What is it you seek?

The Story of Benedictine Women in America

Erin Carey

Throughout Christian history, there have been opportunities for individuals to devote themselves to the search for God by taking vows and devoting their life to the search for the divine. Today, there are expressions of this search including Franciscan, Jesuit, Dominican, Carmelite, Trappists, Ursulines and many many more.

Monks, Brothers, Nuns and Sisters are all common ways that individuals commit their lives to one of these expressions- taking vows to live according to the values of the order.

Good Lands is a non-profit that "provides the information, insights, and implementation tools for the Catholic Church to leverage its landholdings to address pressing issues, from environmental destruction to mass human migration." They do this through mapping technology like Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This allows the church to see its environmental and ministerial impact, opportunities for responsible stewardship, and population.

Religious Sisters and Nuns impact and have impacted the world in many ways including establishing medical facilities, educating children and ministering to the world's most vulnerable populations. Sisters have a global reach with over 650,000 sisters around the world (Salt Lake Tribune, 2020):

Sisters Count per Diocese (GoodLands)

What is Benedictine?

Benedictines are essentially people who follow the Rule of Benedict (most commonly known as Catholic monks or sisters)

The Benedictine way of life has been around for over 1500 years- dating back to 529 A.D.

St. Benedict is the founder of Benedictine Life and the writer of the Rule of Benedict.

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What makes Benedictines different from other religious communities?

The Rule of Benedict provides ways of living that promote Community Life, Hospitality, and Stability.

Benedictines pray the Liturgy of the Hours, a combination of Psalms and Scripture Readings, throughout the day. Some communities pray as often as 9 times a day. Others focus on Morning, Mid-Day and Evening Prayer.

Benedictine Women in America

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At the time of her death, there were only 6 communities founded. She never got to see the entirety of Benedictine life in America.

Benedictine Communities as of 1862 during the Civil War - Confederacy green, North red, border states yellow (DavidRumseyMaps)

During her trip to Europe, Benedicta had a dream of a blossoming tree which symbolized to her what would be the blossoming of Benedictine life in America in years to come. The following 150+ years have been followed by growth, expansion and changes- the fulfillment of her dream.

Explore the Growth and Change in Benedictine Life in America

Press Play in the bottom center of the map to begin the Slider. Time moves in 5 year increments.

Impact of Benedictine Life in America

Schools tried to forcibly assimilate Indigenous kids. Can the U.S. make amends?

The story of Benedictine Women in America can't be told fully without the acknowledgement of their impact on indigenous communities. Boarding schools were operated by sisters from the St. Cloud community in White Earth, Minnesota. Indigenous students from the White Earth Reservation were offered food and shelter but at a terrible price. The school forcibly attempted to assimilate students to the "American" way of life and take away their cultures, practices and values. The video at left explains the outreach today between the monastery and the White Earth community to offer amends for past wrongs.

The Past Informs the Future

As the number of Sisters in the United States sees an overall decline (see map below), communities are having conversations about what the future will hold for them, their ministries and their legacy.

Change in Sisters (2000-2016) Goodlands

Benedictine Sisters in America have been through controversy and trials to the spread of their order. Following Vatican II (ending in the 1960s), religious orders were challenged to look to their founders to reinterpret their living in the modern world. In the 1960s, it meant loosing the traditional habit and an opening of doors to occupations other than teaching.

Today, it is still unfolding what Benedictine life will look like in America but "the search for monastic identity is secondary among monastics to the search of God. It is the courage of faithful listening and trust in what that reveals that have enabled and will continue to enable, American Benedictine women to be true daughters and bearers of the heritage of... Benedict" (Sutera, 1987).

"Listen with the ear of your heart." - Rule of Benedict Prologue

Works Cited

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