Benedictine honors Sister Mary Christa Kroening, OSB, with Distinguished Leader Award

At the 2022 Annual Conference in Duluth, Minn., Benedictine honored Sister Mary Christa Kroening, OSB, with the Benedictine Distinguished Leader Award.

The Benedictine Distinguished Leader Award recognizes individuals who through their extraordinary contributions result in a brighter future for aging adults in our nation. The award is given in grateful appreciation and as a permanent testament for distinguished leadership to Benedictine.

Sister Mary Christa joined Benedictine in 1997, beginning as the liturgy consultant. Her first assignment from the Benedictine president was to write a few prayers to begin meetings. She responded and the first book of prayers for Benedictine was published and titled, Inspiration through Prayer: Common Prayers for Health Care Organizations. A second volume, Inspiration through Prayer: Prayers for All Seasons, was published in 2001.

Other works she produced included: the annual Feast of St. Scholastica and St. Benedict celebration materials, prayer cards for the sick and the dying, a working paper on The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, Monastic Liturgy Forum Survey: Liturgy of the Hours: Poetry…Prophecy…Proclamation and Rite of Enclosure at St. Scholastica Priory, Duluth, Minn. both printed in the Monastic Liturgy Forum.

Sister Mary Christa was an early champion of the belief that the spiritual dimension of healing is integral to holistic care. Sister Mary Christa’s enduring legacy and spirit will continue in the 27 chapels she guided through planning and construction, and the many blessings she wrote for BHS Communities.  The light that shines through the stained glass windows of chapels from Sister Mary’s Christa’s first endeavor at Benedictine Madonna Towers, Rochester, Minn., to the most recent, Cerenity Senior Care – White Bear Lake, Minn., will continue to beautifully tell the Gospel story.

Sister Mary Christa retired from Benedictine in 2015.