Sister Telan (Christine) Hu, OSB, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn.

December 16, 1932- December 7, 2023

The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn., for Sister Telan (Christine) Hu, who died on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud, Minn. Burial will be in the monastery cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Benson Funeral Home. Friends may call at Saint Scholastica Convent on Monday, December 18, 2023, for a 3 p.m. Prayer Service 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, December 19.

Christine Hu (Jui-Chiao, her Chinese name) was born December 16, 1932, to Zi-Liang Hu and Liao Shan in Taipei, Taiwan. She was the second oldest child in her family, having two brothers and one sister. She attended Peng-Lai Grade School and Blessed Imelda’s School in Taipei. Christine entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph on April 6, 1953, and was received into the novitiate June 16, 1954, as S. Telan. She made first monastic profession on July 11, 1955, perpetual monastic profession on July 11, 1958, and celebrated her Golden Jubilee on July 11, 2005, and her Diamond Jubilee in 2015.

S. