Announcing the Election of a Prioress

Sister Catherine Nehotte, OSB elected to a second term

The Benedictine Sisters of St. Paul's Monastery joyfully announce that Sister Catherine Nehotte, OSB has been elected to a second five-year term as Prioress of St. Paul's Monastery.

The process of electing a prioress is rooted in prayer, silence, and deep discernment. The Sisters listened prayerfully to the prompting of the Holy Spirit drafting direction statements for what is needed for the next five years. From this lens, the Sisters prayerfully discerned which among them God called forth to lead the community.

Our Sisters have a strong 76-year history in the Twin Cities. St. Paul's Monastery was founded in 1948 by 178 consecrated Benedictine women religious from Saint Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, MN (at the time the largest community of Benedictine Sisters in the world). Each prioress guided the Sisters of this Monastery boldly through the decades as the Church and the world around them changed.

The first priory was founded at 301 Summit Avenue (next to the Cathedral of Saint Paul, National Shrine of the Apostle Paul). The Sisters served in education, health care, administration, music and liturgy, and so much more. The Sisters were instrumental in care at St. Joseph Home for Children, Saint Therese Senior Living, senior care at Winstead, housekeeping and dining care at the Jesuit Retreat House at Demontreville, and the Bishops' residences. And ministering to thousands of students through their Benedictine values and practices in Archdiocesan Catholic Schools and missions.

Hill-Murray School (then Archbishop Murray Memorial High School) was built and then-operated by the Sisters opened in 1958 until 2000.

The Sisters moved into a new Monastery near Hill-Murray in 1965 until they moved into their current Monastery in 2009 next to the former Monastery.

The Sisters opened the Benedictine Center, a guest house and retreat center, in 1983. In 1991, the Sisters opened Maple Tree Childcare Center in their former laundry building renovated to provide affordable faith-based childcare in the east Metro.

Currently, in addition to our 18 Sisters, the Benedictine way of life at St. Paul's Monastery is strengthened by two Benedictine Associates, and 180 Oblate members, and a thriving ministry at the Benedictine Center.

More History Here

This week Sister Lynn Elisabeth and Sister Lynn Marie of the Benedictine Sisters in Cullman, Alabama joined our Sisters facilitating the monastic community's Discernment and Election of Prioress process. Also present to preside over the election was Sister Nancy Bauer, President of the Monastic Congregation of St. Benedict of which our Monastery is a member.

St. Paul's Monastery is exceptionally joyful to announce to you that Sister Catherine Nehotte, OSB will serve a second term for our community.

Learn more about St. Paul's Monastery's Prioress Sister Catherine Nehotte, OSB in this Words of Wisdom article written in 2022.

About Our Prioress

Prioresses of St. Paul's Monastery, St. Paul, Minnesota

• Mother Loraine Tracy (1948-1954)  d.1966
• Mother Marcelline Jung (1954-1966)  d.1990
• Sister Rose Alice Althoff (1966-1972)  d.2008
• Sister Cleo Schoenbauer (1972-1980)  d.2011
• Sister Duane Moes (1980-1984) d .2020
• Sister Rosemary Rader (1984-1991)  d.2022
• Sister Eleanor Wartman (1991-1996)
• Sister Marie Fujan (1996-2004)
• Sister Carol Rennie (2004-2009)  d.2023
• Sister Lucia Schwickerath (2009-2014)
• Sister Paula Hagen (2014-2019)
• Sister Catherine Nehotte (2019-present)

Support the mission and ministries of the Benedictine of St. Paul's Monastery today with a financial gift. Every dollar shared empowers the Sisters, their employees, their Associates and Oblates, to welcome all as Christ and to live deeply the Benedictine way of life. Your support is essential in this sacred work. Make a gift today!

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