School Takes Over Monastery Care

Fifteen Benedictine Sisters living at St. Paul's Monastery in Maplewood will no longer manage their own property or finances. On Oct. 20, the monastery and Hill-Murray School announced a formal covenant called Mutual Blessings. This agreement transfers stewardship of the grounds and financial resources to the school. The Vatican approved the arrangement after a review period that lasted nearly a year.

Sister Catherine Nehotte, the prioress of the monastery, said the decision followed years of careful consideration. The sisters evaluated several options for their future, including transitioning into hospice or elderly care facilities. However, the group decided that keeping their values alive through education was the best path forward.

The community at St. Paul's Monastery is aging, with a median age that Sister Catherine described as high. She noted that the sisters had been waiting patiently for Rome to approve their plan to share their legacy. The monastery and the school have a long history. In 1971, Archbishop Murray Memorial High School and Hill High School merged to form Hill-Murray. The new school chose the building that the Benedictine Sisters had constructed.

Melissa Dan, the president of Hill-Murray, said the school feels a duty to honor that shared history. She noted that the values of the order, specifically simplicity, humility, and silence, resonate with students in a noisy and divided world. The school already offers a Certificate in Benedictine Formation, which teaches students about the ways of St. Benedict. Dan said students are eager to learn these traditions.

The covenant is a two-way arrangement. Hill-Murray will take care of the sisters through the end of their lives. Sister Catherine said the sisters believe they have enough funds to cover that care even after transferring property and maintenance costs to the school. The school will also manage the physical campus. The monastery and the school are located on the same grounds, which should allow for better operational efficiency.

Because the property is valuable, the sisters needed approval from their monastic congregation. This group represents ten monasteries responsible for the St. Paul community. The congregation then sought final approval from the Vatican. Sister Catherine said the process was slow because good discernment requires time. She quoted the Rule of St. Benedict, which begins with the word listen. The sisters listened deeply to determine the best future for their community.

Sister Catherine joked that Hill-Murray will do more than just mow over her grave when she dies. She said the school will carry the values of the order into the world beyond the monastery walls. Dan said the partnership is a mutual blessing. The school gains a spiritual home, and the sisters gain a future for their mission.

The transfer of administrative burdens from the sisters to the school is now complete. The two institutions will operate as a single campus. This change allows the sisters to focus on their spiritual life while the school handles the physical and financial maintenance of the property.