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176. St. Benedict's Convent and Academy, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1914?
Description:
First 50 years of the College of Saint Benedict (CSB). The Sisters of St. Benedict opened a boarding academy (grade and high school levels) in St. Joseph, Minnesota in 1880. By the early 1900s, it was well established and thriving, with over 200 pupils.
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

177. St. Benedict's Convent Cemetery and St. Gertrude Hall of the Academy, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1900
Description:
Expansion of Monastery (1880-1909). St. Benedict's Convent Cemetery plot was laid out in 1884. Prior to that time, the first twelve sisters who died were buried in the parish cemetery (with the exception of Mother Benedicta Riepp, who was buried in St. Cloud). The grave markers attest to the exceptionally early age of death due to the toll of the rigors of pioneer life -- the scarcity of good food; the exposure to the cold and to epidemics; inadequate medical care; and the pressures of work and overcrowded conditions. During the first 57 years, 95 sisters died; the average age at death was less than 30 years. The grave markers are unique. The first were simple iron crosses. From 1890 to 1935, the community purchased a more elaborately designed cross with a plaque bearing the inscribed information of name and the dates of birth, profession, and death. Later the community purchased granite upright-markers; at present granite flat-footstones are used. In 1884 Mother Benedicta Riepp's remains were brought from St. Cloud to St. Joseph. The grave, marked with an iron cross, has been a place of pilgrimage, not only for the sisters of St. Benedict's Monastery, but also for other American Benedictine sisters and for citizens of Mother Benedicta's birthplace, Waal, Germany (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

178. St. Benedict's Industrial School for girls, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Creator:
Saint John's Abbey (SJA), Collegeville, Minnesota
Date Created:
1886
Description:
Early ventures in St. Joseph, Minnesota (1880-1890). After a fire in April of 1886 destroyed the church and school complex that had housed the Industrial School, the sisters temporarily provided room and board in the convent. Immediately, the construction of Marmion Hall, the new Industrial School, was begun between the St. Joseph Church and St. Benedict's Convent/Academy. It was ready for the fall term of 1886 for girls from White Earth Indian Reservation (White Earth Band of Ojibwe). Because of the new quarters and the inspector's good report of the St. Benedict's Industrial School, the Indian Commissioner subsequently expanded the contract permitting the sisters to take any number of pupils and to draw them from any Indian reservation. However, even though the enrollment in the school increased to 100, only 25 were paid for by the government (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

179. St. Bernard's Church and School (front right of church), St. Paul, Minnesota

Date Created:
1890?
Description:
Schools in south-central Minnesota (1876-1909). By 1890, St. Bernard's Parish, clustered around Rice Street in St. Paul, furnished a combination church and school for 220 pupils. Three Benedictine sisters opened a mission there. With frequent additions and finally a new school, St. Bernard's became the largest grade school staffed by the Benedictine sisters -- eventually having an enrollment of 1,280 students (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

180. Steel girders supporting the dome of Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Creator:
Knevel, Harry
Date Created:
1913-01-07
Description:
Construction of Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Benedict's Monastery (January 7, 1913). The steel supports of the dome were even more intricate than those for the roof. It included supports for eight stained glass windows. The smaller circular support to the left was for a stain-glass window above the main altar apse. Here, the Kilmer family's donation of the "Holy Spirit" stained glass, circular window was installed in 1935.
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

181. St. John Cantius Convent, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Date Created:
1900?
Description:
Schools in St. Cloud (1869-1909); St. Benedict's Monastery (convent), St. Joseph, Minnesota. John and Mary (Krafta) Schaefer's house in St. Cloud on the corner of 15th Avenue and 3rd Street, which had been mortaged to help pay for the church, served as the Benedictine sisters' convent in St. John Cantius (Polish) Parish from 1902 to 1957. St. Benedict's Convent had by 1902 accepted Polish-speaking members who were ready to teach in the Polish schools that were developing in the diocese. By 1887, a small group of Poles was ready to form a Polish parish in St. Cloud. At first they used the basement of Holy Angels for religious services. Then in 1893 they acquired land in Edelbrock's Addition and used a social hall, on 16th Avenue and 3rd Street, as their first church. In 1901, St. John Cantius Church was dedicated; it is the oldest original Catholic Church in St. Cloud. The social hall was remodeled in 1902 and there the Benedictine sisters opened a school for 40 pupils. (This summary of the development of St. John Cantius Parish is gleaned from their centennial history written by Sister Owen Lindblad, OSB. (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Owen Lindblad, pages 1-11).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

