St. Hildegard Award

The St. Hildegard  Award (formerly the Egregia Award) is the principal award conferred by the American Benedictine Forum upon individual members. The award is publicly bestowed at the biennial meeting and includes gratis lifetime membership. The recipients of this award will be so designated on the membership lists published in the American Monastic Newsletter.

This award is conferred on persons

1. who have been members of the Forum for a minimum of eight years;
2. whose achievement or contribution to the Forum’s purpose is long-standing in one or more of the following:
   • leadership in, or outstanding contribution to, conferences, symposia, programs of study or research projects that focus on monastic interests or themes;
   • publication of research that has a significant impact upon the understanding and development of monastic life;
   • long-term service in leadership capacities in the Forum;
   • development of and participation in creative expressions of monastic life in contemporary cultures.

Forum members may nominate a person for the St. Hildegard award by submitting the name of the nominee, together with a description of the nominee’s achievement. Nominations are considered by the board of directors for selection and conferral of the St. Hildegard Award.

Previous Honorees:

• 2022: Sister Judith Sutera, OSB, Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas
• 2020: Father Hugh Feiss, OSB, Monastery of the Ascension, Jerome, Idaho
• 2018: Father Joel Rippinger, OSB, Marmion Abbey, Aurora, Illinois
• 2016: Sister Ephrem Hollermann, OSB, St. Benedict Monastery, Saint Joseph, Minnesota
• 2014: Sister Renee Branigan, OSB, Sacred Heart Monastery, Richardton, North Dakota
• 2012: Sister Shawn Carruth, OSB, Mount St. Benedict, Crookston, Minnesota
• 2010: Father Terrence Kardong, OSB, Assumption Abbey, Richardton, North Dakota