Sister Iris is proud to have been born in the Republic of Panama, the only place in the world where one can see the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at the same time while standing on the equator. Her father, a master sergeant in the U.S. Army defending the Panama Canal from enemy attack during World War II, met and married her mother in Cristobel, Panama.
S.Iris was three years old at the end of the war, the point at which she, her parents and an older brother moved from Panama to Corning, N.Y.
Within less than two years, they moved to Dayton, Ohio, and finally to Ogden, Utah, where her younger brother was born. A short time later, Clearfield, Utah, became the location of the family home.
A love of music graced S. Iris’ childhood home. Her father played the bass horn, and her mother was an accomplished concert pianist. Her love of music expanded over the years, and to the present day she generously shares her lovely voice at prayer and worship with her Benedictine community. The course of S. Iris’ life changed after high school when she decided to attend a three year registered nurse training program at St. Benedict’s School of Nursing in Ogden. It was there that she met the Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph, Minn., whom she credits for planting and nourishing S. Iris on graduation day the seed of her religious vocation.
S.Iris entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery in August 1968 and made her first profession in July 1971. After working for a time in the medical surgical unit at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minn., and at Queen of Peace Hospital in New Prague, Minn., she earned her bachelor’s S. Iris on graduation day degree in nursing at St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, N.H. While there, she was a member of a group of Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph who were hoping to establish a dependent monastery in Manchester. Upon returning to Minnesota with her nursing degree, S. Iris served as director of nursing at Saint Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud.
Then in the early 1980s, she returned to her home state of Utah to work with her Benedictine sisters at St. Benedict’s Hospital in Ogden. She served there for the next 29 years in a variety of departments: the medical/surgical unit, single-day surgery, out-patient surgery S. Iris as a young nurse and as manager of the pre-op surgical clinic. In 1986, after fervent prayer, S. Iris made the decision to transfer her profession to the newly established community decided to merge with Saint Benedict’s Monastery, and S. Iris returned to Minnesota in 2012. Committed, compassionate, conscientious and competent, S. Iris considers it a privilege to serve her Benedictine sisters at this time as a staff nurse, foot care clinician, insurance contact and authorized representative for government medical programs.dependent Mount Benedict Priory in Ogden. Years later, the Ogden community decided to merge with Saint Benedict’s Monastery, and S. Iris returned to Minnesota in 2012. Committed, compassionate, conscientious and competent, S. Iris considers it a privilege to serve her Benedictine sisters at this time as a staff nurse, foot care clinician, insurance contact and authorized representative for government medical programs.
Paul Beech (1965)
Sister Ires May Beckwith OSC
Sister Iris is proud to have been born in the Republic of Panama, the only place in the world where one can see the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at the same time while standing on the equator. Her father, a master sergeant in the U.S. Army defending the Panama Canal from enemy attack during World War II, met and married her mother in Cristobel, Panama.
S.Iris was three years old at the end of the war, the point at which she, her parents and an older brother moved from Panama to Corning, N.Y.
Within less than two years, they moved to Dayton, Ohio, and finally to Ogden, Utah, where her younger brother was born. A short time later, Clearfield, Utah, became the location of the family home.
A love of music graced S. Iris’ childhood home. Her father played the bass horn, and her mother was an accomplished concert pianist. Her love of music expanded over the years, and to the present day she generously shares her lovely voice at prayer and worship with her Benedictine community. The course of S. Iris’ life changed after high school when she decided to attend a three year registered nurse training program at St. Benedict’s School of Nursing in Ogden. It was there that she met the Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph, Minn., whom she credits for planting and nourishing S. Iris on graduation day the seed of her religious vocation.
S.Iris entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery in August 1968 and made her first profession in July 1971. After working for a time in the medical surgical unit at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minn., and at Queen of Peace Hospital in New Prague, Minn., she earned her bachelor’s S. Iris on graduation day degree in nursing at St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, N.H. While there, she was a member of a group of Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph who were hoping to establish a dependent monastery in Manchester. Upon returning to Minnesota with her nursing degree, S. Iris served as director of nursing at Saint Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud.
Then in the early 1980s, she returned to her home state of Utah to work with her Benedictine sisters at St. Benedict’s Hospital in Ogden. She served there for the next 29 years in a variety of departments: the medical/surgical unit, single-day surgery, out-patient surgery S. Iris as a young nurse and as manager of the pre-op surgical clinic. In 1986, after fervent prayer, S. Iris made the decision to transfer her profession to the newly established community decided to merge with Saint Benedict’s Monastery, and S. Iris returned to Minnesota in 2012. Committed, compassionate, conscientious and competent, S. Iris considers it a privilege to serve her Benedictine sisters at this time as a staff nurse, foot care clinician, insurance contact and authorized representative for government medical programs.dependent Mount Benedict Priory in Ogden. Years later, the Ogden community decided to merge with Saint Benedict’s Monastery, and S. Iris returned to Minnesota in 2012. Committed, compassionate, conscientious and competent, S. Iris considers it a privilege to serve her Benedictine sisters at this time as a staff nurse, foot care clinician, insurance contact and authorized representative for government medical programs.