While she’s a new resident at Good Samaritan – St. Martin Village in Rapid City, South Dakota, Sister Yvette Mallow is an old friend. She used to serve the location as a chaplain.
“I was walking down the hall and this guy said to me, 'Are you a Catholic sister?' And I said yes. He said, 'What is a Catholic sister doing in a Lutheran facility?' I said, 'Oh we’re friends now,'” Sister Yvette says with a smile.
The 85-year-old is one of 11 Benedictine Sisters of St. Martin Monastery who recently moved into Good Samaritan. Sister Yvette has been a nun since she was 16.
“When I was just a little child, these beautiful sisters came and they had summer school catechism," Sister Yvette says. "They were so beautiful. I said, 'Oh when I grow up, I want to be like them.'"
Specializing in education and health care, the St. Martin Monastery Benedictines have been practicing their faith in western South Dakota since 1889. First in Sturgis.
“In Sturgis, I taught kindergarten,” Sister Carol Kavorik says.
Sister Carol and Sister Lorane Coffin were teachers.
“I have really enjoyed the variety of teaching grade school, high school, adult education,” Sister Lorane says.
Sister Therese Marie Furois spent 40 years in health care.
“We had a hospital in Rapid City. I was there several years. We had one in Deadwood and Hot Springs. I spent some time in each of those hospitals,” Sister Therese says.
'I think it was an act of God'
For the past 65 years, they’ve all been based out of a beautiful valley in northwest Rapid City.
“In the ’60s, our community started getting so big that we couldn’t fit in Sturgis. So, we built what’s now Terra Sancta, which was a convent and the high school (in Rapid City),” Sister Yvette says.
At its peak, the monastery had more than 100 sisters.
Then because of shrinking numbers in 2007, the sisters sold those buildings to the Diocese of Rapid City and the local Catholic school system. They also sold 200 acres to Good Samaritan before moving into a new, smaller monastery.
“They have the same charisms that we have,” Sister Carol says regarding the Good Samaritan organization's values.
Sister Lorane adds what she believes about the arrangement: “I think it was an act of God."
Good Samaritan got to work building a full continuum of care campus, officially opening its main building in 2014.
“There was a lot of work to do to set up the infrastructure before you ever start putting buildings on it. So that took a long time but that was exciting to me,” Sister Lorane says.
Good Samaritan senior living sales specialist Mike Franke says, “Growing up here in Rapid City, I honestly remember when this area had no buildings other than the school and the church."
'More space, more rooms' with Unity Place
In 2023, the sisters sold their monastery again. This time to Good Samaritan to use for memory care, hospice and assisted living services.
“It made perfect sense with their mission, our mission lining up. We needed more space, more rooms to accommodate the growing need in our area and that was a perfect opportunity,” Mike says.
After renovation, Unity Place opened up in April of 2025.
“Demand is high, especially for memory care. There’s very few places in western South Dakota that have it and those that do are full and have a waitlist,” Mike says.
Sister Yvette says, “I’m really glad that Good Samaritan is here. We used to have 580 acres and now we don’t even own a stone."
Part of the agreement meant the sisters could move across the street into various apartments at Good Samaritan. It’s also no longer accepting new members.
“The night before we moved over here, I was sitting in my room looking out into the forest," Sister Carol remembers. "I said, ‘Oh I’m really going to miss this.’ Then I come over here and I have a balcony and the scene is beautiful."
Sister Therese says, “It’s been very nice. As someone said when we moved in, we don’t even have to do the dishes anymore. I feel pretty spoiled. They take very good care of us."
Sister Yvette says, “We’re coming to completion. I kind of keep track of them. There’s a group of 90s, there’s a group of 80s and there’s only two in the 70s. When we die out, this will be our heritage and our legacy."
The mission continues
The group still has a dedicated space they use for morning and evening prayer.
“That ongoing prayer, it doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas Day or the third Friday of the second month or whatever, we’re always here. And that is a very important part of our life,” Sister Lorane says.
Mike says it's been great having the sisters at Good Samaritan and they "add a positive aspect to the whole St. Martin community."
“They definitely have a lot of history about the naming of these buildings. (That's) why we call this Legacy Place. Why we call the other building Heritage Place and Serenity Place and even furthermore Unity Place."
It means the sisters’ mission to care for everyone, regardless of background, will move forward even when they’re gone.
“I think Good Samaritan continues our mission,” Sister Therese says.
Sister Lorane says, “It’s spread everywhere, and it will continue to spread as long as there are good people like us and you."
After all, the story of St. Martin helping the beggar and the parable of the Good Samaritan share many parallels.
“St. Martin cut his cloak in half and gave half of it away. That night he had a dream in which Christ appeared to him wearing the beggar’s cloak,” Sister Lorane says. “The generosity and the charity, the compassion.
“What is the story of the Good Samaritan? In scripture, it’s the man that picks up the person in the ditch that everybody else is avoiding. That is also very much a part of our work.
“We are bringing our work to completion and there are people who are following us."
