On August 9, 2025, Sister Jeanne Ann Weber was installed as the 15th Prioress of St. Scholastica Monastery. During the simple yet meaningful Installation Ritual, Congregation President Nancy Bauer formally transferred the authority of the office of Prioress. A festive celebratory meal followed, attended by the Monastic Community, friends, and family.
On July 11, 2025, Sister Marena’s Hoogland made her perpetual monastic profession as a member of Annunciation Monastery. Sister Marena’s family and friends from Wisconsin attended. Sister Marena has been a part of Annunciation Monastery since 2017. She teaches seventh grade math at St. Mary’s Academy in Bismarck. Over 50 of her former students and colleagues were in attendance.
The Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery joyfully congratulate Sister Kathleen Atkinson, founder of Ministry on the Margins, and all of her team members and volunteers, for being awarded the Bush Prize: North Dakota.
Ministry on the Margins is a sponsored ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
The following excerpts are from Strengthen ND and the Bush Foundation:
Ministry on the Margins is committed to supporting those who fall through the cracks during times of transition through inclusive hospitality and a space of welcoming, direct service and case management, and resourceful community-based partnerships.
• Ministry on the Margins was selected for its track record of innovation with small and large interventions, service pipeline development, and behavioral health adaptations.
• Small innovations include: health/wellness partnerships, providing vision services, haircuts, manicures/pedicures/foot care, and acupuncture.
• Large innovations include: working with municipal, county, and law enforcement leaders to establish the Coffee House. The Coffee House is open from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am as a space where homeless individuals can stay overnight.
• Ministry on the Margin’s work is driven and influenced by the needs of homeless individuals, the law enforcement community, elected leadership, service providers (including public health), and the faith community.
Clockwise: Bubbles with children, chapel at Ministry on the Margins, and feeding the hungry
On October 25, 2023, Ministry on the Margins celebrated its 10th anniversary. Thank you to all who meet the critical needs of people who may otherwise fall through the cracks in society. Through your loving service, hospitality, mentoring, prayers, and outreach, you make a tremendous impact.
Gratitude and blessings to all who are a part of this amazing ministry. Thank you for “walking the walk,” each day!
Sister Kathleen Atkinson from Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, ND
Sister Nancy Bauer, president of the Monastic Congregation of St. Benedict, celebrated the first week of Easter with the sisters of St. Placid Priory in Lacey, WA, a member monastery of the congregation. The April 11-15 visit marked Sister Nancy’s first trip to this far west Benedictine community which was founded in 1952 by sisters from St. Benedict’s Monastery in central Minnesota.
St. Placid Priory has twelve sisters, two novices who will soon make their first profession, and a cat. The priory building is surrounded by towering Douglas fir trees which can stretch more than 300 feet into the air. The Pacific Ocean and Mount Ranier are not too far away. In other words, the priory sits in a sea of natural beauty.
St. Placid’s is a community that balances contemplation with action. The sisters provide spiritual ministries through The Priory Spirituality Center. Sister Monika Ellis creates colorful designs in her art studio. Sister Laura Swan writes books on monastic topics. The priory is home to a gift shop that provides religious books and articles that can be ordered online.
Sister Nancy was treated to a photo expedition to Quinault Rain Forest which is about two hours from the priory. At the end of her visit, the congregation president was puzzled about just one thing. When she asked about the cat’s name, she got four or five different answers. It seems the sisters who hang out with kitty each have their own name for her.
Sister Jonathan was adorned with corsages, a tiara, and a sash for her 100th birthday celebration. She is pictured with her niece, Kirstene Herda.
Sister Jonathan Herda, a member of Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph. MN, celebrated her 100th birthday on February 21, 2023.
Sister Jonathan grew up on a family farm in Lonsdale, MN, and made her first profession in 1944 and her perpetual profession in 1947.
After first profession, Sister Jonathan became a registered X-ray technician and served in that capacity in various locations, including St. Cloud, MN, and Ogden, UT. In the 1970s, she switched to Clinical Pastoral Education and became a certified hospital chaplain, serving in Tacoma and Spokane, WA, and Bismarck, ND. In more recent years, she has vigiled with sisters of her own community in their final days.
In 2019, on her 75th jubilee of profession, Sister Jonathan said, “My mission is to bring the love of Jesus to whomever I meet, wherever I am sent.”
“My mission is to bring the love of Jesus to whomever I meet, wherever I am sent.”
Sister Jonathan
Sister Laura Suhr (left) and Sister Bridgette Powers (right) with Sister Susan Rudolph, prioress of Saint Benedict’s Monastery.
Sister Jayne Erickson (center) made her first monastic profession at Saint Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, Minnesota on September 17th.
Monastic Congregation of St. Benedict 