For Jeanette Blonigen Clancy, Saint Ben’s has never been just a school. It’s been a second home—spiritually, intellectually, and personally. A member of the Class of 1965, Jeanette is preparing to celebrate 60 years since graduation this June and is encouraging her classmates to return for a meaningful time of reconnection.
“I spent eight years living on that campus as a high school and college student,” she says. “After that I tried being an atheist, failed at that, got a graduate theology degree at St. John’s, and then came back to St. Ben’s to regularly attend Mass with the sisters.”
Her path began when she won a catechetical contest for eighth graders in the St. Cloud Diocese, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. “One boy and one girl got scholarships to Catholic boarding schools. I was the girl,” she recalls. “Looking back, I’m amazed my dad let me go. He hadn’t even allowed my four oldest siblings to attend public high school until the law stepped in.”
Once at Saint Ben’s, her love for language, theology, and justice quickly took root. She earned her undergraduate degree in English with a minor in German. Her time at CSB—alongside the Benedictine sisters—profoundly shaped her belief in the dignity and leadership potential of women. “I would not have gotten that at another university,” she says. “On this campus, women were running the show. I saw women think, teach, lead, and challenge ideas. That has stayed with me for life.”
During her graduate studies she commuted daily from another place close to her heart: Avon. It’s where she still lives today and a community she loves deeply. That affection shines through in her book Nestled Between Lakes and Wooded Hills, a nearly 500-page tribute filled with historical research, entertaining stories, memorable personalities, and photographs. The book reflects the same thoughtful curiosity and storytelling she brings to all her work as a teacher, writer, and speaker.
Jeanette is well known for her bold advocacy against patriarchal language in religion and society. Her book, God Is Not Three Guys in the Sky, confronts sexist God-talk and its consequences on power structures, especially within Christian traditions. She will be presenting a session at Reunion titled “Why Sexist God-Talk is Not Harmless,” encouraging participants to explore how language influences thought—and ultimately, justice.
What keeps Jeanette tied so closely to Saint Ben’s even now? “Hospitality,” she says without hesitation. “That Benedictine value is what I carry with me. I’ve always felt welcome at Saint Ben’s—even when I challenged ideas. That’s real education.”
Looking ahead to Reunion, Jeanette is eager to reconnect with her classmates from 1965 and celebrate a life chapter filled with learning, growth, and change. “The pandemic made us miss out in 2020. I hope this year we can really take time to be together again,” she says. “Memories of college gain more meaning with time. And though we’ve all changed, the bond we formed at Saint Ben’s endures.”
She encourages her classmates to come back to campus—not just to celebrate their shared past, but to honor the lasting legacy of a place that taught them how to think, question, and lead.
“I’m grateful for what I can still do,” she says, “and mostly for the people—the loves—in my life. Saint Ben’s is part of that.”
Join Jeanette and the Class of 1965 for their 60th Reunion, June 26–29, 2025.
Don’t miss her session, “Why Sexist God-Talk is Not Harmless,” Friday, June 27 at 2 PM, HAB