Benedictine Sister Angelo (Margaret) Haspert, 98, died Jan. 29 at St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, in Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph. Burial will be in the monastery cemetery. Friends may call at St. Scholastica Convent on Monday, Feb. 6, for a prayer service at 3 p.m. followed by visitation until 4:15 p.m., or for a prayer vigil at 7 p.m. at St. Benedict’s Monastery. Visitation continues at 9 a.m. until the time of the funeral on Tuesday, February 7.
The sixth of John and Elizabeth (Renner) Haspert’s 11 children, she was born Nov. 10, 1924, in Richardton, North Dakota, where she attended St. Mary’s Grade School and High School. In September 1942, she entered St. Benedict’s Monastery and became a novice in June 1944, taking the name Sister Angelo. She made first monastic profession July 11, 1945, and perpetual monastic profession July 11, 1948. She celebrated her golden jubilee in 1995, 60th anniversary of profession in 2005, and 75th anniversary in 2020.
A graduate of the College of St. Benedict, Sister Angelo earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin with minors in philosophy and history, as well as a master’s degree in theology at the Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology, St. John’s University, Collegeville. She did further study at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sienna Heights, Adrian, Michigan, St. John’s School of Theology, Collegeville, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, and received a certificate of Theological Studies at the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, California. She also completed a two-year internship program in spiritual direction at St. Benedict’s Monastery.
Sister Angelo ministered in secondary education at Cathedral High School, St. Cloud, teaching religion, Latin and history, and at St. Benedict’s High School, St. Joseph, teaching religion. For several years, she served as novice director at St. Benedict’s Monastery and was a member of the theology department at CSB. Following retirement from CSB, she continued as an educator, including teaching a semester in the Bahamas and in the monastery’s lifelong formation. As a member of the monastery’s Studium program, she wrote commentaries on Scripture and served in the Spirituality Center, including as a spiritual director. In 2014, she moved to St. Scholastica Convent, where she undertook a ministry of prayer.
In addition to the sisters in her Benedictine community, Sister Angelo is survived by her brother, Arnold (+Teri), nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Edward (Elsie), Reverend Eugene and John (Patricia), and sisters, Hilaria (James) Hinds, Martha (George) Blatner, Bertha, Bernadette, Bernice and Marie.
Please direct memorial gifts to the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict Outreach Ministries.