Nun collects music resources for hurricane-damaged parishes

Published: 2006-06-05

DAVENPORT, Iowa (CNS) -- While cleaning shelves in the music and arts room at the Humility of Mary Center in Davenport, Sister Nancy Wooldridge thought to herself, "What can I do with all this sheet music? I can't recycle it -- it must be of value." Shelves and boxes were full of sheet music featuring classical, traditional and religious arrangements, lesson books and accompaniment music that the sisters had collected over the years. The retired music teacher, a member of the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, talked with other sisters in the motherhouse about what to do with the materials. Someone suggested donating them to Hurricane Katrina victims. Through Sister Rosemary Eich, who had served in Biloxi, Miss., Sister Nancy was able to contact Phil Beining, music ministry director and parish administrative assistant at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Biloxi. Beining told her the parish had received offers of money, food and clothing -- but not music. He needed choral music for the church and advanced organ music. Beining, who had worked with Sister Rosemary for many years, told The Catholic Messenger he was delighted to hear from Sister Nancy.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .