The Sisters of the Holy Rock

Just left your show at Grace Lutheran Church - what an awesome performance - excellent job by all - very uplifting and entertaining... Linda

They've raised over $1.5 million for charity in the past 10 years by rocking crowds in packed houses.  But this isn't some lame celebrity rocker cause-du-jour backslap fest.  It's Winnipeg's own Sisters of the Holy Rock, and they're the hardest working nuns in show business.

Almost every weekend, about 75 Manitobans don habits and entertain jam-packed halls with pure rock 'n' roll energy.

The Sisters have performed for over 250,000 people in the past 10 years, and are so popular that they're now booking into 2006, said Carole Stone, the group's founder and director.

"The show has been described as talented and teasing, serious and silly, faithful and frolicking and holy and hilarious, and I think that sums it up," said Stone.

"Most people can't get over how happy they feel after the show," said Irene Sitarik, a Windsor Park resident who has been with the group for 10 years.

"The group is all excited about it and I think that passes on to the audience.  There's something special about it that you just can't put into words," said Gina Staples, another Sister and Windsor Park resident.

The group started in 1993 when Stone was the choir director at Grey Street United Church in Elmwood.  The church was looking for entertainment for its annual fund-raiser, and Stone got the idea after seeing the newly released Whoopi Goldberg movie Sister Act.

The choir members threw on habits, played some signature numbers from the movie, and were so well received that one of the audience members asked them to play at an upcoming banquet at the Travelodge hotel.

"We spent a few months preparing for that, and then we got a booking at the Travelodge show.  It just snowballed from there," said Stone.

Stone then enlisted the help of the recently disbanded seniors' choir at St. Bernadette's Church in Windsor Park and began taking on more bookings.

The cast of women (and men) has grown to 75 members from 17, including singers and musicians on banjo, guitar, piano and percussion.  The Sisters also have their own sound crew and a trailer full of gear and equipment.

They play over 50 shows a year.

Emile Ste. Marie and his wife Emily, both St. Bernadette's parishioners and original members of the group, said they never expected the show to balloon to these proportions, and gave it three or four years tops.

"It started off that we were just going to entertain seniors, and it just mushroomed from there," said fellow original member Joe Wurmlinger, also a Windsor Park resident.

The Sisters support a wide variety of causes from, individuals who need health care to the Association for Community Living.

Last Tuesday, the group performed in front of over 440 people at a fundraiser for Bethel Community Church in Southdale.

"We'd heard very good things.  They're funny, exciting, and entertaining," said Ed Grant, Bethel's pastor.  "We almost had to turn some people down.  The tickets sold very well."

The Sisters will take a break over Christmas, but will pick up their performance schedule again in the new year.

For more information on the Sisters, visit their website at www.sistersoftheholyrock.org .

What's black and white and rocks all over? Thousands of people across Manitoba already know that the answer to this riddle is the Sisters of the Holy Rock.

The Sisters may wear the familiar black and white habits of traditional nuns. They may even belt out "When the Saints Come Marching In" with an enthusiasm that borders on religious zeal. But it's rapidly apparent that there's something funny going on. Maybe it's the Reverend Mother Carole 'Whoopi' Stone's crimson high heels - or the fact that one-quarter of the 'sisters' are men.

Truth be told, these sisters aren't really nuns at all. They're a comedic musical group that's rocking the city and having a lot of fun while they do it.

"It started out as a lark - we had no intention of starting a group and singing forever and a day," explains Carole with a laugh. "We first dressed up as nuns in 1992 to sing for the Grey St. United Church, where I was choir director, but it snowballed from there."

The Sisters received their first real booking at that first performance and were soon bombarded with concert offers. When demand for the group started to get out of control, Carole realized they needed to add more members to the flock. She joined forces with singers from the St. Bernadette Roman Catholic Parish.

