Twelfth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

For the past 140 years, many sisters in the Order of St. Benedict have engaged in science research and science teaching. While women in general are still underrepresented in the sciences, forty to fifty years ago, the sisters were well before their time being allowed to study science in a typically male dominated world. Beyond the stereotypical role of scientists being men, women often were conflicted in a research or science career due to work pressure and family responsibilities. What is of particular interest for this study, is the sisters not only made the choice to join the monastery, but also to engage in a profession that was not widely accepted for women, science. The purpose of this case study is to examine the contributions and collaborations in science of the women in the monastic community at the College of St. Benedict. This study examines historical archives and oral histories to identify the benefits and challenges of the women as they studied science. The study examines women graduates of the College of St. Benedict who were mentored by the monastic women and how this led them to a career in science. The research questions guiding this work include: 1) What benefits and challenges existed for the sisters in the monastery to pursue science degrees? 2) What role did the sisters play in mentoring graduates of St. Benedicts High School or The College of St. Benedict to pursue degrees in science?