(Photo credit: Cliff MacArthur, Wikipedia.com)
To change the world that you are in,
Sister Madonna Buder
give to the world what you have
and serve the world with who you are.
This year, the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis celebrates 100 years of helping students become agents of change in the world. It is apt that on the south side of the school’s Hillman Hall is the Buder Gathering Garden, named for Sister Madonna Buder, someone who has lived a life of service. Buder has inspired others to uncover and cultivate their gifts to serve the greater community. She has also advanced the Brown School’s mission through a planned gift that will benefit WashU students for years to come.
Marie Dorothy Buder was born in St. Louis in 1930, attended Visitation Academy, and graduated from WashU in 1952. Not long after graduating, she declared that she would become a nun. Though her family and friends were shocked, Buder had known this would be her path since age 14, when she first realized the importance of serving others. At 23, Marie Dorothy Buder took her vows and became Sister Madonna Buder.
Buder initially entered a traditional convent, but in 1970 she left to join 38 other sisters in establishing a more progressive order — the Sisters for Christian Community. There, Buder ministered in jails and worked with children. This less conventional order also allowed her the opportunity to discover and pursue an unexpected talent.
During a chance conversation at a retreat, a priest extolled the virtues of running and encouraged Buder to give it a try. Though she saw no point in running for running’s sake, at age 48 she discovered her hidden talent for the sport. Just weeks later, she ran her first 12K race, and that was just the beginning.
In the years that followed, Buder did not just run, she ran marathons. She competed in her first triathlon at the age of 52 and completed her first Ironman at 55, earning her the nickname “The Iron Nun.” At 75, she became the oldest woman ever to complete the Ironman Hawaii, and she achieved the feat again at age 76. Not done yet, she completed Ironman Canada at 82 and was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2014.
Now in her 90s, Buder has dedicated her life to promoting equity, making a lasting impact, and inspiring others to shape a brighter future. Part of her legacy includes establishing the Dorothy M. Buder/Sr. Madonna Endowed Scholarship Fund for students enrolled in the master’s degree in social work program at the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies. To date, 17 scholars have benefited from Buder’s endowment, and due to her generosity, those students will undoubtedly create a positive impact well into the future.
