In Memoriam: Sister Monica Raway, OSB
Funeral Live Stream
Thursday, July 1 at 10:30 a.m.
Join us by live stream to celebrate Sister Monica Raway's life on the St. Paul’s Monastery Facebook page: facebook.com/StPaulsMonastery/live/
Please note, the above link brings you to a page with all our Facebook live videos, including those previously recorded. You will not see the service live stream video on that page until it has begun. A full recording of the live stream will be available at the above link after the service has ended.
“May Christ bring us all together to everlasting life.”
Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 72.12
Sister Monica Raway died peacefully on June 25, 2021 at St. Paul's Monastery.
Sister Monica (Mary Ellen) was born on November 26, 1925 in Miesville, Minnesota, one of five children born to Louis and Barbara (Eckart) Raway. She attended country school near Miesville through seventh grade. For eighth grade, she attended Guardian Angels School in Hastings and went on to graduate from Hastings High School. Her first job was at a ski factory in Hastings, lacing snowshoes for the military, until the factory burned down. She then began her career as an office worker.
Seeking advice for her call to religious life, she sought out a priest at the Cathedral of St. Paul and he directed her to St. Paul's Priory, a few blocks away. Mary Ellen entered as an aspirant in September 1952 and became a novice in June 1953. She made her first monastic profession on July 11, 1954 and her perpetual monastic profession July 11, 1957. Her Golden Jubilee in 2004 and 60th anniversary in 2014 were joyous occasions.
She served as a house sister at Assumption in Richfield, at Immaculate Heart of Mary, and St. Bernard's in St. Paul. For five years, her ministry was at the Archbishop's residence in St. Paul. When she retired to the Monastery, she served in the kitchen and was a community driver known as the "Roadrunner." She had a love for praying the Psalms at the Liturgy of the Hours and for the Eucharist. She enjoyed sharing riddles, knitting, craft work and reading. She especially liked re-runs of Lawrence Welk and watching the news.
Sister Monica had a deep love and devotion for her sisters, Luella and JoAnn. She traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico to be with JoAnn and later visited her in Arizona. In their later years both JoAnn and Luella developed spinal muscular atrophy and Sister Monica became adept at traveling on Metro Mobility to visit and support them and participate in family conferences.
Sister Monica is preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Barbara Raway, brothers, Aloysius and Francis, and sisters, JoAnn and Luella. She is survived by her Benedictine Community and nieces and nephews. Sister Monica was a kind, gentle, soft-spoken woman with a keen sense of humor. Sister Monica was close to God. We rejoice knowing that she is enjoying God’s eternal embrace.
Mass of Christian Burial on July 1, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery. Due to the ongoing pandemic, we are not able to accommodate guests. Mass will be live streamed on St. Paul’s Monastery Facebook page. Interment at the Monastery Cemetery. Memorials preferred to St. Paul’s Monastery.
Community of St. Paul’s Monastery
Sisters, Oblates, and Benedictine Associates
Sister Catherine Nehotte, OSB, Prioress
St. Paul, Minnesota
Federation of St. Benedict
Memorials preferred to St. Paul's Monastery: stpaulsmonastery.salsalabs.org/sistermonicaraway/index.html