Sister Annella Mayerhofer OSB

The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict's Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn., for Sister Annella Mayerhofer, who died on Friday, November 14, 2025, at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud, Minn. Burial of cremated remains will be in the monastery cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Benson Funeral Homes. Friends may call at Saint Scholastica Convent on Monday, November 24, 2025, for a Prayer Service at 3 p.m. followed by visitation until 4:15 p.m. or for a Vigil Prayer Service at 7 p.m. at Saint Benedict's Monastery. Visitation continues at 9 a.m. until the time of the funeral on Tuesday, November 25, at 10:30 a.m.

Annella Mayerhofer was born February 27, 1929, to John and Mathilda (Haus) Mayerhofer in New Prague, Minn. She was the sixth child, having four brothers and eight sisters. She attended St. Nicholas School for grades 1-6 in New Market, Minn., St. John's Grade School for grades 7-8 in Jordan, Minn., and Saint Benedict's High School in St. Joseph. She entered Saint Benedict's Monastery on August 6, 1943, was received into the novitiate June 17, 1947, made first monastic profession July 11, 1948, and perpetual monastic profession July 11, 1951. S. Annella celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 1998, her Diamond Jubilee in 2008 and her 75th anniversary in 2023.

Annella attended the Diocesan Teachers' College in St. Paul, Minn., earning a teacher's certificate. She received a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in philosophy from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph in 1962, and in 1977, she earned a Certificate in Religious Studies from St. Norbert's College in De Pere, Wis.

Annella served in elementary education at St. Mary's Cathedral Grade School in St. Cloud, Wadena, Bluffton, Richmond, Perham, St. Augusta, Watkins, Pierz and Maple Lake, all in Minnesota. She served as school secretary in Pierz for a year and was superior in Bluffton and Richmond. In 1982, she moved to Saint Benedict's Monastery where she was assistant secretary to the motherhouse coordinator, secretary for the nursing office and receptionist at the Haehn Museum. She was also involved in crafts for Monastic Enterprises with a specialty in quilling. She moved to Saint Scholastica Convent in 2016 where she continued to serve as an artisan for Monastic Enterprises.

Annella is survived by members of her Benedictine community, her brother and sister-in-law, Eugene and Dolores, her sisters, Helen Breeggemann and Florence Moriarity, and her sister-in-law, Patricia, as well as nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers and sister-in-law, Hilmar (Marion), Ervin and Benedict, and her sisters and brothers-in-law, Virginia (Alvin) Schmitz, Angela (Milo) Korbel, Germaine (Jerome) Wagner, Bernice (Leonard) Julkowski, Hilaria Mayerhofer and Marie (Leander) Ries, Albert Breeggemann, and Patrick Moriarty.

Please direct memorial gifts to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict Outreach Ministries.