History
Timeline of Events
The following timeline showcases some of our more major events in the history of the Mount.
Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica
We were founded in 1863 when the seven founding sisters arrived to Atchison, Kansas.
Mother Evangelista Kremmeter
The Benedictine sisters arrived in Atchison, Kansas, with the purpose of opening a school for girls. Foundress Mother Evangelista Kremmeter was prioress 1863-1884.
Mount St. Scholastica Academy
Mount St. Scholastica Academy is opened.
St. Cecilia/Price Villa
The sisters purchase Price Villa at a private auction and move the Academy and the community there. The building was renamed St. Cecilia.
First Missions
The first mission is established outside of Atchison: Sisters go out to live and teach in Seneca, Kansas. The sisters spread to other towns in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado on teaching missions.
Monastery and choir chapel were built
The monastery and choir chapel, still in use today, are built.
French Sisters
Mount St. Scholastica receives eight Benedictine sisters from France, who are refugees from the 1904 expulsion of priests and religious in that country.
First Meetings of the Federation
A work in progress since 1878, The Vatican approved the Constitution of the Congregation of Saint Scholastica, granting official approbation to the group of 10 monasteries in seven states. The name was changed to Federation of St. Scholastica in 1974 and, in 2022, to the Monastic Congregation of St. Scholastica, now with 17 member monasteries.
Mount St. Scholastica College opens.
Mount St. Scholastica College opens.
St. Scholastica Chapel
St. Scholastica chapel is built to serve the needs of the sisters and students at Mount St. Scholastica College.
Sisters in Mexico
The Mount sisters established their first daughter house, Monasterio de San Benito, in Mexico City. It became an independent monastery in 1950.
Donnelly College Opens
Donnelly College, a ministry of Mount St. Scholastica, opens in Kansas City, Kansas.
St. Lucy’s Priory
The sisters establish a daughter house, St. Lucy’s Priory, in Glendora, California. It became independent in 1956.
Benet Hill Sisters Arrive
Another daughter house, Benet Hill Priory, opens in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It became independent in 1965.
Centennial Year
Mount St. Scholastica celebrates its centennial year. Sister Mary Faith Schuster writes the community history, The Meaning of the Mountain.
First group of sisters in Brazil
Sisters establish a daughter house, Mosteiro Santa Maria Mãe de Deus, in Mineiros Goias, Brazil
Benedictine College
Mount St. Scholastica College merges with St. Benedict’s College to form Benedictine College.
Dooley Center
The Annex, later to be renamed Dooley Center opens.
Community Center opens
The Mount Community Center is established in the former Administration building, to provide spiritual, educational, cultural and social needs of the area.
Sophia Spirituality Center
The Benedictine Center for Spirituality becomes the Sophia Spirituality Center.
Volunteer Program Begins
The Benedictine Volunteer Program begins, offering lay people an opportunity to serve with the Sisters and share monastic life.
Maur Hill-Mount Academy
Mount St. Scholastica Academy merges with the Benedictine monks’ Maur Hill Prep to become Maur Hill-Mount Academy.
Keeler Womens Center Opens
Keeler Women’s Center opens at Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas.
Sophia Spirituality Center Moves
The Sophia Spirituality Center moves from the Administration Building to the former Feeney Memorial Library.
Sisters in Oklahoma
The Sisters of Benedict of Red Plains Monastery in Piedmont, Oklahoma, transfer their vows to Mount St. Scholastica.
Sesquicentennial
Sesquicentennial celebration of the founding of the community.
Keeler Women’s Center Moves
Keeler Women’s Center moves to its current Kansas City location.
Benedictine Life
The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica hosted the 100th anniversary chapter and virtual Benedictine Colloquium for the Federation of St. Scholastica (now the Monastic Congregation of St. Scholastica).
160 years in Atchison
We celebrated 160 years of being in Atchison, Kansas. We celebrated with a lantern procession from Benedictine College campus to the St. Scholastica chapel to remember the lantern bearers who kept the sisters safe when they arrived.
Merrywood Community Garden groundbreaking
Merrywood Community Garden broke ground on our property to create a garden for the community of Atchison