Now the group is 60 voices strong with members from all over the province. They're booked until the end of 2003, and they're a fund-raising force to be reckoned with. According to group statistics, the Sisters of the Holy Rock have helped churches and other charitable organizations raise well over a million dollars. They've also contributed $75,000 from the small entrance fees they charge at each concert.

"There's a real sense of making a difference by being in this group - incredible personal satisfaction," Carole says. "It's never for any personal gain, and it's a lot of work, so the members must be getting something out of it."

The group models their high-energy, sold-out shows after the popular Whoopi Goldberg movie 'Sister Act'. Infectious, sing-a-long pop tunes from the 1950's and 60's are blended with gospel favourites like 'Amen' and 'Follow Him'.

"Our shows are for everybody - they're clean, upbeat, and uplifting," says Carole. "People always go away from our concerts feeling so good."

Woven skillfully throughout the music and mayhem is the story of the Holy Rock sisters. This tall tale describes the group as a collection of wayward, musical nuns who were kicked out of their convent and left with no place to go. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way and one is never sure what direction a Holy Rock concert may travel in.

The 'cousin' of Willie Nelson (Joe Wurmlinger, otherwise known as Sister Josephine) and the 'sister' of Julio Iglesias (George Rowan, or Sister Georgette) might make an appearance for an impressive rendition of 'To All the Girls I Loved Before'. Or one might even glimpse the Elvis nun, who sends sisters into swoons as 'she' croons 'I Wanna Be Your Teddybear'.

"Our shows have a lot of humour," member Ralph Caldwell says with a grin. Like most of his fellow sisters, Ralph got his musical start in a church choir. "We don't pretend to be professionals."

As for his alter ego Sister Ralphael and the accompanying habit, Ralph takes it all in stride.

"This is a costume, right?" he says of the gown and wimple. "You're not going to catch me out on the street wearing it."

In spite of all the silliness, the Sisters of the Holy Rock insist that their intention is having fun - not making fun of anybody. And no one seems to be taking offence. The majority of their clients are churches of various denominations.

"This isn't 'making fun' of - we have a respect for religious orders," says Carole. "Everybody takes it in the spirit with which it's given."

Wanda Urschatz joined the group three years ago to have some fun and raise money for charity.

"There's a sense of personal growth and the feeling you belong to a big family - everybody cares about each other," she says happily. "It's a way of giving back."

Even though the Sisters stress that they are amateurs, they still manage to pull off a high quality performance. Singing in four-part harmony as they beam at the audience, the group quickly wins the audience over and earns every second of their standing ovation.

The Sisters of the Holy Rock perform one concert a week for nine months each year. Since 1992, they've performed over 500 shows. Membership demands a high level of personal commitment. In addition to the concert and tour schedule, all sisters clock in three hours of rehearsal time per week.

"It's the strong dedication of our original members that keeps us going," Carole stresses. "You can't do this with one person - everyone from the group helps make the Sisters a success. There is no show without them - it doesn't happen without everybody."

As the group sings its collective heart out in the Transcona United Church, one audience member is paying especially close attention. Shirley Hartley carefully tapes each funny, upbeat number with the recorder that rests on her lap. Shirley has good reason to be so attentive. Very soon, perhaps too soon, she'll be required to know the words to each and every number. She's a Holy Rock sister in training.

"When you first join, it's a lot to handle at once," she explains. "When you audition, they test you by picking out a song for you to sing - but you don't know which song out of 20 they're going to choose."

The Transcona concert was Shirley's first opportunity to see the Sisters of the Holy Rock in action. She heard of the group through a friend and immediately decided that wearing a habit was in her future.

"I didn't need to see them - this is the kind of thing I want to be with," enthuses Shirley. "They have so much fun - they sing such a variety of songs. I'm so excited - I can hardly wait!"

Life as a Holy Rock sister isn't all fun and games. The members are there for each other during all the ups and downs of life.

"Some of our members joined the Sisters after losing a spouse - they don't know what they'd do without the group," Carole says. "They feel like they're able to give something of themselves to others."

