Sr. Bobbi Bussan, OSB

Sr. Bobbi Busan

Subprioress

Roberta (Bobbi) Bussan, OSB, was elected Subprioress of St. Mary Monastery in June, 2020 and serves as Director of the Benet House Retreat Center since 2014.  She has been a member of the Sisters of St. Benedict, St. Mary Monastery since 1979.

Sr. Bobbi earned a Bachelors in Parks and Recreation Administration from Western Illinois University, working in high school ministry as a teacher, Dean, Pastoral Counsel, Campus Minister and Assistant Principal.  She received a Master of Religious Education from St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, IN, serving in Campus Ministry at Augustana College then as Food Service Manager at St. Mary Monastery for nine years and Vocation Director for ten years.

In 2010, Sr. Bobbi spent 5 weeks in Rome studying Benedictine and early church history, including the Rule of St. Benedict and related sites.  In 2018, she was asked by the Community of International Benedictines (CIB) to serve as Coordinator of the 2018 CIB conference in Rome.  CIB consists of 19 regions with approximately 100 delegates attending the conference.  She returned to Rome in 2019 with Oblates and volunteers of St. Mary Monastery, completing a 14-day pilgrimage throughout Italy in the steps of St. Benedict. 

In volunteer ministries, Sr. Bobbi served as Chair and Executive Director of St. Joseph the Worker House Association for over twelve years, helping to provide transitional housing for homeless women and children.  As a cancer survivor, she is also a member of the NormaLeah Foundation to promote awareness of ovarian cancer. 

Sr. Bobbi has dedicated her life to seeking God in all things, and sharing Benedictine spirituality with all people and ecumenical groups.  Her current ministry is Subprioress for St. Mary Monastery, and Director of the Benet House Retreat Center.  Sr. Bobbi serves as Co-Chair of the American Association of Benedictine Retreat Centers, Chair of the Board for St. Joseph the Worker House Association, Rock Island, IL and Board Member with Project NOW in Rock Island, IL.