Sister Judith Beaumont, OSB papers

Sister Judith Beaumont, OSB was born on December 10th, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois. She entered the community on September 8th, 1955, after graduating from Saint Scholastica High School Chicago. Sister was invested on April 7th, 1956, taking the name Sister Mary Daniel in religion. She made her first vows on April 27th, 1957, and her final profession on August 16th, 1960. Following Vatican II, Sister chose to reclaim her baptismal name, becoming Sister Judith.

Sister Judith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968 from Mundelein College in Chicago, a Master of Religious Education from Loyola University in 1975, and was a Senior Fellow on the American Leadership Forum from 1988-1989.

Sister Judith served as a teacher in various elementary and secondary schools in Chicago. She taught at Saint Hilary School, Queen of All Saints School, Saint Symphorosa School, Saint John Nepomucene School, Saint Joseph School, and Saint Scholastica High School Chicago. At Saint Scholastica High School, she also served as a Chairperson of the Theology Department, and as a coordinator of the student volunter program. In 1973, she became active in several peace and social justice organizations. From 1975 to 1990, Sister assisted with the resettlement of Vietnamese and Lao Hmong refugees, participated in the organization Benedictines for Peace, organized and directed the Howard Area Summer Program in Chicago, and managed the Saint Scholastica Priory food service.

In 1981, Sister Judith became a leader in the "Trident Nein," protests, staged by an organization committed to nuclear disarmament through non-violent protest. Along with eight other organization members, Sister was arrested and incarcerated on July 5th, 1982 for their role in the "peace witness" at the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut. She was charged with a felony for protesting and vandalizing the construction of the The USS Ohio, a Trident submarine equipped with nuclear missiles. After her release from prison, during which time she had continued to live as a woman religious, Sister became the executive director of My Sister's Place, a women's and children's shelter in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Sister left the community in 1990, after which she moved to Fort Myers, Florida. There she worked in various administrative roles and as the Director of Religious Education for churches in the Venice diocese. In 2011, Judith was ordained as a Roman Catholic Woman Priest, becoming pastor of Good Shepard Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers. She died on January 1st, 2018, donating her body to the University of Miami Medical School.