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| Benedictine Sisters
1910 Maple Ave. |
| Lisle, Illinois 60532-2164 |
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| Benedictine Sisters
1910 Maple Ave. |
| Lisle, Illinois 60532-2164 |
Sister Charlotte Vesely, OSB |
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Sister Charlotte was born in Cicero, Illinois Both her mother and her father were taught by Sister Genevieve, the Benedictine Sisters’ second Prioress, at St. Vitus School in Chicago Charlotte had one brother, Charles. Sister Charlotte recalls that her family was very close to the Benedictines and would visit the monastery. Her family enrolled her at Sacred Heart Academy for her high school years where her interest in religious life was noticed by Sister Scholastica. Charlotte was placed in an “aspirants group” and her high school classes were accelerated so that she graduated one year early, in June of 1935. She entered the community in August of that same year. She took her final vows in 1937. |
Sister Charlotte taught English, Voice and Music at Sacred Heart Academy. She was also involved with the Minim Department, where she taught SHA’s elementary age students in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. In 1947, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Mt. St. Scholastica in Atkinson, Kansas and she earned a master’s in Education from DePaul University in 1968.
Sister Charlotte’s teaching career took her to Ft. Worth, Texas where she opened up St.George School along with Sister Raphael. She was the principal of St. Mary of Celle in Berwyn, Illinois, and taught English at Benet Academy for five years. In 1973, she was elected Prioress and during her twelve years in that position, the community renovated the Academy to be used as the monastery and began to study the use of the space that currently serves as Villa St. Benedict’s assisted living community. Following her years as Prioress, Sister Charlotte worked in Benet Academy’s Alumni Office and spent two years on the staff of Villa St. Benedict.
In community, Sister Charlotte has served as Community School Supervisor where she visited all of the schools operated by the Benedictines. She has served on the Monastic Council, the Board of Directors at Benet and as moderator for the SHA alumnae. In 1978, she was appointed to the Diocese of Joliet Council of Administration where she would meet with the Bishop to discuss financial matters in the diocese.
Currently, Sister Charlotte spends many hours in contact with SHA’s alumnae and assisting Sister Joanne Williams as she takes over that liaison role. She helps with many of the Sisters’ mailings and is providing some tutoring support to the two Sisters from Tanzania who are living at the monastery and going to school.
Sister Charlotte looks forward to smaller monastery after the renovation is complete. She loves her time and interaction with the residents of Villa St. Benedict. As a Benedictine, she feels that the Sisters’ aim is to bring people closer to God through the Benedictines’ prayer life and their association with others as they live out the Benedictine motto, ora et labora, -- work and pray.
Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery
1910 Maple Avenue
Lisle, IL 60532-2164
(630) 969-7040
Fax (630) 969-4839