182. St. Joseph Church rectory and a portion of the convent and school complex (to the right) on Main Street, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Creator:
Saint John's Abbey (SJA), Collegeville, Minnesota
Date Created:
1887
Description:
Early years in St. Joseph, Minnesota (1863-1880). In the early 1860s, St. Joseph (Clinton) was a settlement of 80 families scattered on farms within a radius of 30 miles from the village, which was comprised of 5 homes and the church-school-rectory complex. The settlement flourished so that by 1869, St. Joseph could boast of 180 families. This staunch German Catholic community built a large Gothic style church (1871) and rectory (1874) from stones which the parishioners gathered from their fields. However, because they depended on the district schools, they did not build a parochial school at this time. In 1862, two sisters from the Benedictine community in St. Cloud were invited by the pastor to teach in the St. Joseph district school. After two years, the sisters experienced the same controversy about government support as they had in St. Cloud. In fact, the school board dismissed the sisters and gave H. L. Duerr a four-year teaching contract. This forced the sisters to seek other means of support by establishing an academy, orphanage, and industrial school. The sisters continued these projects even after they were re-employed as district school teachers at the completion of Duerr's contract in 1868. Besides teaching in the St. Joseph School District 9, others (Sisters Aurelia Bissen, Romana Widmer, and Gonzaga Kevenhoerster) taught in District 108 and three (Sisters Cecilia Kapsner, Hilaria Finske, and Vincentia Phiilipp) taught in District 1 (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; McDonald, pages 57-60; Idelia Loso, pages 19-21, 36, 39-40).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

183. St. Joseph District School, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1877?
Description:
Early years in St. Joseph, Minnesota (1863-1880). A new St. Joseph District School #9 was built next to the St. Joseph's Church in 1877. The sisters continued to teach there even though the public versus parochial school controversy had not completely subsided. However, when in 1914, the State Attorney General reinforced an earlier court opinion that the wearing of religious garb while teaching in public schools was unlawful, the parish bought the district school and made it the official St. Joseph's Parochial School. It was later replaced by a larger school which eventually became known as the St. Joseph Lab School in association with the department of education of the College of St. Benedict (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, McDonald, page 180; Loso, pages 39-40).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Postcards

184. St. Joseph's Orphanage, St. Paul, Minnesota

Date Created:
1900?
Description:
By 1887, the number of orphans increased to 47 boys and 43 girls and a new wing was added to St. Joseph's Orphanage in St. Paul. However, this orphanage quickly outgrew its downtown location and became a problem for Assumption Parish where they were educated. A suitable place was found at the outskirts of the city on Randolph Street. Here a large orphanage, including farm buildings and a shop for the boys, was built in 1900. Through the years, the sisters' salary remained at $10.00 a month. Despite some diocesan aid, the sisters were forced to go begging for funds throughout the state; some went with wagons, soliciting food from hotels and bakeries. Later this orphanage became known as St. Joseph's Home for Children and eventually was merged with Minneapolis Catholic Boys Home and moved to the Minneapolis location (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

185. St. Joseph's School, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date Created:
1882
Description:
Schools in south-central Minnesota (1876-1909). In 1875, St. Joseph's parish, situated in the heart of Minneapolis, opened a small school for 50 pupils under the care of the Sisters of Charity. The following year, because of an expected increase in enrollment, the Benedictine Sisters from St. Joseph, MN, were asked to assume charge of the school. By 1882, a large new parish school was built. Within 30 years, the enrollment increased to 400 with 8 sisters teaching (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

