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On Sunday, January 24th, Bishop Paul Sirba, the new bishop of the Diocese of Duluth, visited St. Scholastica Monastery. He started out by visiting the Sisters on Benet Hall. They enjoyed his personableness and humor.  He appreciated the fact each of the Sisters pray for a particular parish in the Diocese.

Bishop Paul Sirba greets Sister Devota during his visit in Benet Hall

After the meal, the Sisters prayed a blessing over the Bishop. Then Sr. Lois presented him with a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict whose artistry was done by +Sr. Mary Charles McGough O.S.B. of our Community. The calligraphy was done by Meredith Schifsky, an Oblate with this Community. He also received Sister Joan Chittister’s commentary on The Rule.

Bishop Paul Sirba then shared words of gratitude for the Sisters' prayer and their ministry, especially in the Diocese of Duluth. Then he prayed a special blessing over them.

Sister Ethel Radtke celebrated her 90th birthday with her Community on Sunday, January 17, and and blew out the candles on a colorful, beautifully decorated cupcake-cake.

       Sister Pauline helps Sister Ethel display her
               cake celebrating her 90th birthday.

Sister Ethel has lived a varied and dedicated life of ministry. She was born in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1920.  She entered the Monastery as a postulant in 1941, took her first vows the next year, and made her perpetual profession in July of 1945.

Sister Ethel studied biology and chemistry to get a master's degree in biology, and even began work on a doctorate in plant physiology at Notre Dame.  She started out teaching sciences such as anatomy and physiology, biology, mathematics, and chemistry at Villa Scholastica, Cathedral High School, and The College of St. Scholastica.

Her life took a different turn as she began working as chairwoman of the Adult Education Program for two years at Holy Redeemer Center in Two Rivers in 1968.  Following that she came back to Minnesota and worked in the Squaw Lake area. Her ministry took the forms of Indian Apostolate Coordinator, Community Resource person, religious education teacher, and elderly caregiver. But her activities with the American Indian citizens of Squaw Lake were varied, small tasks and big jobs, working on personal, civic, and religious levels.  She earned the love and respect of many friends while there.  She returned to live at the Monastery in 2006.

And now she is the Monastery's newest nonagenarian.  Have a second piece of cake, Sister Ethel, and Happy Birthday!

At evening prayers on Wednesday, January 13, the Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery and the employees of Benedictine Health System and of the Benedictine Health Center, were commissioned in their continued work and prayers for the BHS. Prioress Lois Eckes with Dale Thompson, BHS President/CEO, and Becky Urbansky, BHS SVP Mission Integration/Community Marketing, handed out commemorative pins to BHS and BHC officers and employees.

The Sisters created the BHS in 1985 and have been sponsoring the system ever since. As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, all BHS member organizations, about 50 in seven states, will hold services for the commissioning and blessing of their leaders and employees.

Pictured below are, left, map of the 7 states with BHS member institutions, and right, Becky Urbanski, Dale Thompson, Sister Lois Eckes, with Sister Claudia Riehl, BHS Senior Consultant, Benedictine Heritage and Values.

Each year on Epiphany Sunday, all the Sisters, including our Sisters from Benet Hall, gather in the area surrounding the entrance to the Monastery. Sr. Lois, Prioress prays: “Today we come to ask God’s blessing on our dwelling place, on everyone who is resident at the Monastery, and on everyone who passes this way.”

She then incenses the entrance and all who are gathered.

Sr. Lisa holds the thurifer while Sr. Lois prepares the incense.

20 + C + M + B + 10

"The Three Magi, Caspar, Melchoir, and Balthasar
followed the star of God's Son who became human
two thousand ten years ago.

"May Christ bless our dwelling and remain with us
in our comings and goings throughout this New Year."

Sister Magdalen (formerly Magdella) Dooper, OSB, 97, of St. Scholastica Monastery, died December 27, 2009. She entered the Duluth Benedictine community on February 24, 1931, and was admitted to the novitiate November 13, 1931, when she received the name “Magdella.” Many years later she returned to her baptismal name. Sister made her first profession December 30, 1932, and professed final monastic vows July 11, 1936. She observed the 70th anniversary of her profession July 28, 2002, and at the time of her death she was in the 77th year of her monastic profession.

