Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict

What Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict does

The Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict is a private Roman Catholic monastic community of approximately 120 sisters headquartered at Saint Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, with a retirement and care facility at Saint Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Founded in 1857 by Mother Willibalda Scherbauer and tracing its spiritual lineage to Saint Walburg Abbey in Eichstätt, Bavaria (1035), the community follows the Rule of Benedict and structures its day around the Liturgy of the Hours (Morning, Midday, and Evening Prayer), Lectio Divina, the Schola Cantorum chant tradition, labyrinth walking, and hymn writing — most notably by Sister Delores Dufner, OSB, whose five published hymn collections have appeared internationally and earned the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. The community operates a portfolio of ministries including the Spirituality Center (retreats, hermitages, Centering Prayer), the Studium scholar's program (founded 1992), the 3G Camp for girls in grades 4-11, the Benedictine Live-In Experience (1-3 month residential stays), the Oblates formation program, the Haehn Museum (nearly 9,000 artifacts dating to 1857), the Whitby Gift Shop, spiritual direction sessions, daily meditations distributed by email, and a volunteer program.

The community's economic model is donation-driven and program-supported rather than commercial. Funding comes primarily from donations including stock gifts, monthly and quarterly contributions, credit card gifts, and planned giving through wills, trusts, IRAs, and life insurance, supplemented by Spirituality Center retreat fees ($65-$90 daily, $425-$600 weekly, $1,950-$2,500 monthly depending on meal inclusion), Studium scholar accommodations ($250 monthly office plus optional meals), 3G Camp registration ($300-$350 per child), Haehn Museum admissions, Whitby Gift Shop retail sales of candles, pottery, jewelry, and religious items made by the sisters, and suggested-fee spiritual direction sessions ($55). The monastery engages its constituencies through a multi-channel model combining direct in-person programming at St. Joseph, MN; an active website (sbm.osb.org); social media presence on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram; weekly meditation emails; the annual Catholic Sisters Week campaign; and partner-distributed brochures. The organization does not publish financial statements; listed headcount is 51-100 employees supporting the community and its programs.

Historically the community founded 10 daughter monasteries forming the Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict (1947), with international sites in Japan (1985), Taiwan (1988), the Bahamas (1994), and Puerto Rico (2000). The sisters also founded Saint Benedict's Academy in 1878, now separately incorporated as the College of Saint Benedict since 1961, and established St. Cloud Hospital (separately incorporated 1962, with all assets transferred in 1964). Two previously founded daughter monasteries — Saint Bede Monastery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Mount Benedict Monastery in Ogden, Utah — merged back into Saint Benedict's Monastery in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Governance rests with an elected Prioress; Karen Rose, OSB has led the community since 2023, succeeding Susan Rudolph, OSB. A groundbreaking ceremony for a new monastery building was held on June 17, 2026. The community is independent, unaffiliated with any parent company or external investor, and operates under Roman Catholic monastic governance rather than corporate ownership.

Name

Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict

Legal name

Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict

Website

https://sbm.osb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic monastic community of approximately 120 sisters in St. Joseph, Minnesota, operating ministries including retreats, youth camps, scholarly study, museum curation, and spiritual direction grounded in the Rule of Benedict.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Monastic Spiritual Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Benedictine monastic community
• Catholic spiritual retreats
• Religious formation programs
• Spiritual direction services
• Monastic heritage preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Joseph

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Planned Giving: The monastery relies heavily on donations from supporters, including stock gifts, monthly/quarterly gifts, credit card donations, cash or check contributions, and estate planned gifts through wills, trusts, IRAs, and life insurance
2. Spirituality Center and Studium Programs: Revenue from retreat programs, spiritual direction sessions, and scholar accommodation at the Spirituality Center and Studium
3. 3G Camp Registration: Camp fees of $300 per child for June session or $350 per child for July session, with $80 deposit required
4. Whitby Gift Shop: Retail gift shop selling handmade items by sisters including candles, pottery, cards, jewelry, artwork, and religious items
5. Haehn Museum Admissions: Museum admissions and special exhibit access with visitors from all 50 states and approximately 60 countries

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict operate a Benedictine monastic community that provides spiritual ministries including retreats, spiritual direction, and hermitages through the Spirituality Center; a scholar's program (Studium); a Catholic summer camp (3G Camp) for girls; an oblate formation program; cultural preservation via the Haehn Museum; and retail sale of handmade religious items through the Whitby Gift Shop. The community sustains itself through donations, program fees, and gift shop sales while living the Rule of Benedict through daily Liturgy of the Hours prayer, work, and community living.

