A Life of Service Woven Through Community
For Jeanne Marie Lust, OSB ’73—known within her community as Sr Jeanne Marie—service has never been separate from her vocation; it is her vocation. Whether teaching in a middle school classroom, guiding college students through complex biological concepts, or now stewarding the resources of her monastic community, Sr Jeanne Marie’s life reflects a quiet, steady commitment to showing up for others. Her impact is less about singular achievements and more about the thousands of faithful, everyday acts that together shape a life of profound generosity.
Sr Jeanne Marie’s connection to the College of Saint Benedict began simply. Encouraged by friends from her hometown, she enrolled in 1969 without ever visiting campus. What she discovered upon arrival was something far more formative than she expected: a lived experience of community. There was an immediate sense of belonging—a shared spirit of welcome, connection, and care that would ultimately shape her life’s path.
As a biology major, Sr Jeanne Marie quickly found her academic home, working closely with faculty and serving as a student lab assistant. Yet it was the Benedictine understanding of community that left the deepest impression. At Saint Ben’s, community was not just a place—it was a way of being rooted in mutual care and shared purpose. That understanding quietly took hold and grew into a calling. By her senior year, she realized she didn’t just want to be part of that community—she wanted to dedicate her life to it.
After graduating in 1973, Sr Jeanne Marie entered the Benedictine community and began formation, integrating her academic interests with a deepening sense of service. Though she had not originally planned to teach, she soon recognized a natural gift. “I would sit in class and think I could explain that better,” she reflects—a realization that became a defining thread in her life.
Teaching was not part of Sr Jeanne Marie’s original plan, nor was pursuing a PhD. As a student, she imagined herself working in a laboratory, not leading a classroom or returning to graduate school years later. But within the Benedictine community, her path unfolded differently. Encouraged by others who saw gifts in her that she had not yet fully recognized—and responding to the needs of the community—she stepped into teaching as her first ministry.
She began in a St. Cloud middle school, where she spent eight years teaching seventh grade. It was there that she discovered teaching as a form of service rooted in presence, patience, and care. Building a classroom where students felt both supported and capable required attentiveness to each individual, a responsibility she came to embrace deeply.
That same spirit of communal call led her next to graduate study, even after years away from formal education. She earned her PhD in zoology and, in 1990, returned to the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University as a biology professor. Over the next 33 years, Sr Jeanne Marie approached her teaching not as a platform for recognition, but as an extension of her vocation. Guided by Benedictine values of humility, respect for persons and stewardship of her students’ learning, she prepared diligently, explained complex concepts with clarity, and consistently made space for those who might otherwise be overlooked. What emerged was not a career she had once envisioned, but one that faithfully answered a call—shaped by community and carried out in service to it.
The ripple effects of that steady presence continue to surface. Former students—now scientists, teachers, and professionals—still reach out to share how her patience and clarity shaped their paths. One recalled something as simple yet powerful as feeling reassured just by Sr Jeanne Marie’s presence in the room during a challenging biology final—an anchor of calm in a high-pressure moment. Others have written to share how her teaching helped set them on the path toward advanced degrees, including PhDs, crediting her ability to explain complex ideas as a turning point in their academic confidence and direction. Sr Jeanne Marie is often surprised by these reflections, but they point to a consistent truth: real service often unfolds quietly, without fanfare, but with lasting impact.
Even in retirement from teaching, Sr Jeanne Marie continues to live her vocation through service. Today, she serves as the treasurer of her monastic community—a role she accepted with humility and a willingness to learn. Drawing on her liberal arts education and years in the classroom, she brings clarity to complex financial matters, helping others understand and engage in shared decision-making. Once again, her work centers on making something difficult accessible in service of the community.
Her leadership also extends beyond the monastery as a member of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Boards of Trustees. There, she brings a uniquely integrated perspective—as an alumna, a longtime faculty member, and a Benedictine sister. She understands deeply that the relationship between the monastery and the college is essential, and her presence helps ensure that connection—and its values—continue to guide the institution’s future.
At the heart of Sr Jeanne Marie’s life are Benedictine values: respect for each person, stewardship, stability, and a deep awareness of God. She speaks often about noticing the “underdog”—the student or person who might not feel they belong—and ensuring they are seen. For her, service is found in those small but meaningful moments of connection: a kind word, a patient explanation, a welcoming presence.
She encourages others to see their own capacity for impact in the same way. Service does not need to be grand to be meaningful. “You are an important person,” she says. “The world needs what you have to offer.”
In the end, Sr Jeanne Marie’s story is not defined by titles or milestones, but by a life faithfully lived in service—woven through teaching, leadership, and everyday interactions. When asked how she hopes to be remembered, her answer is simple: “As a kind person.”
In a world often drawn to what is visible and celebrated, Sr Jeanne Marie’s legacy reminds us that the most enduring impact is often found in quiet, consistent care for others—and that is, perhaps, the most powerful form of service of all.