Benedictine Sisters of Chicago     

The Feast of the Presentation (also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world) is also World Day for Consecrated Life. Those in consecrated life are called to reflect the light of Jesus Christ to all peoples and we honor the gift of consecrated persons for the entire Church on this day. We will Celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life on February 2, 2019. (USCCB.org) Before she entered the Benedictine Sisters

Caption: (Left to Right) Sister Elaine Fischer, OSB from Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Atchison, KS, Election Facilitator, Sister Mary Catherine Wenstrup, outgoing prioress of St. Walburg's Monastery, Sister Aileen Bankemper, OSB, newly-elected prioress (center in purple), Sister Susan Quaintance, OSB, Election Facilitator, and Sister Lynn Marie McKenzie, OSB, of Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, Alabama, President of the Federation of Saint Scholastica (right). This pa

Our dear Sister Mercedes Moore, OSB, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 and returned home to our loving God. Sister was a strong woman of faith and action, with a tender heart for God's creation. We invite you to learn more about Sister Mercedes' remarkable life in the following biography written by Sister Benita Coffey, OSB: Mary Catherine Moore was born February 1, 1915, in Chicago, the fourth daughter of Charles Day and Adeline Smith Moore. Theirs was a strong

It was ten years ago, October 8, 2006, that Gwen Ifill visited St. Scholastica Academy, Chicago. Every year, the Alumnae Board hosted a "Woman for the World", someone who had followed their calling and would help inspire students and alumnae to follow theirs. Gwen certainly lived her call. She was co-anchor and managing editor of PBS Newshour and moderator and managing editor of Washington Week. She had held numerous positions throughout her life that reflected her passion f

Sister Kathleen McNamara, OSB, sorts toys for migrant children in Colorado. When Sister Kathleen McNamara, OSB was ministering in Colorado, she heard about a priest who received a knock at his door on Christmas Eve. He opened it to find a man who was a local migrant worker. The man had no money to buy presents for his children and wondered if the priest might help. Sister Kathleen heard about this and began buying little gifts for children out of her own small allowance. Ov

John Velasquez once lived at our monastery and now lives in New Mexico. Here, he stands in front of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe. Sister Laura Walker was a woman who understood the power of Benedictine hospitality. In the 1950s, she was Prioress at St. Scholastica Monastery and was traveling through Colorado. There, she met a young man who had earned a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago, but had no resources to live in the city. She invit

Sister Sue Kilduski, OSB never thought she would become a stamp collector, but she has recently stepped into a unique ministry that has been handed down at the monastery for nearly a century. Sometime before 1929, Sister Sybille Osko, OSB began collecting cancelled stamps. After some time, she began requesting stamps from people. Soon, friends heard of her efforts and began sending stamps from around the globe. She would sort and soak the stamps to remove them from the envelo

After a combined 103 years of service to communities in Colorado, Sister Joan Hentges and Sister Johnette Sawyer have returned to St. Scholastica Monastery in Chicago. Of course, a sister never truly retires and these sisters are continuing their ministries in various ways. Sister Joan is serving as Associate Director with the Benedictine Oblates and as the contact person for Oblates living in Colorado. Sister Johnette has transfered her liturgy skills to the monastery and is

Sister Mary Benet McKinney, OSB was a powerful woman in her ministries of teaching and justice. She was also a prayerful one. So as she began to suffer in body, she turned to the psalms to give her strength. She would reflect on the psalms with Lectio Divina, a way of praying with scripture. Afterwards, she was inspired to rewrite the psalms. She would reflect on her own experience of God who stood by her during moments of suffering. Two of the psalms she composed are below.