186. St. Martin Church and Rectory, St. Martin, Minnesota

Creator:
Saint John's Abbey (SJA), Collegeville, Minnesota
Date Created:
1891
Description:
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). This "cathedral on the prairie," like so many other churches dotting the landscape of Stearns County (sometimes referred to as "Little Germany") was reminiscent of the churches in the Old World. St. Martin's Parish first built the rectory (1875) and eleven years later built this church. They did not build a parochial school at this time, but, like most other German communities, invited the Benedictine sisters in 1877 to teach in the district school at St. Martin. The ensuing conflict so rocked the small Catholic community that the sisters chose to withdraw in 1891. After a sixty-year lapse of time, the parish built a parochial school for 212 pupils and the Benedictine sisters returned to teach there. It is most unusual that, despite the turmoil of the early history of St. Martin, fourty-four young women from St. Martin's Parish joined the Benedictine community in St. Joseph (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

187. St. Mary's Church and St. Mary's School built on the shores of Lake George, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Date Created:
1864 - 1887
Description:
Schools in St. Cloud (1869-1909). By 1860, St. Cloud had expanded from its four homes in 1854 to 1,651 citizens. The 1856 church/school/convent was no longer adequate. In 1864, St. Mary's parishioners built a new church on the shores of Lake George. The large Gothic-style church served the parish for almost 60 years . When it was destroyed by fire, another church, the present St. Mary's Cathedral, was built. St. Mary's Parish eventually solved the school controversy by building its own parochial school. The first one in 1887 was a one-story frame building to accommodate 180 pupils. In 1896, a large parochial school, still in use today, was built next to St. Mary's Church (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives ; Witte, pages 10-11, 17; Dominik, John, J. pages 12-14, 20).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

188. St. Mary's Church, School and Convent, St. Germain and Hanover Streets, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Creator:
Saint John's Abbey (SJA), Collegeville, Minnesota
Date Created:
1877
Description:
Early years in St. Cloud (1857-1863). The upper floor of St. Mary's Church and School was renovated in 1858 to serve as the second convent for the Benedictine sisters. St. Mary's was the first Catholic parish in St. Cloud. It was organized in 1855 by Father Francis Xavier Pierz, the missionary who had lured Catholic Germans to America (specifically to Minnesota) in the early 1850s with promises of farming and wood lands, rivers, opportunity, and freedom. The year before the Benedictine sisters arrived at St. Mary's Parish, the pastor had opened a private school in a room in Joseph Edlebrock's house. His intention was to complete the section of the complex meant for the school and to have the sisters take charge. However, the parishioners, fearful of losing government support and desirous of managing their church and school, did not accept that arrangement. The sisters then started their own convent school and continued the lessons they had given while at Tenvoorde's house for children of any interested settlers. Twenty children enrolled the first days after the sisters opened St. Mary's School. Among the girls were: Mary Edelbrock, Lizzie Rosenberger, Catherine Felders, and Mary Brown. Among the boys were: Anton, Barney, and Joseph Edelbrock, Henry Rosenberrger, John Niebler, Joseph Reichert, and Louis Emmel. Among those who took private music lessons were: Jennie and Mary Mitchell, Mary and Jennie Cramsie, Sophia and Cecilia Corbett, and Nettie Swisshelm. (McDonald page37) Jane Swisshelm, the editor of the local newspaper wrote: "There is a school kept by a company of Benedictine nuns where is taught, in addition to the common branches, German, drawing, music, and needlework. The subjects are taught by ladies of polished manners and unusual proficiency. The school is in much favor with our citizens and is in a flourishing condition." (ST CLOUD VISITER, May 20,, June 24, 1858). The reputation of the sisters spread. In 1862, two sisters were invited to the nearby parish of Clinton (St. Joseph) where they taught in the district school. The following year, St. Joseph became the site of the motherhouse of the Benedictine sisters in Minnesota. When St. Mary's Parish built a new school in 1876, the sisters (having returned to St. Cloud in 1869) purchased the former convent/school complex and converted it to St. Agnes Academy. The sisters were hoping to alleviate the overcrowded conditions of the boarding school and sisters' quarters in nearby St. Joseph, where the enrollment of day students alone had reached over 200. The sisters teaching at St. Agnes Academy were pioneers in making a distinction between primary and secondary education in the area. Because this academy never flourished as a boarding school in St. Cloud, the sisters closed it in 1880 and opened St. Joseph's Academy in St. Joseph (McDonald, pages 7-16, 22-23, 36-39, 70-71, 120-123; Patricia Kelly Witte, pages 14-17).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