Sister Magdalen was born in Amery, Wisconsin, November 23, 1912, the first of eight children born to Bernard and Catherine (Dosch) Dooper. Her early life was spent in the Amery area where she attended the public elementary and secondary schools.

In 1930 she enrolled at The College of St. Scholastica where she earned a B.S. in elementary education after which she began her teaching ministry. Sister Magdalen taught at St. James, St. John’s, and St. Clement’s in Duluth; Assumption in Hibbing; Marquette in Virginia; and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Cloquet. Later Sister earned an Executive Housekeeper Certification through the National Executive Housekeepers Association. As a member of this association, Sister Magdalen held offices in both the Head of the Lakes Chapter and the Upper Midwest District. She was a member of the Council on Aging of the Duluth Community Fund.

She served as prefect of nurses at St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Duluth and as sacristan at Hibbing General Hospital in Hibbing. For the last forty years of her active career Sister Magdalen worked with the elderly at St Anne’s in Duluth. In this work she served in various capacities: bookkeeper, administrator, executive housekeeper, house director, and supervisor of linen and housekeeping. In 1996 Sister Magdalen retired and returned to the Monastery where she continued to provide craft items for the Monastery gift shop and participated in prayer ministry.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Edward, Bernard, and August; her sisters Irene, Elizabeth, and Marie; a step-sister, Florence, and a step-brother, Francis. Besides the Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery she is survived by her sister Dorothy O’Meara and by many other relatives, including Sister Michelle Dosch, OSB, of St. Scholastica Monastery.

A wake service was held at 9:30 a.m. in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel, St. Scholastica Monastery, with visitation until 10:45 a.m. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 11 a.m. in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel with Father Ronald Gagne presiding. All services were held on Wednesday, December 30, 2009. Interment was in Gethsemane Cemetery. Memorials to the Tanzanian Twinning Project of St. Scholastica Monastery are preferred. Arrangements were by Bell Brothers Jarvi Dowd Funeral Home.

CSS President Larry Goodwin hands Sister Paracleta her diploma.

Sister Paracleta Ezema graduated with a degree in Nursing from The College of St. Scholastica on Saturday, December 19th.

Sister Paracleta with Sister Lois Eckes, prioress of St. Scholastica Monastery (on left)and Sister Vitalis Iwuoha, mother superior of the HFSN convent of St. Rose of Lima, located in Newark, New Jersey.

Sister Paracleta, a member of the Holy Family Sisters of the Needy in Nekede, Owerri, Nigeria, has been living with the Sisters here at the Monastery during her years of study. While she was with us, we have witnessed her ambition and determination and enjoyed her good humor.

On December 27th during Evening Prayer, we celebrated one of the most joyous events in the life of a religious community. Sister Luce Marie Dionne made her First Monastic Profession, a three-year promise to live a life of stability, fidelity to monastic life, and obedience in our Monastery.

Sr. Lois Eckes, Prioress of St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, MN, proclaimed the first reading of Isaiah 61:1-3, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me…”

December 14th was an exciting day for the diocese of Duluth, as it was the Episcopal Ordination day of Bishop Paul Sirba, ninth Bishop of this diocese.

Bishop Paul walks through the assembly offering a special blessing.

Over forty Sisters from the Monastery participated at this memorable and grace-filled occasion.

The joint Advent Vespers service was held on Tuesday,  December 1,  at 4:20 p.m. in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel. The service was sponsored by The College of St. Scholastica and St. Scholastica Monastery, and the theme was Awakening to the Light.

It could be imagined that even heavenly choirs may have paused in their choruses to listen to the beautiful musical offerings of the students, faculty, and Sisters.  The voices and instrumental music were exquisitely evocative of the yearning that is Advent.  Prioress Lois Eckes, CSS Professor Gary Boelhower, Senior Josie Johnson, and Paula Byrne shared the readings.

Regina Roemhildt directed the Monastery schola.  Jerry Kaldor directed the CSS choruses which included the Collegiate Chorus, the Chamber Choir, and The Men's Choir.  There were also a harp solo by Brianne Anshus and a vocal solo by Sister Luce Marie Dionne.