Evolution of Gratitude Days
Sharing our mission, embodying our Benedictine values and heritage and carrying out our ministries is made possible through the time, talent and financial resources shared by our many benefactors, volunteers, oblates, employees, friends and supporters. We express our appreciation as deeply as we can — through sincere prayer, genuine connection and heartfelt care.
In the past, we’ve held special events to invite our supporters to spend time with us and to thank them for all that they do throughout the year. Established first as Donor Appreciation Day and aptly renamed Gratitude Day, the first events were held on the Saint Benedict’s Monastery campus and included a prayer service, buffet meal in the dining room, trolley rides, campus tours, outdoor music, visits to the Art and Heritage Place, door prize drawings, raffle tickets and more.
Over time, we began to outgrow our building — an excellent “problem” to face when there are too many wonderful people to thank and not enough space to do it! To accommodate our evolving needs, and because the front steps of the Gathering Place were under construction, we moved the event to Gorecki Dining and Conference Center on the College of Saint Benedict campus in 2011. Our larger venue meant we could expand our activities and offerings, so in addition to the classic events, attendees could learn more about our ministries through ministry booths, play Bingo and enjoy a full-scale program complete with entertainment performed by the sisters. During this program, we also presented the annual Mother Benedicta Riepp Award, named after our foundress and honoring a lay woman who has a relationship with the sisters and whose life exemplifies Benedictine and Gospel values. The first Mother Benedicta Riepp Award was presented in 2007 and the last in 2019.
As the size of our community and physical abilities of our sisters changed throughout the years, we knew that we’d likely need to scale back on this event as we moved forward. However, we didn’t expect the transition to happen so suddenly. In 2020 and 2021, we opted not to hold a Gratitude Day event as we prioritized the safety and health of our community and guests throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, we felt ready to welcome back guests — but in a different way.
Recognizing our need to simplify the event, we decided to hold a prayer service and ice cream social at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. We offered two different dates and time frames to suit as many of our supporters as possible. The event was well received, and in 2023, we offered the same type of event with an additional third date. In 2024, we tried something different yet again. We held two pie and ice cream socials — one at Saint Benedict’s Monastery and one at Saint Scholastica Convent, our retirement facility in St. Cloud, Minn.
In 2025, our community was pouring energy and resources into the planning of our new monastery, leading us to the decision not to host a Gratitude Day event that year. Now in 2026, as the groundbreaking for our new home takes place this summer, we have once again decided not to host an event this year. We look forward to welcoming our friends and supporters to our new building when it is ready!
Although we’ve scaled back on hosting grandiose in-person events over time, we pray that you understand that our appreciation has not scaled back one ounce — in fact, our gratitude to you is constantly growing. Thank you for supporting our community and helping us share Benedictine and Gospel values with the world!
Amanda Hackett
This article was featured on pages 24-25 in the spring 2026 issue of Benedictine Sisters and Friends.
