The Benedictine Sisters of Mount Angel and Catholic Community Services of the Mid-Willamette Valley and Central Coast (CCS) have announced the official transfer of Queen of Angels Monastery in Mt. Angel to CCS. In a historic transfer ceremony, held March 20 in the monastery chapel and Agatha Hall, CCS staff, the sisters, friends, family members and supporters gathered to pray, celebrate and share stories of the important role the sisters and their monastery have played in the lives of those present and in the broader community. The ceremony in the chapel included a symbolic transfer of items representing the sisters’ legacy and a blessing for the CCS staff, board members and volunteers who will sustain that legacy.
Josh Graves accepts the Rule of St. Benedict from Sr. Jane Hibbard, SNJM, Pastoral Administrator, Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel, during the historic Queen of Angels Monastery Transfer Ceremony.
The monastery, dedicated in 1888, has been the home of the Benedictine Sisters from which they undertook an impressive number of endeavors for the greater good including the Shalom at the Monastery retreat ministry, the Benedictine Nursing Center next door, and St. Joseph Shelter/Mission Benedict across the street. The sisters, who have moved to the Providence Benedictine Nursing Center’s Orchard House next door, will continue to have offices in the monastery and will help guide and sustain St. Joseph Shelter and Mission Benedict, ministries which they founded in 1988.
The sisters transferred day-to-day operations of these ministries to CCS in 2017. “The Benedictine Sisters have owned the historic monastery and grounds of Queen of Angels Monastery since 1887 when they purchased the property from Mount Angel Abbey. The sisters have shared their monastic buildings and grounds in ministry to countless guests, students, oblates, retreatants, family, and friends. Now the Benedictine Sisters entrust the mission and use of it to Catholic Community Services,” said Sister Jane Hibbard, Pastoral Administrator of the Benedictine Sisters. “The sisters look forward to seeing what develops and also promise to pray daily for what will emerge for the future use of the buildings and property. They are deeply grateful for the partnership with and commitment of CCS to the people of Mount Angel, Marion County and beyond as well as to the many people who continue to support the Benedictine Sisters.”
“We are honored and humbled by the confidence the sisters have placed in us, and we look forward to our continued partnership to sustain the ministries they founded and to preserve the monastery as a place of hope and healing,” said CCS Chief Executive Officer Josh Graves.
Sr. Joseph Fennimore, OSB, Sr. Dorothy Jean Beyer, OSB, Sr. Donna Marie Chartraw, OSB, Jolyn Rothgery, Sister Jane Hibbard, SNJM, and CCS CEO Josh Graves at the official signing in December.
The Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel are a Catholic religious community, which was established in Oregon in 1882. Queen of Angels Monastery, the sisters’ historic home, dates to 1887. The sisters’ major ministries are hospitality, prayer, service to the local community and Shalom at the
Monastery, a retreat and spiritual renewal center. At present, the Benedictine Sisters have 18 professed members and 80 oblates.
Catholic Community Services of the Mid-Willamette Valley and Central Coast is a non-profit, faith-based organization. Founded in Salem in 1938, today CCS offers 9 programs across 10 Oregon counties and serves more than 5,500 people each year. They operate with fidelity to the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which call them to work for the common good and to serve their neighbors who are the poorest and most vulnerable. CCS envisions a caring, resilient community, full of hope and connection where all people flourish.
For media inquiries, to volunteer or leave a gift or bequest:
For the Benedictine Sisters – Sr. Jane Hibbard, (503) 358-0400 or [email protected].
For CCS – Mona Hayes, (503) 856-7023 or [email protected].