Sacred Heart Monastery

What Sacred Heart Monastery does

Sacred Heart Monastery is a non-profit Catholic religious community of 53 Benedictine Sisters in Yankton, South Dakota, operating under the Rule of St. Benedict with roots tracing to the Swiss community of Maria Rickenbach and continuous ministry in the U.S. since 1880. The community is governed by a Prioress (S. Penny Bingham), with a Subprioress and Procurator, and delivers its apostolate through the Benedictine Peace Center, which provides silent personal retreats, directed retreats, spiritual direction, sabbaticals, Writer's Refuge stays, seasonal group retreats, and structured spiritual growth programs (Spiritual Enrichment Program, Scripture Study, Lectio Divina, Contemplative Mornings, Benedictine Charism Forum, supervision for spiritual directors). Programs are delivered in-person at the Yankton site and globally via Zoom.

The revenue model combines fee-for-service retreat and program charges, sliding-scale spiritual direction fees ($50-$100 per session), donations (minimum $10), and retail sales through an on-site gift shop offering spiritual art, literature, and Sister-made items. Complementary ministry includes the Oblate Program (over 400 lay associates across multiple chapters), vocation discernment programs for women 50 and under, a Residential Volunteer Program coordinated with Mount Marty University, a long-term care center with employment openings, and a prayer request service. The underlying technology is deliberately minimal: Zoom for virtual delivery, PayPal for payments, and standard Google services for analytics, search, and directions; no proprietary systems or AI capabilities are deployed. A new monastery construction project is scheduled to begin in October 2026, which will pause only residential retreats while all other programs continue.

Name

Sacred Heart Monastery

Legal name

Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery

Website

https://yanktonbenedictines.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sacred Heart Monastery is a non-profit Benedictine Sisters' community in Yankton, South Dakota, offering spiritual retreats, direction, and formation programs through its Benedictine Peace Center to individuals, oblates, and vocation seekers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Spiritual Retreat Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Spiritual retreats
• Monastic services
• Religious formation
• Spiritual direction
• Contemplative programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Yankton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Retreat Center Services: Revenue from retreat accommodations and programming at the Benedictine Peace Center. Includes silent personal retreats, directed retreats, Writer's Refuge, sabbaticals, and seasonal group retreats (Advent, Lenten). Fees vary by accommodation type and length of stay.
2. Spiritual Direction: One-on-one spiritual direction sessions with certified spiritual directors, offered both in-person and via Zoom. Fee range of $50-$100 per session.
3. Spiritual Programs: Program fees for the Spiritual Enrichment Program ($250 + book for 8 online sessions), Scripture Study ($45), Contemplative Mornings (offering-based), and Lectio Divina sessions.
4. Gift Shop Sales: Sales of spiritual art, literature, handmade keepsakes, and Sister-made items through the Monastery Gift Shop.
5. Donations and Charitable Support: Voluntary donations from supporters, with funds directed to support the Benedictine Peace Center and monastery operations. Minimum donation $10.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sacred Heart Monastery is a Benedictine Catholic religious community that operates the Benedictine Peace Center retreat facility, offering silent personal retreats, directed retreats, Writer's Refuge stays, sabbaticals, spiritual direction, scripture study, Lectio Divina, and other contemplative programs. The community also supports vocation discernment, an Oblate lay-associate program, a retail gift shop, and residential/day volunteer opportunities, with programs delivered in-person and via Zoom.

Product overview

Sacred Heart Monastery offers a portfolio of spiritual formation and retreat services centered around the Benedictine Peace Center. The core offering includes silent personal retreats, spiritual direction, and structured spiritual growth programs (Scripture Study, Lectio Divina, Contemplative Mornings, Spiritual Enrichment Program). Supporting programs include seasonal retreats, Writer's Refuge, Sabbatical stays, and supervision for spiritual directors. The monastery also provides formation programs through its Vocation and Oblate programs, volunteer opportunities (Residential Volunteer and Day Volunteer), a Gift Shop, employment opportunities, and a prayer request service. Programs are delivered in-person and via Zoom, with payments processed through PayPal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Benedictine Peace Center Retreats On-site monastic retreat center overlooking the Missouri River offering silent personal retreats, directed retreats, sabbaticals, Writer's Refuge stays, and seasonal group retreats; accommodations available through September 2026.
• Spiritual Direction One-on-one sessions with trained spiritual directors, available in-person or via Zoom at $50-$100 per session on a sliding scale.
• Spiritual Enrichment Program Eight-session Saturday-morning program delivered via Zoom discussing selected spiritual books, with optional spiritual director meetings; $250 plus the cost of the book.
• Online Scripture Study Weekly Zoom-based scripture study using Little Rock Scripture Study materials, offered Wednesday mornings or evenings; Fall 2026 program on The Sermon on the Mount costs $45.
• Lectio Divina Online prayer sessions using sacred reading of Scripture, held most Friday mornings at 10:00-10:45 AM Central time via Zoom.
• Contemplative Mornings Monthly centering prayer sessions held on the third Saturday of most months from 9:00 AM to noon, with four 20-minute sitting sessions, teaching, and quiet solitude.
• Seasonal Group Retreats Online Advent and Lenten group retreats via Zoom conducted by Peace Center staff, with participants from around the country joining themed morning sessions.
• Writer's Refuge Extended-stay retreats for writers seeking undisturbed time for reflection, prayer, and writing; includes single room with private bath, quiet lounge, library, kitchenette, and reliable internet.
• Sabbatical Program Extended personal retreat stays for rest and restoration, offering space, time, and freedom to design one's sabbatical with single room, private bath, lounge, kitchenette, and library.
• Supervision for Spiritual Directors Peer supervision groups for experienced spiritual directors, facilitated by Peace Center staff, meeting online via Zoom (Tuesday group full; Thursday group accepting new members).
• Benedictine Charism Forum 90-minute online sessions exploring how the Benedictine charism is expressed globally, featuring speakers and first-hand experiences from Benedictine leaders worldwide.
• Benedictine Lecture Series In-person lectures held at the Sacred Heart Monastery Chapter Room exploring Benedictine spirituality topics, featuring guest speakers with time for questions and dialogue.
• Monastery Gift Shop Physical retail shop selling spiritual art, literature, and handmade keepsakes including many Sister-made items; open Wednesday through Friday with special appointments available other days.
• Residential Volunteer Program Immersive program for single women 55 and under providing room, board, stipend, and immersion in monastic life through participation in monastery work including bakery, sacristy, gift shop, and daily prayer.
• Vocation Programs Programs for women exploring religious life including discernment retreats, Come and See weekends, Monastic Experience weeks, and individual vocation direction; for women 50 and under.
• Oblate Program Program for men and women of all faiths to associate with the Benedictine community through prayer, learning, and commitment; over 400 oblates belong to chapters in Yankton, Sioux Falls, Nebraska, Mount Marty University, and Online.
• Daily Prayer and Liturgy Services Public Liturgy of the Hours (Morning, Noon, and Evening Prayer) and daily Eucharist open to visitors and the local community; the community's primary ministry of prayer.
• Prayer Request Service Online service for submitting prayer requests to be included in the Sisters' daily Liturgy of the Hours prayers for the needs of the Church, world, and individuals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53 Benedictine Sisters living and serving together
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mount Marty UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMount Marty University is a Benedictine university affiliated with the monastery. The residential volunteer program connects with the university, and the monastery maintains a Mount Marty University Oblate Chapter. Sister Bonita Gacnik serves as a liaison with email at [email protected].

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Saint Placid Priory: Benedictine monastery in Lacey, Washington, offering retreats, spiritual direction, and Oblate program; directly comparable Benedictine women's monastic community with active retreat ministry.
• Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani: Trappist (Benedictine family) monastery in Kentucky, offering retreats, spiritual direction, and a working monastic community; comparable monastic retreat ministry in the broader Benedictine contemplative tradition.
• Monastery of the Holy Spirit: Trappist monastery in Conyers, Georgia, operating retreats, a retreat house, and gift shop; comparable contemplative Benedictine retreat ministry with hospitality to lay guests.
• Conception Abbey: Benedictine abbey in Conception, Missouri, with on-site retreat house hosting retreats, spiritual direction, and Scriptural formation — same Rule of St. Benedict tradition with active retreat ministry.
• Saint John's Abbey: Benedictine abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, with affiliated Saint John's University; operates retreats, spiritual direction, and hosts extensive liturgical and formation programming mirroring Sacred Heart's combined retreat/academic model.
• Saint Benedict's Monastery: Benedictine women's monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, offering retreats, spiritual direction, and Oblate program; same Rule of St. Benedict tradition and women-community structure as Sacred Heart Monastery.
• Saint Meinrad Archabbey: Benedictine archabbey in Saint Meinrad, Indiana, operating a retreat house, spiritual direction programs, and formation; directly comparable Benedictine monastic community with hospitality and seminary training programs.
• Mount Angel Abbey: Benedictine monastery in Saint Benedict, Oregon, offering retreats, spiritual direction, and formation programs similar to Sacred Heart's Benedictine Peace Center; same Rule of St. Benedict tradition and Benedictine university affiliation (Mount Angel Seminary).
• Marmion Abbey: Benedictine monastery in Aurora, Illinois, offering retreats, spiritual direction, and Benedictine formation; directly comparable monastic community with active retreat house ministry.
• Our Lady of Grace Monastery: Benedictine monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana, offering retreats, spiritual direction, and formation programs; directly comparable Benedictine women's monastery with active retreat ministry and Oblate association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SHMBenedictines
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCagkomN09DDX269ad1aMJtw
• Facebookfacebook.com/shmvocation
• Instagraminstagram.com/yanktonbenedictines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sacred-heart-monastery-yankton-benedictines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Sacred Heart Monastery