At St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, Minnesota, a community of Benedictine nuns is facing the challenges of a changing population, diminishing numbers and a slapdash world where quiet contemplation—central to the Benedictine tradition—is considered a luxury.

In SISTERS: Portrait of a Benedictine Community, filmmakers John Hanson and Tom Livingston chronicle two years in the lives of the nuns of St. Scholastica, a Benedictine monastery founded on a commitment to work, communal prayer and leisure—the three aspects of monastic life prescribed by the sixth century Roman, St. Benedict.

As of November 2005, 121 sisters remain in a community once home to more than 500. The average age at St. Scholastica is nearly 80; few young women are entering the order and there is increasing pressure to adapt to contemporary life. Benedictine monasteries across the nation are experiencing a similar trend. In 1965, close to 180,000 Benedictine sisters lived and worked in the U.S.; by 2004, the number had declined to 70,000.

Cameras follow as the sisters chant prayers, share meals and pursue their ministries—including teaching, caring for the sick and serving the poor—amid a climate of change and uncertainty. The result is a candid look at the monastery’s growing pains through the eyes of elder nuns, who hold fast to old traditions, and young inductees who challenge the parameters of a monastic life.

A team of sisters from St. Scholastica Monastery participates in a "Walk for Life" cancer event

St. Scholastica Monastery was founded in 1892, from Benedictine roots in Eichstatt, Bavaria, and a subsequent American monastic community was started in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania. In 1909, the sisters established their present-day home on farmland overlooking Lake Superior on the outskirts of Duluth. In the following century, the sisters built or staffed more than 50 schools, numerous hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages throughout Minnesota and six adjoining states.

In intimate and candid interviews, the sisters reveal their individual struggles. The elderly complain that they can’t do as much as they used to—their bodies won’t bend, their fingers won’t grasp anymore. New sisters who come to the monastery in middle age have had children, husbands and careers. While they are captivated by the monastic ideal and the Benedictine commitment to social justice, the adjustments and trade-offs are not easy.

Whether singing the Psalms together in chapel, gardening or cheering with a Minnesota Vikings football game on TV, the nuns of SISTERS consider their future with spirit, conviction and wit.

November 2005

Filmmakers John Hanson and Tom Livingston report on the sisters' activities since filming was completed in 2000:

Sister Lois Eckes—formerly the spiritual director of McCabe Renewal Center—was elected prioress last summer. She will serve a six-year term as the spiritual head of the monastery.

Sister Danile Lynch, former prioress, is the chief operating officer of St. Luke’s Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Sister Terri Spinler continues her work as a massage therapist at McCabe Renewal Center.

Sister Mary Charles is still active in her artistic work, though slowed by some physical setbacks.

Sisters Mariella and Boniface, subjects of a side-by-side interview in SISTERS, have both passed on. Sister Boniface’s funeral was part of the closing sequence in the film. Sister Antonia—whose 90th birthday celebration was documented in the film—has also passed on.

Sister Linda Wiggins is now a full member of the monastery, playing the organ and serving in many capacities, including hospice and community outreach.

Sister Claudia Cherro is serving in pastoral ministry for the parish in Eveleth, Minnesota and works as receptionist at Benedectine Health Center, Westwood, senior living apartments adjacent to the monastery.

Sister Agnes Alich continues as a professor in chemistry at The College of St. Scholastica.

Sister Edith Bogue (formerly Erna Lynn) is a faculty member at The College of St. Scholastica and will take her final monastic vows in January 2006.

Sister Cabrini assists in the monastery spiritual resource center and works as a volunteer at the St. Mary’s Medical Center hospice in Duluth.

Sister Mary Paul continues in her volunteer work at St. Mary’s Hospice, as well as other community service.

Learn about Benedictine life at the monastery today >>

Read the filmmaker Q&A >>