Product overview

The Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict offer a portfolio of spiritual and educational ministries centered on Benedictine monastic life. The core offerings include the Spirituality Center (providing retreats, hermitages, Centering Prayer, and labyrinth walking) and Studium: A Scholar's Program (enabling scholarly work in a Benedictine environment). Youth programming includes 3G Camp for girls grades 4-11. Extended engagement programs encompass the Benedictine Live-In Experience (one to three month stays) and the Oblates Program for affiliated members. Cultural heritage is preserved through the Haehn Museum and supported by the Whitby Gift Shop featuring handmade items. Additional services include Spiritual Direction, a Volunteer Program, and Daily Meditations distributed via email. The organization does not offer a technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 3G Camp (Girls, God and Good Times): A Catholic Benedictine summer camp for girls in grades 4-11 that explores Benedictine prayer forms, time with sisters, and camp activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, and bonfires.
• Haehn Museum
• Whitby Gift Shop
• Spirituality Center•Studium
• Art and Heritage Place

Products and services

• Spirituality Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,000+ artifacts preserved documenting Benedictine women's history
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered legacy, core and minor.

• St. Cloud Hospital (CentraCare)legacyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1962Sisters established St. Cloud Hospital and six other hospitals; St. Cloud Hospital was separately incorporated in 1962 with all assets transferred to the new corporation in 1964
• Monastic Congregation of Saint BenedictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1947The Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict was founded by Saint Benedict's Monastery in 1947, uniting 10 daughter monasteries in the United States and abroad including locations in Japan, Taiwan, Bahamas, and Puerto Rico
• College of Saint BenedictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1878Sisters founded Saint Benedict's Academy in 1878 which evolved into the College of Saint Benedict in 1913; ownership transferred to the college in 1961 constituting it as a separately-incorporated institution
• Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary (SOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaint John's School of Theology and Seminary offers courses including Benedictine Leadership; four sisters serve as guest speakers throughout the six-week course offered virtually
• White Earth NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, the community issued a formal apology for participation in the federal government's Assimilation Policy; Sisters are working in collaboration with White Earth community and Tribal Historical Preservation Office to strengthen bonds toward healing, reconciliation, and peace
• Central Minnesota Habitat for HumanityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSisters volunteer time and physical labor to help prepare homes for local families; part of community outreach and affordable housing initiatives
• Lincoln Center (Homeless Resource)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood services team prepares and donates meals every Monday and Thursday to the Lincoln Center which serves those experiencing homelessness
• Fe y JusticiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partnership for Coming Together for the Common Good prayer service held in Sacred Heart Chapel
• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteers through RSVP and United Way of Central Minnesota frequent the monastery and convent as part of outside volunteer organization programs
• United Way of Central MinnesotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteers through United Way programs join the monastery community as part of volunteer engagement initiatives
• Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at Saint John's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholars have access to Hill Museum and Manuscript Library collections; HMML scholars hosted by Studium program; manuscript preservation and scholarly collaboration

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Conception Abbey: Benedictine monastery in Conception, Missouri, operating seminary, retreat, and oblate programs under the Rule of Saint Benedict; comparable monastic ministry portfolio.
• Saint John's Abbey: The Benedictine men's abbey in Collegeville, MN, sharing the same Order of Saint Benedict, Rule, and Liturgy of the Hours tradition; the most direct institutional peer given proximity and partnership through Saint John's School of Theology and HMML.
• Saint Meinrad Archabbey: Benedictine monastery and school of theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana, offering retreats, seminary formation, and oblate programs that parallel Saint Benedict's Monastery ministries.
• Subiaco Abbey: Benedictine monastery in Subiaco, Arkansas, providing retreat, formation, and education ministries in the same Benedictine tradition; comparable scale and operational structure.
• Mount Angel Abbey: A Benedictine monastery in Saint Benedict, Oregon, operating under the same Rule of Saint Benedict with similar retreat, seminary, and heritage programs; directly comparable monastic community model.

Emerging players

• Shannon Clinic Retreat Center (Christ the King Retreat Center): An independent Catholic retreat house offering directed and preached retreats; comparable to the Spirituality Center's retreat-only niche but without the broader monastic campus.

Broad incumbents

• Sisters of Mercy of the Americas: A large Catholic women's religious institute with parallel ministries in education, healthcare, retreat, and social justice; broader scale but directly comparable in mission structure and revenue model (donations, fees).
• Holy Cross Sisters (Congregation of Holy Cross): International Catholic religious congregation operating education, retreat, and parish ministries; comparable women's religious community structure with diversified programming.

Regional players

• Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls: A Minnesota-based Catholic women's religious community offering retreat, education, and heritage programs; comparable regional footprint and ministry mix within the same state.

Others

• Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at Saint John's University: Benedictine-affiliated manuscript digitization and archival library partnering with the Studium program; thematic peer in monastic-led scholarly heritage stewardship and digitization of religious collections.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/sbmdevcomm
• Facebookfacebook.com/stbensisters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sistersoftheorderofsaintbenedict
• Instagraminstagram.com/stbensisters
• Xx.com/stbensmonastery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict