New Monastery
After years of community discernment, reflection and trusting the Holy Spirit, Saint Benedict’s Monastery is building a new monastery on the west end of our campus. Our new home will enable us to focus our resources and energies on our mission and ministries.
The official decision to build a new monastery was made in June 2022. Saint Benedict’s Monastery has partnered with HGA for architectural design and McGough for construction. Construction is expected to be completed in winter 2027. We will post updates on this page as building progresses. We can’t wait to welcome you to our new home when it’s ready!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are we building a new monastery?
The number of sisters in our community is much smaller than it once was — a reality that religious communities are facing all over the world. Our new home will enable us to focus our resources and energies on our mission and ministries rather than maintaining buildings. Sister Kerry O’Reilly, community planning director, wrote an article for the spring 2026 issue of Benedictine Sisters and Friends that explains this decision in more detail.
Where will the new monastery be located?
We are building the monastery on the west end of our campus at the site of the former Common Ground Garden and Sunset Drive Garden. The large yellow barn was torn down in fall 2025 to prepare the area for building. As we considered where to build the new monastery, it was important for us to maintain our roots here in St. Joseph.
What will happen to our current buildings?
We will keep Saint Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud as our retirement facility. We will sell the buildings at Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph. The College of Saint Benedict has expressed interest and has first right of refusal, but no formal agreements are in place.
What will the new monastery look like?
The new monastery will be 54,000-square-feet and will feature a 150-seat chapel, 36 bedrooms, office space and eco-friendly geothermal and solar energy. Below is a rendering of what the new building will look like.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
On June 17, 2026, Saint Benedict’s Monastery held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the building of their new monastery. The ceremony included a land acknowledgement, prayer, blessing of the ground with holy water, recognition, groundbreaking and the sisters’ traditional blessing song sung over the team who will build the monastery. More than 100 invited guests representing the building and design teams, community partners and monastery supporters joined the monastic community for the celebration.
