Benedictine Sisters Announce Sale of Property to Monte Cassino School
Sale follows last year’s announcement of Benedictine Sisters’ Transition of Monte Cassino School Governance
Tulsa, Okla. (April 14, 2026) — The Benedictine Sisters of Saint Joseph Monastery have agreed to sell their 14.67-acre property to Monte Cassino School. This decision follows last year’s announcement that the sisters will be transitioning the governance of the school to its Board of Directors – a decision made after thoughtful prayer and discernment.
The sale includes approximately 40,000 square feet of monastery space, original school buildings, and the corner of 21st Street and Lewis Avenue. The property was independently appraised at $35 million; however, the sisters set the purchase price at $20 million after careful consideration. The $15 million difference represents the sisters’ legacy gift to the school, an investment in its long-term strength and sustainability. Monte Cassino School has leased the property from the Benedictine Sisters since the early 1990s.
“The transfer of the property to Monte Cassino School completes a historic transition and begins a new chapter for independent Catholic education in Tulsa,” said Larry Rooney, Monte Cassino School Board Chair. “The Sisters have served and led this school community for the last 100 years, and I’m confident in the school’s ability to continue that legacy of learning for the next 100 years.”
The purchase price was based not on market value, but on what the sisters need to responsibly provide for the future of the monastery, and what Monte Cassino School can realistically sustain. It also underscores the sisters’ deep commitment to independent Catholic Benedictine education and their confidence in the school’s leadership to carry its mission forward.
“In many ways, this is the natural next chapter of our calling,” said Sister Julia Marie Roy, Prioress of Saint Joseph Monastery. “Having planted and tended this work, we now have the opportunity to leave it in strong hands, offering the school the space and support to grow its future.”
“This is a transformational moment for Monte Cassino School. This investment allows us to expand and elevate our programs to better serve our students and meet the growing needs of families across the Tulsa community,” said Chris Burke, Monte Cassino Head of School. “Rooted in nearly 100 years of independent Catholic Benedictine educational excellence, there has never been a more exciting time to be a Saint at Monte Cassino.”
Meanwhile, the sisters have broken ground on a new monastery in Skiatook, where they will continue their monastic way of life in an environment that supports their mission of prayer and service.
As Monte Cassino School and the Benedictine Sisters of Saint Joseph Monastery look ahead, both do so with strong foundations and a shared sense of purpose. The school moves forward with dedicated leadership and a vibrant community of students, families, and alumni, while the sisters begin a new chapter rooted in their enduring mission of prayer and service.
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About Saint Joseph Monastery | https://stjosephmonastery.org
The Benedictine Sisters of Saint Joseph Monastery are monastic women who seek God through prayer, community life, and service. We belong to an ancient order that has been a part of the Oklahoma faith community for over 100 years and has had a presence in the Western world for over 1500 years.
About Monte Cassino School | https://www.montecassino.org
For 99 years, Monte Cassino has been committed to academic excellence while educating the whole student. Beyond the classroom, Monte Cassino School students develop socially and morally within a supportive community of educators and parents to develop active skills for life. Supported by the legacy of the Benedictine Sisters, Monte Cassino School provides students with a distinctly Catholic education.
FAQs
- Over the past two years, the Benedictine Sisters’ decisions have been guided by a deep commitment to living more fully in the Benedictine monastic life.
- In that discernment, the sisters recognized an opportunity that would allow them to honor their calling more intentionally, while also creating space for the school to grow and advance its mission.
- The property was independently appraised at $35 million. After careful consideration, the sisters set the purchase price at $20 million. The difference of $15 million is the sisters’ legacy gift to the school.
- This decision was based not on market value, but on what the sisters need to responsibly provide for the future of the monastery and what the school could realistically sustain.
- This sale includes approximately 14.67 acres of land, 40,000 square feet of monastery space, original school buildings, and the corner of 21st and Lewis.
- The school has previously leased the property from the Benedictine sisters since the early 1990s.
- Monte Cassino School was the only buyer considered by the sisters.
- The final approval for the sale is expected in the coming weeks from the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (the Vatican office that oversees religious communities).
- The anticipated closing date is spring 2028. The sisters will remain in the current monastery until their move, also expected around spring 2028.