Members range in age from 35 to 75. Anyone can join, as long as they learn the songs and are able to carry a tune, she adds.

"Some couples have joined - this is something they can do together. Singing with the Sisters is their night out," Carole says. "This is a labour of love for all of us - that's what flows through the whole thing."

Holli Moncrieff has lived in Winnipeg for eight years. An avid freelance journalist she writes for the Globe and Mail, Flare, Chatelaine, the Winnipeg Free Press, Healthwatch Magazine, and Style Manitoba. She was the recipient of the Wells Excellence in Journalism Award in 1994, and has won the Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition and Canadian Safety Council Award of Excellence.

"To see Willie Nelson and Elvis come from the ranks of the Sisters was hilarious," says Jane Glander, who had a front row seat. "Sister Amnesia was a stitch and to see the director's bright red slippers was surprising. It was well worth anyone's time."

The 70-some members of Winnipeg's Sisters of the Holy Rock were "overwhelmed," when they performed here in the Chester Fritz Auditorium. "We went away with such a good feeling," says Carole Stone, director. "We were treated royally. This was different for us. We hadn't been across the line before and we had an incredible weekend."

Dennis and Bev Eggebraaten also were among captivated audience members. "What surprised me was that they've been doing this for 10 years and they haven't been in the states before," Dennis says. "What's wrong with us? It was a unique experience and a thoroughly wonderful idea. They definitely have a package to entertain people. I'll go again."

Dennis will get his chance and if you missed the Sisters' performance in the Fritz in March, their first in America, do not despair. The Grand Forks Kiwanis Club has booked them again for April 2, 2005.

"I can't wait that long," says Shirley Olson, who attended with her husband Lloyd. "It was such clean entertainment. It was fast moving and there was humor in it. They seemed so dedicated not only in the words, but in the music."

"The talent was outstanding," Edith Lund adds. "It seemed so easy for them and they acted it out so well. I was glad my friends asked me to go. It was a birthday gift and it was a well-spent night."

Kiwanis couldn't get the Sisters, who have a few male members, back any sooner. The comedic and inspirational singing group that began with members of a church choir doing a take off on the movie, "Sister Act," stays booked solid two years in advance.

"Every other year will be good timing," says Glen Nicola, Kiwanis president. "We don't want it to get old. It was rather hard trying to sell something abstract. No one here had heard or seen them, but people from Kiwanis in Winnipeg said, 'if you need a fund-raiser, these are the people for you.' We were very lucky to have that."

Duane Hafner, a Kiwanis member, says the show may be "one of those things you call a sleeper. It's better than you expect."

And successful fund-raiser to boot.

"For these people it's a matter of charity," Glen says. "They give that performance free of charge. We had hoped for 500 (people), but there were 700-plus and more than $5,000 worth of profit."

Kiwanis is a service organization that contributes to youth programs. As a result of the Sisters' show, the club was a major contributor for the Sherlock Forest playground built in East Grand Forks last week.

"And our biggest thing is Camp Sioux," Glen says, "a camp for children learning to deal with their diabetes. We contribute quite heavily to that." Monies are dispersed to other youth programs, as well, including the Dollars for Scholars drive coming up Wednesday.

The harmony and every song in the Sisters' repertoire is superb. My favorite may have been, "Down In The River To Pray," from the movie, "O Brother Where Art Thou."

Sister Amnesia did indeed steal the show with her stone-faced wit and quirky comments. Also a hit were Sisters Georgette and Josephine, men dressed as nuns portraying Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias, in a rendition of, "All The Girls We've Loved."

The song, "Somebody Bigger - Wonderful World," by Brother Arnie and Sister Sherrie was stupendous. Backstage afterwards, it was heavenly to be serenaded by Brother Arnie, also a Winnipeg barbershopper, who held my hand while he sang to me.

