SSJ Helps Students Prepare for Opera

By: Sister Barbara Staropoli

It was a delight for me to welcome to our Motherhouse Chapel the cast of Nazareth University School of Music’s production of Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites.

The opera is based on the true story of the Carmelite convent of Compiegne during the French revolution. The Sisters refused to take the oath of allegiance, and all were guillotined. Sisters of Saint Joseph share this history as we lost five Sisters to the guillotine for the same reason. The opera was presented by Nazareth in honor of the founding Sisters of Saint Joseph as the University celebrates its centenary this year.

This was indeed a very special experience for me because I began the Opera Workshop at Nazareth in 1972. It was a gift to see how the seeds we planted over fifty years ago blossom in today’s students and faculty.

On January 19, the cast and their directors visited our Motherhouse for the experience of being in a convent and seeing the space our Sisters have for prayer, communal life and ministry. It was a pleasure and a privilege for me to speak with them from my experience as a Sister of Saint Joseph and from my knowledge of the opera. We had a wonderful discussion about their characters and shared insights about the motivations that might have prompted some of the actions and reactions they portrayed.

All were very grateful to spend time at our Motherhouse and told me our time together enhanced their experience as they performed this challenging piece.