S. Mary Grell (1912-1981) Biology Faculty and Third CSB President
Sister Mary (Catherine) Grell was born on September 8, 1912, in Pierz, MN, to John and Catherine (Schaefer). She entered Saint Benedict's Monastery in 1929, received her B.A. in 1933 at the College of Saint Benedict in biology, and immediately began her career as biology faculty at the college, a position she held intermittently for 30 years while she also pursued further studies. She received her M.S. from St. Louis Univ. in 1937 and her Ph.D. at Fordham University in 1945. Her scholarship also included a Fulbright Grant in 1953-54 at the Max Planck Institute in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. She conducted an Educational TV (Channel KTCA) credit course on genetics in 1959 and went on an Asian Tour/Study under the Tri-College Program. She held many leadership positions including chairperson of the Biology Department at the College (1957- 1963) and Associate Chair of the Biology Department at St. John's University (1968-1970). From 1963-68, she served as the president of the College of St. Benedict. During her administration, the Benedicta Arts Center was dedicated, the first lay board members were appointed, a budget system was established, and the early stages of the cooperative program with St. John's University were developed. She was Executive Secretary of St. Benedict's Alumnae Association for 10 years. She served as a member of community and college task teams, boards, and committees all of her life. In 1979, she was elected as Superior of Manchester Priory, where she also served as assistant to the vice-president of St. Anselm College. In 1980, she retired from active work due to cancer and died at Queen of Peace Hospital Convent in New Prague, MN.
She was a dedicated teacher and scholar, who saw nature as a reflection of God's love, but her most outstanding quality was being a friend to others. She was there to listen and to love. Her colleagues thought her a great and gracious lady and she always had candy and balloons stored in her desk for the children. Abbot Joseph of St. Anselm's Abbey spoke of her as a lovely lady who showed others how to live and how to die, and a doctor who had been on the board of the New Prague hospital with her called her "one classy lady".
