St. Scholastica Monastery

Benedictine Sisters came to Duluth in 1881 from St. Joseph, Minnesota, and formed an independent community in 1892. The community motherhouse has been known as Sacred Heart Institute (1892), Villa Sancta Scholastica (1909), Saint Scholastica Priory (1959) and Saint Scholastica Monastery (1996). Institutions founded by the Sisters include St. Mary's Hospital (1888) and the College of St. Scholastica (1912) in Duluth, and St. Joseph's Hospital in Brainerd, Minnesota. A secondary school for young women (most recently named Stanbrook Hall) was an integral part of their ministry until 1967. The sisters taught in parish schools across Minnesota and staffed orphanages and retirement homes. Their collection in the Minnesota Digital Library contains photographs of the motherhouses and of the sisters at work and play together with their students. Early photos from the St. Mary's Hospital archives are also included.