About this property
Saint Benedict's Monastery is a monastery (or convent) of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, in St. Joseph, Minnesota, United States. The 18th and current prioress of Saint Benedict's Monastery is Sister Karen Rose, OSB who was installed on June 4, 2023. The Sisters trace their roots to Saint Walburg Abbey in Eichstätt, in the Kingdom of Bavaria. Six of them emigrated to St. Cloud, Minnesota, in 1857, moving to St. Joseph in 1863. Mother Benedicta Riepp, considered the founder of Benedictine women's communities in the United States, is buried in the monastery cemetery. Seven sisters from the convent moved to Atchison, Kansas, where they founded the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica. Recognizing the need for higher education, they founded Saint Benedict's Academy in 1878, which developed into the College of Saint Benedict in 1913. In 1961, the Sisters transferred ownership of the college, constituting it as a separately incorporated institution. As two fiscally independent corporations, the college and the Monastery share adjacent campuses but are governed by two separate Boards (the Monastic Council governs the Sisters). Saint Benedict's Monastery has been the largest Benedictine community of women in the world, with a peak membership of 1,278 in 1946. In 2010, it was the largest Benedictine community of women in the United States with nearly 300 members. On August 15, 2012, the 27 Sisters living at Saint Bede Monastery became members of Saint Benedict's Monastery. On March 27, 2012, the Sisters of Saint Benedict's had voted to receive the Benedictine Sisters of Saint Bede's Monastery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Their Monastery's land was purchased by the University of Wisconsin for use in a children's education program. === Current and former Prioresses of Saint Benedict's Monastery === The central core of the convent and college was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 for having local significance in the themes of architecture, education, and religion. The St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District consists of 14 buildings, two other structures, and five objects built between 1882 and the late 1920s. The district was nominated for representing the impact and growth of the world's largest Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict community. During the early 20th century, the Sisters of Saint Benedict's Convent saw expansion. There were about thirty new members each year. Because of the lack of space, building plans were made in 1910 to create both a new chapel and a college hall. The original Sacred Heart Chapel was officially opened on March 25, 1914.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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When was St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District listed on the National Register?
St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 20, 1989.
What type of historic resource is St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District?
St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District?
The period of significance for St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District is recorded as the listed era.
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