From the Kentucky Standard

Nancy Endres and Peggy Masterson transfer bees to their new hive at Nazareth.

Bees to provide pollination, honey to Nazareth community

There was a positive disturbance in the peacefulness of Nazareth Saturday as thousands of bees were introduced to their new hive boxes on the Sisters of Charity’s property.

The bees, donated by the Walter T. Kelley Co. LLC, are allowing Nancy Endres and Peggy Masterson, residents and SCN associates, to further their interest in becoming a part of the beekeeping community.

Endres and Masterson’s reaction to seeing the bees for the first time was a shared statement of “they’re beautiful.”

The two women decided to get into the beekeeping business after attending some meetings of the Nelson County Beekeepers.

“We wanted to see what it was all about, and we really learned a lot,” Masterson said. “In January, they had a beekeepers school, and I went to that.”

Masterson said the school, which was an all-day event, was informative and that going to the meetings was beneficial.

“You meet a lot of people, a lot of other beekeepers,” she said. “They come from all over, not just the Bardstown area.”

Gene Englert of the Nelson County Beekeepers, along with several other members and friends, were at the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth campus to help with the installation of the bees.

“Basically what you’re doing is, when you put them in these boxes, you have to make sure they have a good queen and don’t have diseases or pests,” Englert said. “You’re managing the bees and making sure that, if there is anything they need, you can help them out.”

The bees were a donation from Kelley, and some members of the Nelson County Beekeepers provided some of the equipment Endres and Masterson will need for their new hobby.

As for the bees themselves, Endres and Masterson are excited about what the opportunity will bring to the Nazareth community.

“The sisters have been so supportive and excited about this,” Masterson said.

Diane Curtis, director of communications for Nazareth, said the sisters, associates and village residents at Nazareth are thrilled with the arrival of the bees.

With the honor of having been named a Tree City USA site, Curtis said, “we have a campus that has been lovingly cared for and shared with others. Nazareth welcomes this initiative, as bees help to pollinate the abundant plants and vegetation on campus.”

Curtis pointed out that part of the mission statement of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth includes a commitment to care for the earth.

“This is one of the ways they can be good stewards of their environment,” Curtis said.

Aside from assisting with the pollination of the trees and flowers on campus, Endres said, honey collected from the bees will also benefit the community and SCN missions.

“I wanted the pollination, but I also wanted the sisters to have honey,” Endres said. “They used to have bees here, and there was honey available all the time. I think they missed it, and when I moved back here, I missed it.”

If the honey is sold, the funds would benefit the SCN missions as well.

Both Endres and Masterson are excited and thankful for the opportunity and for the support the Nelson County Beekeepers and the Kelley Co. have granted them.

“We felt like we won the lottery,” Masterson said of receiving the bees and help with the equipment. “It is expensive feeding the bees and caring for them, and we want to do that properly.”

For now, Endres and Masterson will settle into their roles as beekeepers and will be caring for the bees and watching them progress.

Those seeking more information about beekeeping can attend Nelson County Beekeepers meetings, which are held the first Wednesday of every month at the Nelson County Extension Office at 6:30 p.m.