Mutual Blessings: An Exciting Announcement
Dear Hill-Murray Community,
It was almost two years ago that I wrote to you about celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery arriving in Saint Paul. It was around that same time that the Sisters invited Hill-Murray leaders into a period of dialogue, discernment, and dreaming about how our futures could be intimately connected in a way that provides a Mutual Blessing. Today I am thrilled to announce to the Hill-Murray Community a new level of relationship between St. Paul’s Monastery and Hill-Murray. Please take a moment to read the letter below from Sister Catherine Nehotte, Prioress, and myself. This news reveals a wonderful gift to both Hill-Murray and the Monastery. I look forward to communicating more details in the weeks and months ahead.
Sincerely,
Melissa Dan
President
Dear Friends of St. Paul’s Monastery and Hill-Murray School,
We write to you today with great joy and hope regarding the deeply reverent relationship between Hill-Murray School (HM) and St. Paul’s Monastery (SPM) and our shared commitment to the Benedictine tradition. We call this project we titled Mutual Blessings to reflect the mutuality and joy that serves as the solid foundation for the relationship between HM and SPM. Mutual Blessings aims to create ways for HM and SPM to be connected to create a bright future for both institutions. A future intended to glorify God in perpetuity. We have spent considerable time discussing Mutual Blessings and how HM and SPM can work together and support each other in the future.
The Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery began with the 178 Sisters who bravely came down from St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, MN, in 1948 to establish a new monastery in St. Paul. As another act of faith and courage, in 1959, the Sisters purchased land on the east side of St. Paul and built and staffed Archbishop Murray Memorial High School, now HM. Hill-Murray School, now thriving as one of the top schools in the East Metro, would not be here without the Sisters who fundraised and built the school before they built their own home. Over the years, the original land purchased by the Sisters has become a physical witness to the Benedictine way of following God’s will and meeting the world’s needs. In addition to their own corporate ministries (Benedictine Center and Maple Tree Childcare Center), their wisdom created the path for a shelter for women and children in crisis, affordable housing, and an early childhood learning center. As the Sisters continued to age, they again sought wisdom and took to discernment as they engaged in conversation with HM. The fruit of the conversation led to Mutual Blessings, created with forethought and care at this moment in our shared history. Hill-Murray and St. Paul’s Monastery will continue to be separately incorporated to maintain their unique identity. The Benedictine Center and Maple Tree Childcare Center will continue to be ministries sponsored by St. Paul’s Monastery.
The Monastery will continue to be the Sisters’ home, and Mutual Blessings will preserve the sanctity of the monastic enclosure. This means HM will not hold classes at this time, or otherwise use the Monastery building and grounds in a way that prevents the sisters from maintaining their monastic way of life. Additionally, Mutual Blessings includes a phased approach to shared services, potentially combining departments and functions that serve both HM and SPM. This phased-in approach will happen over time to ensure a smooth and wise transition.
The first shared services initiative includes the Advancement/Development operations of the Hill-Murray Foundation and St. Paul’s Monastery. The Hill-Murray Foundation, which provides for the fundraising function of the school, will be headquartered within the Monastery. Chris Zupfer, Executive Director of the Hill-Murray Foundation, and his fundraising team will move into the vacant office spaces later this month. Travis Salisbury, Mission Advancement Director of SPM, will work closely with Chris to unlock the potential of aligning donors with their passions. This foray into shared services will increase HM and SPM’s horsepower as we continue to strengthen our partnership with those who support and share our missions.
The Benedictine Center, a ministry within SPM, will expand to include programming that creates opportunities for the faith formation of HM students, parents, staff, and alumni. Dr. Sue Skinner will be collaborating directly with the Benedictine Center staff as they discern the next steps. Eventually, we will share more resources, such as facilities, technology, human resources, and safety/security.
We ask for your prayers and support as we continue following the wisdom God has provided us, ensuring that the Benedictine tradition continues to be a source of joy and hope for the world.
Sister Catherine Nehotte, Prioress, St. Paul’s Monastery
Melissa Dan, President, Hill-Murray School