189. St. Mary's School, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Date Created:
1896?
Description:
Schools in St. Cloud (1869-1909). The three-story St. Mary's school was built in 1896 to accommodate 650 pupils; at that time eight sisters were teaching 480 students at St. Mary's. The growth of the school was phenomenal because the newly-established Holy Angels Parish, just a few blocks north of St. Mary's, also built a three-story school. St. Mary's reached a peak enrollment of 840 in subsequent years. Sisters of St. Benedict served as the faculty of both St. Mary's and Holy Angels Schools as well as of the eight other parish schools that were eventually established in St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Witte, pages 79-80).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

190. St. Paul's School and Parish celebrating a first communion class, Sauk Centre, Minnesota

Date Created:
1900?
Description:
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). Considered the midpoint between Lake Osakis and Sauk Rapids, Sauk Centre grew around a store built in 1861. Soon railroads linked the town with Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Cloud and Manitoba. The settlers built a new parochial school in 1896. It was one of the largest buildings in Sauk Centre -- a three-story structure with classrooms and a music room on the first two floors, living quarters for three Benedictine sisters on third floor and a full basement for parish meetings and activities. A first communion event (see photo) was always celebrated by the entire parish in German communities (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

191. Student Dining rooms, St. Benedict's Academy, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1883 - 1909
Description:
St. Benedict's Academy (1883-1909). Another place for community-bonding and the cultivation of common courtesies in the life of St. Benedict's Academy students was the dining area. Meals were served in home-style fashion at the table. Sister-prefects who dined with the students provided examples of table etiquette, concern for others, and suitable table conversations (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

192. Student Dormitory, St. Benedict's Academy, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1883 - 1909
Description:
Though lacking in privacy, the dormitories of 15 or more students per dorm were places for community-bonding and the cultivation of common courtesies. Sister-prefects lived in the dormitories with the students to foster an atmosphere of quiet and respect for others. Moral training was not formally taught in the classroom; it was hoped that it would be absorbed by the atmosphere and tone of the academy as set by teachers, prefects, and older students. There were strict rules about privacy; no student was to enter another student's "cell" (curtained area around each bed and stand) or desk or to borrow or lend clothing. Polite and gentle manners were just as important as intellectual pursuits (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, McDonald, pages 104-105).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

193. Student Infirmary, St. Benedict's Convent and Academy, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1903 - 1906
Description:
Expansion of Monastery (1880-1909). In 1903 the sisters built a separate house to be used as an infirmary for students on St. Benedict's Convent campus. Because of its segregation from other buildings, it was ideal for isolating patients with contagious diseases; hence dubbed the "pest house." A few years after it was built, more than 100 students and candidates were stricken in the diphtheria epidemic. This building still exists today. It was moved closer to Minnesota Street in St. Joseph and renovated for use as the convent guest house (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

194. Student room in Rotunda in Teresa Hall, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1920?
Description:
First 50 years of the College of Saint Benedict (CSB). "All private rooms (in Teresa Hall) are furnished in mahogany and have hot and cold water. If desired, a number of students may have a room with private bath" (College Bulletin, 1926).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

195. Students at St. Benedict's Academy, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1908 - 1909
Description:
St. Benedict's Academy (1883-1909). Some students of the class of 1908-1909 at St. Benedict's Academy are identified. Top row: 1. Nellie McCarthy, 2. Theresa Kohl, 3. Winnifred Stevens. Second row: 1. Mary Germain, 4. Eleanor Hilger (Sister Inez), 5. Hildegard Heck, 7. Aurelia Oster. Third row: 1. Donalda LaGrandeur, 3. Agnes Kalscheuer, 5. Agnes Engler, 7. Josie McCarthy. Seated: 2. Carola Bernick, 3. Alice Thomas, 4. Nanita Wimmer, 5. Katie Kierserling. Commencement day was always celebrated in great style. For example, the "Annual Catalogue" of 1883-84 and 1889-1900 record that a graduate might wear a "white Swiss, French Lawn, or Nun's veiling dress neatly and plainly made with a high neck and long sleeves . . . black or white boots and white kid gloves." Commencement guests traveled by wagon, carriage, and railroad from many parts of the West; the bishop of St. Cloud, the abbot of St. John's, and as many as twenty clergymen were present for the occasion. The auditorium was decorated with ferns, flowers and wreaths. There were lengthy orations; occasionally the commencement address was given by a prominent layman. For example, in 1884 the speaker was Honorable John Arctander of Willmar, District Attorney and author. The ceremony, together with the distribution of gold medals for excellence in studies and for lady-like conduct (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; McDonald, pages 105-108).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

