Sister Mary Carmel to celebrate her 100th Birthday
Ferdinand–This Saturday, August 16, the Sisters of St. Benedict will celebrate a joyful milestone, the 100th birthday of Sister Mary Carmel Spayd.
Born and raised in Mariah Hill, Indiana, Sister Mary Carmel entered Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand on September 8, 1944, alongside her twin sister, the late Sister Mary Carmen. The two were known for their shared devotion to God — and their love of swing dancing, which nearly delayed their vocations.
“It was the hardest thing to give up,” Sister Mary Carmel recalled. “But when we went to Mass at the convent, we just knew.”
Sister Mary Carmel made her initial profession on June 6, 1946, and her perpetual profession on June 6, 1949. She embraced her calling with grace and energy, earning a Bachelor’s degree from St. Benedict College and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.
She spent decades in education, first teaching elementary students at Christ the King, then serving as a beloved teacher and principal at Mater Dei High School, both in Evansville.
Today, Sister Mary Carmel lives a ministry of prayer and beauty at Scenic Hills at the Monastery.
“The Benedictine community fosters personal growth,” she said. “I never felt stifled in any way. The community offered me opportunities I would not have had otherwise.”
Those opportunities included pouring concrete for monastery walkways, climbing scaffolding to the top of the church dome in her late 70s, and most of all, living a life of service grounded in prayer and joy.
On Friday, August 15th, there will be a small private celebration at Scenic Hills during their normal afternoon “Happy Hour.” On Saturday, August 16th, Sr. Mary Carmel will be treated to lunch and a small, quiet party with the Sisters and family members.
Members of the public who wish to acknowledge Sister Mary Carmel’s birthday and her remarkable life of service are invited to do so by making a gift to support the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand in her honor. You can quickly and easily do that online at https://thedome.org/enews-donation/ and she will receive a message that someone has honored her in this fashion.
The Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand make up one of the largest Benedictine communities of women in the United States — over 95 members strong and thriving. They seek God through the Benedictine tradition of community life, prayer, hospitality, and service to others. By their life and work, they commit themselves to be a presence of peace as they join their sisters and brothers in the common search for God.
The Monastery Immaculate Conception was founded in 1867 by four young Benedictine sisters who came to Ferdinand to teach the children of area settlers. Since then, more than 1,000 women have entered this community. Their ministries extend both beyond education and beyond Ferdinand, with members of their community serving as teachers, social workers, parish ministers, counselors, nurses, youth ministers, chaplains, librarians, and more.
