are asking
      our Oblates, families and friends, including corporate sponsors, to join with us in this project for the
      working poor in Covington. Contributions can be made in the form of cash, stocks, securities
      and/or in-kind donations such as lumber, electrical wiring, plumbing and labor.

      Click here for more information about HONK which indicates why we chose to partner with them.
      If you wish, you can support this project or other ministries of our sisters by using the online donation button
      above or by sending a donation to St. Walburg Monastery, 2500 Amsterdam Rd., Villa Hills, KY 41017. Please
      indicate if you wish to support the Covington House Project or the Benedictine Sisters in some other way. 

      We extend our deepest appreciation for your past support and assure you of our daily remembrance in prayer.
      We look forward to observing our 150^th anniversary in 2009 and hope you will join us in our celebration.

       Sincerely,

                      

       Sr. Mary Catherine Wenstrup, OSB                               Sr. Margaret Mary Gough, OSB

       Prioress                                                                        Chair, Sesquicentennial Committee