196. Student sewing room, St. Benedict's Academy, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Creator:
St. John's University Photographic Studio, Collegeville, Minnesota
Date Created:
1886 - 1889
Description:
St. Benedict's Academy (1883-1909; St. Benedict's Monastery (convent), St. Joseph, Minnesota. Some of St. Benedict's Academy students in this sewing class are identified as follows: (at the sewing machines:) the Chester twins and Agnes Kalscha; (at the end of the table:) Christainson and Dorothy Hoesch. The academy catalogues of the 1880s included sewing, ornamental needlework and needle-point lace, and various handcrafts in vogue at the time, such as making wax fruit, muslim and wax flowers, and hair wreaths (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

197. Students of Room #5, St. Joseph's School, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date Created:
1892
Description:
Schools in south-central Minnesota (1876-1909). Many class groups of students posed on the steps of this church, the pride of St. Joseph's Parish in Minneapolis. The twin steeples of St. Joseph's Church graced the city's landscape for about 100 years before the parish complex was razed by the city's highway system and the entire area was re-surfaced for inner city transportation (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

198. Students of St. Benedict's Academy students on "Hats" or "Dress-up" Day, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Date Created:
1903
Description:
St. Benedict's Academy (1883-1909); St. Benedict's Monastery (convent), St. Joseph, Minnesota. While the sisters stressed simplicity in the matter of dress for St. Benedict's Academy students, school dresses could be of any style or color, but black sateen aprons were worn over them during school hours. On Sunday a plain black uniform (with a brooch for the collar) and earrings were to be worn. These regulations made occasions for dressing up something special (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; McDonald, page 105)
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

199. Students of the St. Clotilde's Music and Art Academy (in former St. Benedict's Hospital, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Date Created:
1892?
Description:
St. Clotilde Music and Art Academy (1890-1906). When the sisters built a new hospital east of the Mississippi River, the former St. Benedict's Hospital was converted to an art/music academy for 40 students. The enrollment of this academy grew to 50. At the same time, the sisters opened a kindergarten in the academy for 26 three to nine-year olds; later that enrollment increased to 57. When a third hospital was built on Ninth Avenue next to the former St. Benedict's Hospital, St. Clotilde's Academy was closed and the building became a school of nursing (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Still Image
Format:
Black-and-white photographs

200. "Studio Open House," Christ in the Home television series, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Creator:
Family Films, Inc. (Holy Angels Church, St. Cloud, Minnesota)
Date Created:
1952 - 1954
Description:
"Studio Open House" shows the setting where the films were produced. It features and describes the equipment used. It introduces us to the production crew. This is an example of production methods in the early 1950s. The film introduces the production team which includes Father Edward Ramacher, photography; Father Vincent Huebsch, sound; Father Gordon Mycue, program director; Arnie Pung, KFAN engineer; Dick and Don DeZurik, Cathedral High School students; Sisters Marold Kornovich and Arlynn Haan, teachers at Saint Augustine School; and Edmund Linnemann, organist. "Studio Open House" is one of thirty-nine films in the "Christ in the Home" series created in the early 1950s by Family Films for a weekly television series for Channel 11 (WMIN-TV) in the Twin Cities. Each program is based on a feast day, special observance or noteworthy Sunday in the liturgical year. Family Films, Inc. was formed in 1952 and operated out of a studio in Holy Angels Church, St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:
Saint Benedict's Monastery
Type:
Moving Image
Format:
Television programs
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