Benedictine Sisters
1910 Maple Ave
Lisle, IL 60532

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Andrea Kallus, OSB

Sister Andrea came to live with the Benedictines at the age of nineteen in April of 1936. She grew up in a very large Texan family of Czech heritage. Her family included nine girls and three boys. Her parents were farmers in Hostyn, Texas. They grew cotton and feed and raised livestock. The family farm included a large garden and fruit trees so that the family had to purchase just some staples like flour and sugar in order to feed themselves and thrive.

Sister Andrea learned of the Benedictine Sisters from two fathers who traveled to her home parish from St. Procopius College. After hearing their description of the mission and the lives of the Benedictines, Sister Andrea traveled to visit the Sisters with two of her cousins and decided that this life was her calling. She entered the order in August of 1936 and, after taking several courses in music, typing and Latin, she passed her high school proficiency exam.

As Sister Andrea began her new life as a Benedictine, she discovered a keen interest in cooking. She helped in the kitchen with the other Sisters and she pursued a ministry of cooking at St. Joseph Orphanage. Over the years, Sister cooked at a variety of locations. She lived in the convent at St. Joan of Arc for thirty years and fed the Sisters who lived and worked there. She went on to cook for ten years at St. Procopius College and then at Our Lady of Lourdes in Chicago and Holy Mound in Cicero.

Sister Andrea sent news of her life as a Benedictine back to her family in Texas and in the years that followed, FOUR of her sisters joined her as Benedictines, Sisters Mary Agnes, Josephine, Virginia and Angelica. Sister Angelica is remembered in the issue of the LBW following her recent death.

Sister retired in 1997 but has remained busy at the monastery in, you guessed it, the kitchen! She likes to bake and makes a mean “housky” which is a type of raisin bread. She also reads and visits with her fellow Sisters.

Sister Andrea looks forward to the renovation of the monastery. “It’s going to be different. It will be nice to have our own place where we are all together and it’s quiet”. Sister especially enjoys the residents at Benedale Center at Villa St. Benedict and looks forward to meeting all the new residents when the new retirement community is complete. In summary, Sister Andrea observes, “It’s good to be here”.