By Kristi Anderson
The Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict in St. Joseph elected Benedictine Sister Karen Rose as their 18th prioress Feb. 25 at Sacred Heart Chapel.
Sister Karen, 66, is from Manchester, England. She entered the monastery in St. Joseph in 2009 and made perpetual monastic profession on July 11, 2012. She currently serves as the director of mission advancement at St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph. Her professional background is in nursing.
Sister Karen said that she knew she could potentially be among those selected for prioress but was stunned when her name was announced.
“It has been a very beautiful and holy process,” Sister Karen said following the election. “I knew it could be me, but nothing prepared me for how it felt when it actually happened. I am so honored that my community has chosen me, and I hope I can serve them in a way they deserve.”
Sister Karen said she would describe her leadership style as collaborative.
“We have such a wealth of talents and experience in this community,” she said. “I accept that I am the leader and the buck will stop with me. But I don’t feel I’ve got to do that on my own. I just really believe I am supported by the whole community of wonderful women.”
Sister Karen will succeed Sister Susan Rudolph, who has served as prioress since 2017, when she is installed June 4 at Sacred Heart Chapel.
“One of my priorities will be to be a spiritual leader for both the women here and the people we connect with in the greater world,” Sister Karen said. “I want them to become the best person they can be, the person God wants them to be. Although we are a very small part of the world, what each of us does really matters.”
Pictured above: Sister Nicole Kunze, vice president of the Monastic Congregation of Saint Benedict and prioress of Annunciation Monastery in Bismarck, North Dakota, presents Sister Karen Rose as the new prioress-elect of St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph.
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