Benedictine Sisters of Chicago     

The Benedictine Oblates of St. Scholastica monastery hosted Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ for a presentation of her original research into iconic motifs of female authority found in early Christian art and archaeology. Sharing findings from her book Crispina and Her Sisters: Women and Authority in Early Christianity, she delivered an engaging lecture and interactive PowerPoint presentation. Following the presentation, Sr. Chris took time to meet with guests in the Community Room

On Sunday, November 11th at the St. Scholastica Chapel, Chicago, we celebrated the Oblation of five candidates: James Holzhauer-Chukas, Rosanne Swanson, Mary Ellen Healey, Sister Benita Coffey, OSB, Sister Judith Murphy, OSB, Mickey Smith, and Patty Rudolph. Upon making his Oblation James Holzhauer-Chukas shared the following: "The typical orientation year took a lot longer for me than most of my fellow Oblates. I came to the monastery almost three years ago because, after di

Pictured: Sister Patricia Crowley, OSB, (left), Sister Benita Coffey, OSB, (middle) and Oblate Kevin Chears (right) at the 2018 Midwest Woodlands Regional Leadership Workshop for Oblate Directors and Oblates. Sister Benita Coffey, OSB, Oblate Director for St. Scholastica Monastery, Sister Patricia Crowley, OSB, and Oblate Kevin Chears attended the Midwest Woodlands Regional Leadership Workshop for Oblate Directors and Oblates from September 30 through October 2, 2018 at Saint

Caption: From left to right, Sister Benita Coffey, OSB, (Director of Oblates) Benedict and Rachel Hane, and Prioress Sister Judith Murphy, OSB following the Oblation ceremony held Sunday, March 25, 2018. Following the Sunday evening sung Lenten Vespers, Prioress Sister Judith Murphy, OSB, read the rite of Oblation for Rachel and Benedict Hane for which they agreed and signed before their family, friends, Oblates and Benedictine Sisters of Chicago. Rachel Hane shared on becomi

Judy Logue (center with white sweater) is surrounded by St. Scholastica Monastery Oblates and Sister Benita Coffey, OSB (left) Director of Oblates. The Benedictine Oblates of St. Scholastica Monastery sponsored the inspiring lecture afternoon Sunday, January 21, 2018 where Judy Logue spoke on the topic of forgiveness. Logue's lecture "Forgiving the People You Love to Hate: the Psychology and Spirituality of Forgiveness" was well received at the Monastery and was Live-streamed

Oblates of St. Benedict are women or men, single or married, who seek a deeper relationship with God through association with a Benedictine community. St. Scholastica Monastery, Chicago, has over 100 Oblate members, two groups of which meet in Chicago and one group that meets in Colorado. Many of our members also live in other states and share our community in spirit. This past weekend, the Oblates gathered together for their annual Advent Afternoon of Reflection where they i

Please join us in congratulating Seth Alexander who made his Oblation, or promises, to become a Benedictine Oblate of our monastery. Seth, a Ph.D. candidate at Loyola University, studies Catholic medieval women's history and theology. "I had been looking for a way to live a life of 'holiness' in community," said Seth, "and happened upon the Oblate program at St. Scholastica (very unexpectedly)! With the Oblates and Sisters I found a great, warm, welcoming community and a Rule

Eleanore McCarthy was born on the Feast of St. Scholastica, February 10th. Little did she know that her entire life would be touched by the spirit of Scholastica and Benedict--the co-founders of the Benedictine tradition. Even before Eleanore's birth, her mother had taken piano lessons from the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago. When Eleanore was six years old, her family moved into the neighborhood of St. Scholastica Monastery. She attended St. Scholastica Academy, graduating i

Did you know that all Catholics--not just sisters and priests--are called to holiness? This is what Seth Alexander, an Oblate Candidate of St. Scholastica Monastery, recently shared with a class at DePaul University in Chicago. The students are part of a Christian Experience class, learning about different ways of living one's faith. Seth, 36, enrolled as a candidate with the Benedictine Oblates last spring. Since his enrollment, he says, "I hope that I have...started to conv

Kathy Caudill, left, stands with Lila Marke, a library trustee from Bridgeview Public Library. Kathy Caudill, an Oblate of St. Scholastica Monastery, remembers learning about volunteering from her parents who gave of their time, even while raising their own five children. Kathy began volunteering in her teens and has continued throughout her lifetime in various roles. This week, she was awarded Trustee of the Year from the Illinois Library Association, one of the many places

Rosalie Riegle knew what it was like to have a busy career, a full family life, and a deep conection to social justice. She also knew she had an abiding interest in Benedictine spirituality. Having spent much of her adult life dedicated to the Catholic Worker movement, Rosalie (pictured, middle) had studied Dorothy Day, the movement's founder who was also a Benedictine Oblate. "It seemed right to incorporate some of the stability and balance of Benedict into my life," said Ro

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

Pope Benedict used to say that Christian life consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God and coming back down again, reminded Fr. Jerome Kodell. It was a timely reminder for the approximately seventy Oblates and Oblate Directors who were listening to Fr. Jerome’s keynote at the North American Association of Oblate Directors (NAABOD), July 10-15, 2015. They had gathered to reflect on that up and down movement in Benedictine spirituality of deepening one’s relati