The Sisters of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph were nearly 1,200 strong in the 1960s. But even as far back as the early ‘70s, they started studying and planning for a future with fewer sisters.
The community — which now totals 120 sisters living at both the monastery in St. Joseph and St. Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud — celebrated the groundbreaking of a new monastery June 17 that will better serve the needs of their smaller community into the future.
“A ‘right-size’ community, for us, is what allows us to live our Benedictine life in the best possible way,” said Benedictine Sister Kerry O’Reilly, director of planning for the new monastery.
Over the past 50-plus years, the community has explored what their ministry would look like into the future. In 1973, they conducted a priority study and followed up with many internal study groups and meetings. Finally, in 2022, they made the decision to build a new monastery.
Kimm Anderson, Kimm Anderson Photography
“I do find it exciting. I am a person who actually likes change, but there is a sadness in it, because we all love this monastery and it’s been part of who we are for so many years, so it is hard to let go even though I’m excited,” said Benedictine Sister Karen Rose, the community’s prioress.
The proposed 54,000-square-foot building will house a chapel, a dining room and kitchen area and 36 bedrooms in four groups, each with a common small kitchen and living room space. Because not all of the sisters live at the monastery, only 36 rooms were needed. About 60 sisters live at St. Scholastica, some live in Evin Hall where the Spirituality Center and Studium are housed and others live in homes around St. Cloud.
A library was also a priority for the sisters.
“A library is essential to monastic life even in this digital age, and we will share the library with our oblates and have spaces for liturgy preparation, another essential aspect of monastic life,” Sister Kerry said.
Also included in the two-story building will be a wing for offices and another wing that will include a community room, guest dining room and rooms for formation. Within the plan are spaces that will have double and even triple functions as needed.
Of the many decisions to be made, the first was location.
“We made a definite decision [to stay in] St. Joseph, and one of the reasons was to stay near the college,” said Benedictine Sister Jeanne Marie Lust, the community’s treasurer. “It’s very critical to the college that they have access to our presence. I think the College of Saint Benedict would be at a disadvantage in many ways if we were not close at hand.”
(Kimm Anderson for The Central Minnesota Catholic)
They also knew they needed somewhere quiet, away from the ever-growing downtown area of St. Joseph. They decided to build on the west end of the current monastery grounds near the site of the former community gardens, an area that offers quiet and room to welcome visitors.
“As a Benedictine community, we need that space. We need the quiet, we need a location that will foster what our life is all about,” Sister Kerry said. “And as far as the kind of outreach and ministries we want to do, we have our social justice ministry and hospitality to groups of people that want to come for a quiet space or just a retreat.”
Hospitality was a guiding value in the planning of the entire project, but also specifically in the design of the new chapel.
The 4,300-square-foot chapel will seat 150, Sister Kerry explained, because it was important to include room to accommodate those who pray with the sisters regularly on Sundays as well as oblates who will visit. The sisters will pray the Liturgy of the Hours three times a day in the chapel.
Leaving the current Sacred Heart Chapel will be especially hard for the sisters.
“For each one of us, it’s the place where the major moments of our monastic life have occurred, and that means it has a special place in every sister’s heart,” Sister Karen said.
Because of that, the sisters wanted to make the new chapel unique and special — including an “oculus,” a large circular window above the altar and a custom organ being built by Saint John’s Abbey Organ Builders.
“We felt we didn’t want to do something with the new monastery that made it look like a small replica of where we’re coming from,” Sister Karen said. “We wanted it to be something special in its own right.”
Another aspect of the project important to the community was making it “green.” In keeping with the Benedictine value of stewardship, the building will be two floors to reduce its reduce its footprint and include geothermal wells for heating and cooling along with panels for solar energy.
The new monastery is expected to be completed in late Fall 2027. As for the current monastery buildings, they will be sold, with the College of Saint Benedict having first opportunity to buy the property.
“I think if that were the case, we would feel like [it would] remain part of the Benedictine legacy,” Sister Karen said.
That would be the ideal situation, she said, but no agreements have been made so far.
“We have the community living, the prayer space and the capacity to be monastic, welcoming and open to the world, praying for and with the world,” Sister Kerry said. “So, it’s not about having a brand-new place. It’s about having the right-size space that will allow us to be the best, healthiest Benedictine community we can be for the world.”
Pictured above: Members of the project leadership team and planning committee helped the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict ceremonially break ground on the monastery June 17 in St. Joseph. (Photos by Kimm Anderson for The Central Minnesota Catholic)
