The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-06-24
CALLED BY DEATH
Venerable Mother Scholastica Pass
es to Her Reward After Long
Life of Service.
Leaves Record of Many Notable
Accomplishments in Relig-
iOus Work.

life, Rev. Mother Scholastica Kerst,
O.S.B., passed to her well earned re-
ward on The Feast of the Holy Trinity,
Sunday, June 18th, at 1:15 p. m.
Early in January of the present
year Mother Scholastica's health be-
gan to fail but it was not until several
weeks later that a fatal malady de-
clared itself and prayerfully and resign
eddy she awaited the accomplishment
Of the Divine Will. After six months
of patient suffering the end came.
Called, in tender mercy to lay the
burden of her years at the Masters
feet and the garnered sheaves of two
score and eight years of consecrated
service in His Vineyards service be-
gun in early maidenhood and faith
fully conttnued-how sweetly the
'Veni, Sponsa Christi" must have
sounded to her in the last moments
Mother Scholastica was born at
Mueringen, near Cologne, Rhenish
Prussia, Germany, June 81, 1S47. Her
parents came to America in 1852 and
settled in st. Paul.
A call to the higher life was mani
Tested to her at the tender age Of ten
years on the occasion Of her First Holy
Communion. She heard and joyfully
responded; the spark of heavenly love
then kindled to flame was ever care
fully guarded and cherished; never
had IT'S lamp been left unfed with the
oil of divine charity and steadily with
the passing years had it's flame grown
purer, brighter, bringing life and joy
to countless numbers.
A branch of the Benedictine Sister,
hood had been established at Shako-
pee, Mimi, and here at the age Of
fifteen, Mother Scholastica consecrated
her young life to God. In 1873 she was
called to labor at the Benedictine
Mother House Of the ST. Cloud Do
cese, located at st. Joseph, MINI.
The institution at this time was poor
and laboring under many difficulties.
When thirty three years of age, Moth
er Scholastica was elected Prioress of
the Mother House, an office for which
her ripe intellect and power of govern
ing others, particularly fitted her.
Under her direction the standard of
education was raised, and the resources
of the house developed to the utmost.
The first boarding Academy was opened
up and new buildings erected for both
academy and convent. Soon after, at
the earnest request of ecclesiastical SUI
periors, the Sisters began to devote
themselves to the charitable work of
conducting hospitals, and the first hos
pital was opened by them at Bismarck
and st. Mary's Hospital, in Duluth, in
1888. In 1892 the Duluth diocese was
established and Rt. Rev. James Nc
Golrick, Bishop, requested Mother
Scholastica to begin a Benedictine
foundation in the new diocese. Rev
Mother Scholastica with twenty three
Sisters volunteered to take the work
Mother Scholastica was appointed su.
perior Of the new community and has
held this position ever since. In those
early days the trials to be endured
and the difficulties to be overcome
were many, but Mother Scholastic
was not to be daunted by hardships OF
Inconvenience where her neighbor'.
good was concerned. The parochia
schools, orphanages, academies ant
hospitals, under the direction of tn,
Benedictine Sisters of Duluth ampl,
attest the character and aim Of he,
work, namely the instruction Of youth
the care of the sick and homeless
At present five large hospitals the
Sacred Heart Institute, and her lates
grand achievement, Villa Sancta Schol.
astica, Mother House and Academy
stand as the fruit of her labors. Few
lives have been so full of active worl
6F5 and comparatively few so blessed will
ultimate success. The growth of tn
Y Benedictine Community in Duluth ha
been steady since the beginning, a
AZ present it numbers IT'S members
During this unusually long period O
# forty Eight years of faithful service il
VI religion, Mother Scholastica has bee,
68 instrumental in rearing to Gods great
XII er glory not only many material edi
fees but countless spiritual temples o
the Holy Ghost, for her endeavors hav
IL been singularly blessed, and not onl,
the present but future generation
81 shall rise in gratitude to honor her
Requiem High Mass was sung OF
Monday and Tuesday morning in tn
lila Chapel, and the funeral service
were held at the Sacred Heart Cath
edral on Wednesday morning at tel
O'clock. Preceding the Solemn Re