Mount Saint Benedict Foundation News

The Sisters of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Crookston, MN have recently established the Mount Saint Benedict Endowment Fund to support their various traditional ministries. The MSB Endowment is a donor-advised fund of approximately 7 million dollars which will be managed by the Catholic Community Foundation of the Diocese of Crookston.  Grants from this fund will be given for purposes meeting the criteria established by the Sisters.  A dedicated grant committee will review requests and recommend grants from this fund.

The MSB Endowment has been established to carry on a major purpose of the Mount Saint Benedict Foundation which preceded it and to which hundreds of donors have contributed. The board of Mount Saint Benedict Foundation and the Sisters of St. Benedict of Crookston have approved the gift of the major portion of the Foundation funds for this purpose.

MSB Foundation will dissolve June 30. In its place, the MSB Endowment will be an enduring fund whose earnings will be prudently distributed every year for purposes consistent with stated criteria.

Mount Saint Benedict Monastery has been located for more than a hundred years in Crookston. Sister Anita Whalen of the Foundation Board explained, “Over decades the Sisters of Mount Saint Benedict, Crookston have been sent near and far either to initiate endeavors or to participate in significant roles in a variety of ministries and services to others.  Among those endeavors were Catholic faith formation, education from pre-school to collegiate levels, healthcare from birth to death, parish work and pastoral care and other good works.

“Attentive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a trusted Benedictine way, we have a history of collaborating, responding, initiating, expanding and investing for the sake of the well-being of others.

“MSB Endowment is meant to be our legacy for future generations. We hope it will provide direct support for gospel-inspired endeavors that honor Benedictine values of hospitality, diversity, community and stability.  We do not intend this fund to be used routinely for operating budget of the diocese, parishes or other institutions. We encourage its use for the underserved in our population.”

While the sisters have ministered in other parts of Minnesota, in ten other states and three foreign countries, most of their ministry efforts have been in northwestern Minnesota.  This is why they chose an entity in northwestern Minnesota, namely the Catholic Community Foundation of Crookston, to administer the endowment fund.

Contributions to the new MSB Endowment Fund can be sent to Mount Saint Benedict ENDOWMENT, P.O. Box 610, Crookston, MN 56717.