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About

Discover the power of women in community.

We are one of the largest Benedictine communities of women in the United States — 163 members strong and thriving.  We were founded in 1867 by four young Benedictine sisters who came to Ferdinand to teach the children of area settlers. Since then, more than 1,000 women have entered our community and we've expanded our ministries both beyond education and beyond Ferdinand. We are teachers, social workers, parish ministers, counselors, nurses, youth ministers, chaplains, librarians, and more (there's even a firefighter among us!). 

Our Mission

We, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, are monastic women seeking God through the Benedictine tradition of community life, prayer, hospitality, and service to others. By our life and work, we commit ourselves to be a presence of peace as we join our sisters and brothers in the common search for God.

 

Our Values

As we seek God, the values and principles by which we live flow from our mission statement and are central to our call as the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana.

The guiding principles are the Benedictine values of prayer, work, hospitality, and community life.

 

Our Leadership

Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau was elected the 12th prioress of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, on June 2, 2003, and was re-elected on June 2, 2008.

A native of Tell City, Indiana, Sister Kristine Anne entered the monastery in 1967 and made her perpetual profession in 1977.

Before her election, she was ongoing formation director for the religious community for four years. Previously, she was special programs coordinator at the sisters' Kordes Retreat Center (1991 to 1999). She was a counselor at the Interfaith Counseling Agency in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1986 to 1991 and at Marian Heights Academy, Ferdinand, from 1982 to 1986. From 1971 to 1980, she taught at: Holy Rosary, Christ the King, Resurrection, and Holy Redeemer, all in Evansville; St. Matthew, Mount Vernon; and St. Philip, Posey County.

Sister Kristine Anne is a 1967 graduate of Marian Heights Academy. She earned a bachelor's degree from Oakland City (Indiana) College in 1971 and a master's degree from St. Joseph College, West Hartford, Connecticut, in 1982.

Sister Kristine Anne Harpenau
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Ministry: Changing lives

We are a community of teachers, social workers, counselors, and so much more. Our ministries are many; our charge, singular: "Receive each person as Christ. Never turn away when someone needs your love."

For more than 140 years, we have made it our mission to care about "the least of these" in more than a dozen states and countries around the world. Today, we work not only in Indiana but also in Kentucky, Peru, and Italy.

Monastic life

For Benedictines, the term "monastic" means living according to the ideals set down in the Rule of Benedict, in a monastery, under the guidance of a prioress, abbess, or abbot. The monastic life involves living the ordinary life extraordinarily well.

The Ferdinand Benedictines strive to live a life of balance between "ora" (prayer) and "labora" (work). We believe that the monastic lifestyle has great spiritual value for the world today. It defines the life values of community living, contemplation, and personal transformation and challenges us to a mindfulness that focuses on the right things in life. 

Who was St. Benedict?

Born in Nursia, Italy, St. Benedict (480-547) was revered for the holiness of his life. He was sent to Rome for an education, but was outraged at its corruption. So he left his home and inheritance for a religious life and a daily quest for God. For three years, he lived alone in a cave by Subiaco. 

Benedict's reputation for holiness spread, and many came seeking his guidance. He started his first monastery, moved to Monte Cassino, and eventually guided 12 different monasteries. He wrote his famous Rule of Benedict, which he shared with his twin sister, St. Scholastica. It has become the preferred way of living a spiritual life for nearly every Christian monastic community in the West.

Click here for stories about St. Benedict and St. Scholastica.