Kathleen (Aaron) Kalinowski, OSB

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Kathleen (Aaron) Kalinowski, OSB

Jan. 19, 1926 – June 2, 2017

The Eucharist of Christian Burial was celebrated June 7 at the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn., for Sister Kathleen (Aaron) Kalinowski who died, age 91, on June 2, 2017, at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Burial will be in the monastery cemetery.

The youngest of the seven children born to Clemens John and Katie Gertrude (Rubbelke) Kalinowski, Kathleen entered the world in Devil’s Lake, N.D. She attended the District School in Ontario Township, N.D., and Crary High School in Crary, N.D., where the family made their home. She entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery on Sept. 13, 1945, and was received into the novitiate June 19, 1946, taking the name Sister Aaron; she later reverted to her baptismal name. She made first monastic profession on July 11, 1947, and perpetual monastic profession on July 11, 1950.

Sr. Kathleen’s education included earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn., in business education with minors in philosophy and secondary education; and a Master of Arts degree in economics at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. She also attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and the University of Virginia in Charlotteville, Va.

Her early ministry was as a teacher in Sauk Rapids, Minn., and Meire Grove, Minn. Sr. Kathleen then moved to the business office at the St. Cloud Hospital. She later returned to education ministry at the College of Saint Benedict, teaching business education and economics. Her years of service with the college included the roles of assistant academic dean and dean of continuing education. Following this, she became the monastery’s vice president of corporate and external affairs with duties as liaison to the College of Saint Benedict, two hospitals and long-term care facilities sponsored by Saint Benedict’s Monastery.

For 10 years, she served as treasurer of Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Following this, she became liaison for the prioress working with five dependent priories on financial and legal matters. She was elected President of Region XI Conference of Religious Treasurers (NATRI) and later was legal consultant for many other religious communities. She served as a member of Studium and worked in the archives, researching and writing on financial, land and property projects. Sr. Kathleen was actively involved in this work up to the time of her death.

Sr. Kathleen is survived by the sisters of her Benedictine community and one sister, Rosemary Maher of Graham, N.C., and by nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Marjorie Kalinowski, and by four brothers Walbert, OSB, Leo, Clement and Edward.

Please direct memorial gifts to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict Retirement Fund.