Ministries Abroad
Throughout our history we have opened our doors to those who have depended on us spiritually, physically and even financially. Now we go forth, opening the doors of our hearts to communities around the world. As we do so, we often see poverty and deprivation face-to-face. At the same time, however, we see joy, enthusiasm, ingenuity and happiness. We share this hope for the future.
The Sisters of Monasterio Santa Maria in Rauten, Chile 
The Duluth Benedictines brought a special gift with them on one of their visits to Chile...a chain saw! The Sisters in Chile finance their livelihood through various trades, such as woodworking and baking.  Monasterio Santa Maria, Rauten, Chile, Sister Moira working on her wood-burning art.
Monasterio Santa Maria, Rauten, Chile – Sisters working on their grounds. 
Monasterio Santa Maria, Rauten, Chile - Sisters selling their crop of oranges |
"Our 'Twinning' Program, the sister-monastery relationships that we have with Benedictine Sisters in Chile and Tanzania, fill me with hope. These international connections help us see beyond our own borders and our own experience, providing evidence that our fifteen-hundred year tradition continues to give life to cultures different from our own." — Sister Martha Bechtold, director of Monastery facilities
Sister Gaudensia Myanyika, a member of St. Agnes Monastery, our Twinning Monastery in Imiliwaha, Tanzania, received her Bachelor's degree in Educational Studies from the college sponsored by St. Scholastica Monastery. The degree is the culmination of years of study and, in the last semester, a teaching practicum that placed her in classrooms with students of all ages - from kindergarten to junior high - and widely spread throughout the region. |
Monasterio Santa Maria, Rauten, Chile - Sister Alicia working on her icon art. 
Rauten, Chile - Sisters in a procession celebrating a holy feast day. 
Postulants of St. Gertrude's in Imiliwaha, Tanzania, present Sister Beverly Raway with a gift of a pair of doves. |
Sister Lois with the children during her 2008 visit to Imiliwaha, Tanzania |
On a recent trip to visit our sister communities in Tanzania, Duluth's Sister Martha Bechtold met her "twin," Sister Martha of Imiliwaha. |
Sister Beverly Raway (right) with Sister Beneto, the baker, at St. Agnes Convent, Chipole, Tanzania, brushing vegetable oil on the freshly baked buns prepared for breakfast and tea time. |
