Benedictine Outreach at Caldwell
Stories from the Monastery
Archives
 Our
Goal: At this time we feel the Spirit's call to reach out to assist
the powerless in the Caldwell area. Our goal is that these valued
workers come to know and live with their inborn and developing sense of
worth and power as members of the Kingdom of God.
This means more than "to give them fish" but "to
teach them to fish."
This was accomplished through:
- Literacy classes - in both English & Spanish
- Assistance in acquiring GED (General
Equivalency Diploma)
- Computer classes
- ESL classes (English as a Second Language)
- Assistance in acquiring citizenship
- Girl & Boy Scouts
- Preparing for 1st Communion
 Outreach
from the Monastery to the Migrant Labor Camps of the Caldwell area has a
long history begun by Sister Luitgard Meder in the late 1950's. In the
1960's Sister Angela Uhlorn, who taught Spanish at St. Gertrude's
Academy, prepared her students to help in the migrant camps in the
Rupert, Burley and American Falls area. The young women spent two weeks
helping to prepare the children for First Communion under the direction
of Sisters Luitgard and Angela and later Sister Benita Hassler. The
sisters also helped the pastors with other pastoral work. The young men
worked with Father Morris Later in American Falls. Sisters Elisa Marie
Martinez also served during these years.
Sister Angela was appointed by Bishop Trienen to
do a survey of the Nampa/Caldwell area in 1970 and to develop an
outreach program for the Mexican Migrants of the area. Sister Angela
was hired on the Pastoral staff of St. Mary's Parish in Caldwell. She
devoted four years to Hispanic ministry in Caldwell and the surrounding
area. Sister Aquinas Schaecher joined her and they worked together for
2 years.
 In 1990 Sister
Benita Hassler was invited to start an English as a Second Language
Program at JJHS. For nine years she taught at Jefferson and CAHS and
did volunteer teaching at the Farmway Village Migrant Labor Camp and in
Caldwell homes during the summer months. Sisters Barbara Gonzales and
Esther Velazquez also worked for St. Mary's Parish during these years.
In 1995 Sisters Bernadette Stang, Regina
O'Connell and Carolyn Miguel began their ministry in Caldwell. In 1997
Sr. Bernice Wessels directed the Benedictine Outreach Services. Through
the Caldwell School District, an after-school program was set up at
Farmway Village, directed by Sister Bernadette. The "escuelita" became
the center of outreach to adults and children alike. Sister Bernadette
trains many volunteers each year who help her in the nationally
recognized public school program. She is also involved in several other
Outreach services and has received numerous
awards.
In 1999 Sister Benita retired from 20 years of
teaching ESL and Spanish in the Rupert, where she was named Idaho
Foreign Language Teacher of the Year 1984 and Caldwell public schools
and began full-time volunteer teaching of those who could not continue
their education through regular channels. She offered courses in ESL,
basic computer skills and GED classes. She returned to the Monastery in
May 2005, having helped over 280 applicants from the people of Farmway
Village, Caldwell, Nampa, Greenleaf, Homedale, Boise, Wilder, Parma,
Jerome, Twin Falls and Kuna.
From October 2004 to March 2005, Sister Benita
started a Saturday program for the Wilder Public School District at the
Family Learning Center (Sylvia Blain, director) teaching computer basics
to families with children in the Wider schools. She set up a network to
"resurrect" their used computers and showed them a way to give them
homes where they would be put to good use to improve lives.
 A
valued aspect of the program was getting donated used computers into
homes of instructed adults studying computer basics with Sister Benita.
From September 1999 until May 2005 when she returned to the Monastery
because of eye problems, over 160 families in the area are now
practicing computer skills in their own homes on their own computers,
often inviting their neighbors in to share and pass on what they know.
John Irwin of Spokane and Kermit Cudd of Caldwell have donated
invaluable time and effort, finding and fixing used computers that
Sister Benita put in homes, helped by other generous friends of the
Benedictine Outreach in Caldwell.
In 2006 Sr. Bernadette returned to the Monastery
and this chapter of service from the Monastery came to an end.
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