Sisters of St. Benedict accept woman into novitiate

The Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, accepted Postulant Roxanne Higgins into the novitiate, the second stage of incorporation into the religious community, during a simple ceremony on Wednesday, July 26. During the ceremony, she received her title of Sister Roxanne Cassandra.

Sister Roxanne Cassandra, from Kingston, Jamaica, is the 34-year-old daughter of Webster and Marcia Higgins. She is the third of four children and was a member of Stella Maris Roman Catholic Church in Jamaica. She has a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Chemistry (Special) and a Master of Philosophy degree in Chemistry. Prior to entering the monastery in Ferdinand, Sister Roxanne Cassandra was the production operations manager at Smith & Stewart Distributors, Ltd., a company that manufactures ice cream in Jamaica. During the past year, she took classes at the monastery and at St. Meinrad School of Theology. She also worked in the bakery, Monastery Baked Goods.

During her year in the novitiate, Sister Roxanne Cassandra will focus on community life, prayer, and work as she discerns her call to vowed membership in the Ferdinand Benedictine community. Her classes during this time period will have an emphasis on Benedictine history, spirituality, and the Rule of St. Benedict.

Founded in 1867, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand currently number 143 and serve in the areas of education, parish work, health care, retreat and spirituality work, social services, and counseling in Indiana, Kentucky, and Peru.