Some Sisters were concerned about coming to Grand Forks because of the rumored strain between us and Canada, but they came in good faith because faith is a big part of who they are.

They were nearly blown away by a note left on one of their cars in the Fritz parking lot. Musical notes were drawn and these words were written on the scrap of paper: "Saw your great act. We loved you. From the car next door."

"The fact that someone did that was kind of cute," says Carole, adding that everyone they encountered was extremely gracious - the Fritz crew, Becky Vakoc, manager of the Travel Lodge where they stayed, show attendees, store clerks.

"People in Grand Forks are very, very friendly," Carole says. "That really stands out. Everyone says 'hello,' or 'good morning,' or 'excuse me,' when they pass by. We spent a lot of time at the shopping mall. We decided to make a weekend of it and it was a very, very positive experience. We got nothing but good comments from our group."

For the Sisters of the Holy Rock to come at this time was meant to be.

"With the Iraqi war and the tensions between the two neighboring countries and where the spoken word or written word wasn't enough, music and humor filled the gap," Glen says. "We reacquainted ourselves as friends. I'm an old music person myself and sometimes music does a lot of things talking doesn't do."

Dunavan is a Herald columnist whose writings are compiled in her book, "In The Spirit." Reach her by phone at (218) 773-9521 or e-mail:

There is a beautiful breeze blowing in my window and across my face as I am writing. To briefly introduce myself... my name is Candace Maxymowich. I am 16 years old and attend Shevchenko School in Vita.

I would just like to take the time to thank everyone involved in Sisters of the Holy Rock. It is truly amazing and I am overwhelmed by how generous and kind the volunteers are. I was fortunate enough to see the show at Shevchenko School in Vita and I am going to be encouraging everyone to see the show. I have never seen prior to this event but I am going to see again in Steinbach.

I am writing and I am crying. It seems as though these people have a far more pleasing conscience than others. The show is more than entertaining....it's full of that wonderful "human" element. The upbeat, positive attitude brightens my day. It is a class act.

I can't help but wonder, what inspired it?

It had such an impact on me. On a few occasions my eyes swelled and my heart sank. My soul swooned... it really is uplifting and unique. Yet there were times when I was laughing like a hyena. I had a smile on my face the entire time. Amazing! And what makes it even more beautiful is that these people volunteer. May each of you be blessed beyond measure.

There is one woman in particular that really stood out to me from the moment she walked on the stage and unfortunately I was not able to speak to her after the show and I do not know her name. I believe she was directing a few of the songs. She has very pretty voice. Her facial expressions were beyond incredible. Love her energy! I would very much like to speak with her or have some contact with her if that is at all possible. I would very much appreciate your help.

I love singing. I am in our school choir and I have performed at a few places in the area. I think it's important to learn how to hold your own against people in harmonies and stuff. I am brave enough to sing in front of people and audition without fearing rejection. For us to sing songs in the choir that are very powerful with our limited number of people, everyone would have to be very strong and sure in their part to make it worthwhile. I think that the choir members are holding back as to how well they can sing. Sure some may do it for fun but they must also believe they are good or they wouldn't be in the choir. Right now I am focused on school but... I do want to make a name for myself in entertainment. I think it is important to give back and I have volunteered in the past and I enjoy it. I really believe it is something that I will continue throughout my life. I have volunteered at the carehome in Vita and I have helped out with numerous projects for the school and daycare.

Being pretty or able to learn things quickly isn't everything. To be kind is worth a great deal. Sometimes it's quite awful what's been done to the. But still there is a great deal of good inside and the person doesn't even know. They've forgotten it's there.

One of the greatest freedoms each of us have as people, is the freedom to choose how we view our roles in the world and the power we all have to make positive decisions in whatever conditions we happen to find ourselves.

Hope to hear from you soon... whenever your schedule lets up. <3 Take care....

Candace Maxymowich
Integrity can be difficult to maintain in a world that demands you change with the wind.