Benita Sohm

The Sohm family is enjoying a Cardinal baseball game. From left to right: Frank, Benita, Anna and Joe.
The Sohm family is enjoying a Cardinal baseball game.
From left to right: Frank, Benita, Anna, and Joe.

Benita Price Sohm entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame as an Aspirant in 1963. This meant that her high school years were spent with the Sisters in a boarding school at the motherhouse. She graduated from high school in 1967 and entered the congregation. She graduated from Notre Dame College, a “sister formation college” where she majored in French and her minor was in English. Later she received an M.A. in Theology from St. Louis University.

In her formation, Mary Margaret Johanning, SSND, stands out as having a deep influence on her as her theology teacher. As a young sister, she was invited to pray with some of her college teachers and experience faith-sharing with them. Their belief in the power of the Word of God touched her deeply.

She was sent to teach high school English and Religion for five years. Later she was asked to prepare the laity to teach Vatican II principles in parishes through the Northeast Catechetical Center, working with eight parishes in rural Missouri.

As she recognized the mobility implied in her vow of obedience, Benita became conscious of her need of a home. She came from a family of eight and missed having her own family. This desire for a family was the primary reason that she left the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1979, relying on God to provide for her. She felt her poverty as she was given $350 from the community and had no car, apartment, etc. But she did have her education and some wonderful connections with the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

She found a position at a local boys’ high school teaching Religion. It was here that she met her future husband, Frank Sohm. They have two children and Benita continues to live the charism of the School Sisters of Notre Dame within her family and ministry.

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