Sister Belinda recently spoke about religious life with students at St. Raphael Catholic School in Naperville, IL. As she shared her slideshow, the children loved one photo in particular: sisters baking cookies. Sisters can bake? You bet! Many of our sisters love time in the kitchen--from making applesauce in the autumn to baking cakes during the winter. One of the recipes that some of our sisters enjoy is chocolate chip orange cookies. The recipe comes from Sister Belinda's

If you know Sister Eleanore Hillenbrand, you know she loves books. Originally an English teacher, Sister Eleanor also served as a school librarian under Sister Vivian and, in her retirement, has become the monastary's librarian. Every month she creates a suggested reading list for her fellow sisters. Among all the books she shares, we decided to ask Sister Eleanore for the five books that had a significant impact on her life as a woman of faith. She shared with us the top fiv

After Sister Mildred passed away, we found this reflection among her belongings. It was a piece of paper on which she had written 11 reasons why she loved to teach first grade. She titled it "First was Best." In the corner, however, she noted her love for all her students in various grades. We have a feeling she would like us to share her letter with you: First was Best I was asked what I did. Answer: “I am a Benedictine Sister and a teacher.” When I said I taught first grade

Peter Zonsius, affectionately known as “Uncle Pete,” thought about becoming a priest. But God had other plans. After returning from World War II, Uncle Pete married and raised a family, first at St. Hilary Parish and then later at St. John Brebeuf Parish. In his spare time, he began a life-long ministry of service. He made daily trips across the Chicago area, delivering coats, food, and other human essentials. The spirit with which he served was infectious. He soon began insp

Sister Mildred Zember passed away in her sleep on October 12, 2015. Join us in praising God for her life and celebrating her 66 years of service as a Benedictine Sisters of Chicago. Funeral arrangements are listed below. Please keep Sister Mildred, her Benedictine Sisters, and her family in your prayers. Meanwhile, we invite you to learn a little bit about our beloved Sister Mildred: Anyone who knew Sister Mildred, knew that hear heart was full of faith and her eyes sparkled

How did you first come to know God? For Erin Kelso, a Benedictine Women’s Service Corps volunteer, it was among the farm fields of Minnesota. Brought up in the Lutheran tradition, she played piano at most of the town’s small churches, including the local Catholic Church. Later, she attended the College of St. Benedict and came to discover a deep affinity for Benedictine spirituality. Erin is a young women who has taken on a year of service with the Benedictine Women’s Service

Sister Vivian turns 102 on August 28th. From the women's suffrage to school desegregation, Sister Vivian has seen justice prevail throughout the last century and prays for more. During more than eight decades as a sister, she has served as a teacher in both Illinois and Arizona. In the late 1960s, she became the archivist for the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago, a role she continues to this day. In addition to her work as an archivist, she is also an activist, advocating for

Tucked into a corner of the monastery is a multi-purpose room that transforms into a colorful art center on Thursday afternoons. If you enter, you’ll find elderly sisters intensely working over their creations with brushes and paints strewn across the table. It’s all thanks to the work of Matthew Ambre, a Benedictine Oblate of St. Scholastica Monastery. An Oblate is someone who dedicates themselves to following the Rule of Benedict and Benedictine spirituality in their everyd

We are excited to welcome our Rogers Park Neighbors to an Open House on Sunday, August 23rd between 1:00 and 4:30 p.m. The Sisters and Oblates are facilitating the afternoon with tours of the monastery and chapel. There will be information available about the Sisters' lives and current ministries. August 23rd is the monastery's "Founders Day" commemorating the beginning of the Chicago Benedictine community in 1861. All those who live in Rogers Park are welcome to attend. Se

Retreats are like a vacation for your soul, giving you the space to rest, reflect, and grow. But what happens when you don't have time for a long retreat? We know that some people can't take a week off from work or family responsibilities so we're offering evening and day-long retreats this year. These mini-retreats let you take time for soul-care in the midst of your life. Check out our spirituality programs page to see a list of our offerings and see if your heart feels ca

In a poignant and beautiful ceremony, three Benedictine sisters celebrated their Jubilees on Saturday, July 11th, the Feast of St. Benedict. A "jubilee" is an anniversary of a sister's profession to become a Benedictine sister. Among the three sisters celebrating this weekend, Sister Victoria Marconi and Sister Kathleen McNamara both celebrated 70 years and Sister Amy Campbell celebrated 75 years of being a Benedictine sister. Also celebrating their Jubilees this year (see ab