At the end of July, we held the chapter meeting for the Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict, formerly the Federation of Saint Benedict. The Congregation is an international monastic congregation of 10 Benedictine women's monasteries. During this gathering, we thanked Sister Kerry O’Reilly (right) for her seven years of service as the Congregation's president. She then passed the baton to Sister Nancy Bauer (left), who was installed as the next president and will serve for a six-year term. Blessings to both!

Sister Susan Rudolph (pictured), prioress of Saint Benedict's Monastery, and Sister Nancy Bauer, president of the Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict, represented our community at the 2022 National Assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). 700 women religious participated in this gathering, the first in-person LCWR assembly since 2019.

Thank you to our 2021–2022 benefactors who generously supported us this fiscal year, which ran July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. With your support, we raised a total of $2,023,912. It is through your generosity that we are able to fulfill our mission and carry out our ministries. THANK YOU!

With the pandemic cooling down, we knew it was time to figure out how to invite our supporters back to the monastery and express our gratitude. We decided to hold a special prayer service followed by an ice cream social, a simple but blessed event.

We tested the waters and started slowly by inviting some of our more local donors. We hope to welcome more of you next year. Blessings on you!

Sister Louise Koltes entered eternal life on Monday, August 22. She touched the lives of many through her work in pastoral ministry and liturgy. Well done, good and faithful servant!

Landscaping renovations at Saint Scholastica Convent, for which you contributed more than $35,000, are complete! Renovations included removing the old surfaces, preparing areas for planting, and creating a space large enough for a picnic table and chairs. Thank you for enriching the lives of our sisters at SSC.

In November 2022 and March 2023, we will host a Come and Be Discernment Retreat:

For more information, contact Sister Lisa Rose, director of vocation ministry, at [email protected] or

(320) 363-7180.

Earlier this summer, we had a full house for the Benedictine Live-In Experience! This program invites women to refresh their lives by sharing in the prayer and work of a monastic community.

Meghan Stretar, Cheryl Cyert and Anna Taylor moved into the Oasis House living group with Sisters Pat Ruether, Pat Sniezek and Lisa Rose. As part of the program, they have the opportunity to volunteer within the monastery, participate in daily prayer, enjoy time for reflection, and build community with sisters and each other.

Meghan and Cheryl have returned home, but Anna will remain with us through October.

Are you a handyman (or woman!) on the lookout for a new career opportunity? We have just the job for you!

We are hiring a maintenance engineer to assist our physical plant team at Saint Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud. You will have a variety of responsibilities in this role, including performing carpentry, masonry, painting, snow removal and equipment maintenance.

Along with a work environment that feels like home, we offer competitive pay and benefit packages, including health and dental insurance, paid time off, a 401(k) with employer match, tuition reimbursement and more.

What makes work drudgery? What makes it a joy? Can the same work be both? Can human work share in God’s work of creation? Is there such a thing as “women’s work” or “men’s work”? Can play be work and work be play? What does work call us to in retirement? In this workshop led by Sister Mara Faulkner, let’s read, talk, imagine and write about the universal human calling to work.

If you're interested in keeping up with our programs and retreats, we invite you to join our email list to receive a monthly newsletter about all the happenings at the Spirituality Center•Studium.

Pope Francis has established September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, encouraging Catholics from around the world to pray for our common home.

Please consider responding to this call tomorrow. There are many ways in which you might choose to do this. We suggest taking a nature walk or spending some time in the garden.

If you don’t have a place to visit or only have a few extra minutes, consider visiting our website. We have shared some photographs from around Saint Benedict's Monastery and Saint Scholastica Convent which you may use to ponder and pray.

Since its opening in April, 1,900 people have visited the Haehn Museum's current exhibit, "By the Work of Her Hands." Wow!

This exhibit celebrates the art of Sister Dennis Frandrup. A respected artist, most notably as a potter and sculptor, S. Dennis has been producing art for over 50 years. The exhibit features her elegant pottery, abstract sculptures, and dazzling jewelry.

While you're here, we encourage you to shop around Whitby Gift Shop. Various pieces by S. Dennis are available for purchase among many other items handmade by the sisters.