A Legacy of Care: Celebrating 26 Years of Faithful Service

Chris Folkenson retires after 26 years of ministry

For 26 years, Chris Folkenson has quietly shaped the daily life of St. Paul’s Monastery and the Benedictine Center through a ministry rooted not in the spotlight, but in steadfast care. As housekeeper, she tended to the spaces where prayer unfolds, where guests arrive seeking rest, and where the Sisters carry out their rhythm of community life. Her work—often unseen—has been essential, creating an atmosphere of welcome that reflects the Benedictine call to receive each person as Christ.

Over the course of more than two decades, Chris has witnessed profound changes: the movement from a larger community of Sisters to a smaller, close-knit one; the transition from the former Monastery building to the new space in 2009; and the steady evolution of the Benedictine Center as a place of retreat and renewal. Through it all, she has remained a constant presence—one whose care and attention have helped thousands of retreatants feel at home the moment they crossed the threshold.

Yet to describe Chris’s work simply as housekeeping would be to miss its deeper meaning. In a monastery, preparing a room is an act of hospitality, a quiet extension of the community’s prayer and mission. Each bed made, each space readied, became part of a larger ministry—one that offers peace, dignity, and welcome to all who come.

As Chris prepares to retire, we pause with gratitude for the legacy she leaves behind. In the following conversation, she reflects on the path that brought her to the Monastery, the changes she has witnessed, and the meaning she has found in this work. Through her stories, we glimpse not only the history of a place, but the spirit of hospitality that has defined it for generations.

Travis: All right, Chris, set the stage. What first brought you to work at St. Paul’s Monastery 26 years ago.

Chris: I saw ad in the Eastside Review for a housekeeper at the Monastery. I didn’t really know what the Monastery was but the job listed hours from 10:00am-2:00pm and I thought this is perfect so I could get the kids off to school and be back before they got back from school. So, I drove to the Monastery and filled out an application. The receptionist told me that someone would be with me shortly and low and behold it was Sister Mary Lou [Dummer] who was the liturgist at the church we were attending. Sister Mary Lou asked “What are you doing here!?” and I shared that I applied for the housekeeping job. Sister said to me “You know, I need somebody in the role for the long-haul!” And I think 26 years counts as a “long-haul”!

Travis: How big was the Community of Sisters when you started?

Chris: I think a little more than 80 at that time.

Travis: What were your first impressions of the Sisters and the Monastery community at that time?

Chris: You know, I did feel a little intimidated by the Sisters because I thought we had to treat them differently, that they aren’t like normal people, they’re Sisters. But I was told by one Sister that “You know, we’re just like everybody else, just like you. You don’t need to treat us any different.” I’m not sure if she thought I was nervous. It did take some time to get used to the rhythm of the Monastery and their routines, working around their schedules. But it did not take long to fit in.

Travis: I think most people reading this are familiar with our current Monastery building but might not have memories of our former building. What was that space like?

Chris: There were five floors of bedrooms with the main level for the Benedictine Center and administrative offices. It wasn’t until four years after I started that Sister Carol Rennie came to me and she said “I have a proposition for you, what do you think of working in the Benedictine Center preparing guest rooms?” I thought about it for a couple days and thought “Sure, why not?!” and I’ve been doing it ever since. There was another staff person who was doing the laundry and two years after I said yes to the Benedictine Center I started doing laundry and needless to say by that time I was a full-time employee. And I loved it. I loved working here, with the Sisters and their guests.

Travis: What is a memory that stands out from those first early years?

Chris: Getting used to the Sisters’ routines! I used to mop the dining room in the old building after lunch at 1:00pm. I started mopping one day and Sister Bernarda came through the room on her scooter, so I thought, next time I will start mopping later. So, I start mopping later on the next day and here comes Sister Bernarda again on her scooter. She had waited for later just like I waited! We both had the same idea! We had a little chat about our care for each other and worked out our timing.

Travis: You’ve seen a lot of change over the last 26 years, from the size of our Community, to changing monastery buildings, what has it been like being part of these transitions?

Chris: I was sad to see the trees come down when they built the new monastery. The grounds have always been so beautiful. Packing up the former Monastery and getting the new bedrooms set up was fun. We did keep one floor open for guests at the old Monastery for a while. I would go back and forth at times with the laundry cart to do laundry at the new Monastery and then bringing the fresh linens back to the old Monastery. Thankfully we didn’t use those old rooms all that much (only when we filled every guest room at the new Monastery and needed more). Though, in those early years of the new Monastery, we saw more and more guests staying with us. It was a lot of work. But I always made sure a room was ready for the guest when they come. I went out of my way to make sure of that. Hospitality, to me, is that your room is ready to receive you when you arrive.

Travis: You talked about having the rooms prepared. You’ve shown that this isn’t primarily a housekeeper role, it’s a hospitality role. I bet over 26 years the number of guests you’ve welcomed is in the thousands. What does the Benedictine value of hospitality mean to you in the work you do here?

Chris: Preparing a welcoming environment for all guests. After I clean a guestroom, I always stand in the doorway and just look. I am noticing things I may have missed and the general feel of the room. I want a guest to walk into a room and have their first thought be “Oh, this is so nice.” This is what I want people to feel. So, I make sure it is clean, welcoming, so that they feel they can relax and rest—even if they are only here for a day retreat. This allows them to forget about their worries and relax and rest with us.

Travis: Are there any moments with retreatants that stick out and remind you of why this work matters?

Chris: So many. I used to help greet groups and individuals to retreats. I would get to know them and the next time they come they’d know my name and would be happy to see me. We’d get to chat for a while. And, they would book for the next visit and ask if I’d be here when they would be here. I always made sure every retreatant—individual and group—had what they needed.

Travis: Is there something over the last 26 years that you can look back on and really be proud of?

Chris: I’m going to say the Benedictine Center. I went out of my way to make sure retreat experiences went well for everyone.

Travis: What does retirement look like for you? What are you looking forward to?

Chris: Not getting up at 4:30am in the morning! And relaxing and making time for myself and my family.

Travis: As you transition out of your ministry at the Monastery, what hopes or blessings do you have for the Sisters?

Chris: That their mission continues and the Benedictine Center thrives and continues into the future for all seeking rest.

Travis: Anything else you’d like to share?

Chris: I’m going to miss the Sisters dearly and the employees. I’ve made a lot of friends here. It will be hard to leave.