A native of St. Augusta, Sister Madonna learned from Benedictine Sisters in both elementary and high school. The summer after her junior year at Cathedral High School, she worked in food service at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. “The Sisters were real models for me,” S. Madonna said. “Their prayer life, working together in community projects and their sense of happiness encouraged me to join and be among them.”  She completed her senior year at Saint Benedict High School and joined the community upon graduation.

S. Madonna spent 31 years in elementary education. Maple Lake remains her favorite school, her first and last teaching position. She recalls having the children of her first students the second time around and feeling very much at home. From teaching, she moved into health care, assisting the nurses at St. Raphael’s in St. Cloud and at Saint Scholastica’s. Her last assignment has been home health at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. S. Madonna found it hard moving from helping the young to being with the elderly, “but letting go of the familiar and moving within the needs of community brings much peace and happiness.”

S. Madonna enjoys visiting with the Sisters, assisting in whatever way she can. “I love my work—helping each Sister on a one-to-one basis is a rewarding experience.”