Expansion of Monastery (1880-1909). This aerial view of St. Benedict's Convent/Academy campus (1909) shows the extent of the 40-year growth of the Benedictine community and its academy from the 1863 church/convent/school complex to this impressive campus. About five years after this photograph was taken, the addition of the spacious, copper-domed chapel and the Teresa Hall addition to the academy/college, gave St. Benedict's Convent the appearance of a full-fledged monastery with the college under its wing (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
An aerial view shows Saint Benedict's Monastery's farm which had pastures, cultivated fields for crops and large gardens and shelter for cows, pigs, sheep and chickens.
First 50 years of the College of Saint Benedict (CSB). "The second floor provides a large study and assembly hall. A well-equipped stage in this hall makes it possible to use the assembly room as an auditorium. It is also provided with a motion picture machine, a balopticon, a stereopticon and a grand piano" (College Bulletin, 1926).
The Church of the Visitation and its school were located on the north side of County Road 5 in Section 12, T110N, R29W in the central portion of Nicollet County, Minnesota.
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). The small village of St. Augusta was settled by Germans in 1854. It was first named Berlin, then Neenah, and in 1856 named St. Augusta by Father Francis Xavier Pierz. Father Pierz was a well-known Indian missionary at Crow Wing who made the rounds on foot to St. Cloud and the neighboring German settlements, carrying only a knapsack containing everything needed for church services. In 1886 Father Pierz organized a parish and a school in St. Augusta, and Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph were invited to teach in that parish/district school. The public versus parochial school controversy did not plague the St. Augusta parishioners (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Olsenius, page 118).
Schools in St. Cloud (1869-1909). This Cathedral High School play has an interesting all male cast of characters identified (left to right) as follows: Robert Gans, Albert Schmidt, Francis Bernick, Claude Schoener, Wesley Danneker, John Kropp, Herbert Kern, Urban Seibert, Gerald Kinsella, William Murphy, Sylvester Scharenbroich, Edward Gliszinski (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Schools in St. Cloud (1869-1909). The twenty-five eighth grade graduates of St. Mary's School, St. Cloud, MN, in 1909 are identified as follows: (Top row): Martha Franke, Hyacinth Libert, Eleanor Hall, Olivia Peffer, Victoria Majerus, Veronica Heitzmann, Isabelle Kuck, Mary Zierden, Sybilla Dietrich; (Middle row): Leo Schmidt, Carl Rosenberger, John Hiemenz, Walter Schmidt, Anthony Hunstiger, Floyd McConnell, Leo Heinen, Gretsch, Bernard Schepers; (Bottom row): Appolonia Huf, Rose Danzl, Mary Nickols, Alma Bernauer, Father Alfred Mayer, O.S.B., Hilda Wampach, Hilda Knopp, Magdalen Braun, Sister Chrysostom Sanz, O.S.B. (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Construction of Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Benedict's Monastery. This photo seems to point to a previous taking down of the south cloister walk which connected the chapel to Teresa Hall (See photo SBM.11b21). The pile of bricks to the right seem to have come from the dismantled cloister walk, while there is a pile of new bricks to the left. There are marks on both Teresa Hall and the chapel from which the cloister walk bricks may have been removed. Note that the pillars on which the cloister walk rested are still in place. Presumably, the cloister walks were added immediately upon the completion of construction of the chapel.
Construction of Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Benedict's Monastery. The brick used for the chapel and cloister walks is white sandlime with terra-cotta trimmings and the foundation is Buff Kansas Brick. Other than the Cathedral in St. Paul and the Pro-Cathedral (Basilica) in Minneapolis, there are probably no other churches in Minnesota with large domes, although many have large and costly steeples. There is no wood in the entire structure, except the floors under the pews and choir stalls (which are lying on concrete). There are 10 exits on the chapel main floor and one in the choir loft (Chronicles, pages 142-143).
First 50 years of the College of Saint Benedict (CSB). The College Bulletin of 1930 describes the library as follows: "A library of 16,700 volumes provides adequate supplementary reading for the departments of science, literature and the arts. . . Besides the main library, a magazine annex has been recently equipped in which there are bound volumes of the best magazines. At least fifty current magazines may be found on the desks in the reading room. The first purpose of the library is to meet the needs of the students of the various departments, but the utilitarian has not been allowed to exclude the aesthetic. The reading room is surrounded by low oak book cases and settees. A fire-place, decorated with hand-painted tiles, numerous sofa cushions, and statuary, contributes to the culture and comfort of the students who frequent the library."
Schools in south-central Minnesota (1876-1909); St. Benedict's Monastery (convent), St. Joseph, Minnesota. Known for its bee-keeping industry, St. Bonifacius became a typical small town German settlement with its own church and school. In 1885, sisters opened a school there which in time reached an enrollment of 180 (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Richard Olsenius, Minnesota Travel Companio, A Guide to the History Along Minnesota's Highways, page 154).
Schools in south-central Minnesota (1876-1909). The German community of Hastings, the second oldest settlement in Minnesota, at first had the Sisters of St. Joseph as their teachers. In 1890, four Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph, MN, replaced the Sisters of St. Joseph teaching the 140 students in the parochial school provided by the German parish. This was due, perhaps, to the fact that the Benedictines were primarily a German community. In subsequent years the enrollment increased to 335 students. Though the photograph shows only boys, girls were also enrolled (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Shifra Stein's Day Trips: Gas-saving Getaways Less Than Two Hours from Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, page 149).
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). As early as 1880, three sisters took charge of the parish school in Long Prairie, but within four years the sisters withdrew because of misunderstandings with the pastor. Ten years later, the sisters re-opened the mission and the school's subsequent enrollments grew to 280. Pictured are S. Demetria Keller (on left) and Catherine Siefner (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Construction of Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Benedict's Monastery. The site was chosen in 1911 with serious discussions about the site of a new chapel beginning in late 1910. Professor Freehand of St. John's University, in a proposed architectural drawing, suggested that the chapel be built at the east entrance of Cecilia Hall extending toward the street and having its front entrance on that street. Since the distance from Cecilia Hall to the street was only 90 feet, it would be necessary to move the street. On March, 28, 1911, the sisters sent a petition to the village council to move it one-half mile farther east, "Nothing more was ever heard of this petition, although the rumor had been circulated that the sisters were ready to pay $20,000 to the village for the removal." (Chronicles, page138) The location shown on the photo that would place the chapel at the west end of Benedict Hall (with the chapel's entrance leading directly into the convent corridors) was the final choice. There was no consideration given to a west entrance at that time because the campus to the west was devoted to the convent's farm enterprises. On April 19, 1911, the Chapter (decision-making body of the community) voted in favor of building a chapel and at the same time enlarging the academy/college building by adding Teresa Hall to Gertrude Hall. During the next six weeks, Mother Cecilia Kapsner and Sister Priscilla Schmidtbauer journeyed throughout the eastern states to look at chapels, churches and monasteries. What made the most favorable impression upon them were the altar, pews, and choir stalls that E. Hackner from LaCrosse had made for the convents in Clyde, MO, and Atchison, KS. It was Hackner who recommended George pageStaudahar as architect. By September, Studahar had some of the architectural details worked out and it became evident that the estimated cost of $50,000 would fall short. When the estimate was then raised to $125,000, a contract was made with Butler Brothers from St. Paul for 8% of the cost. The final cost of the construction of the chapel was close to $200,000 (Chronicles, pages 137-138).
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).
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).
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).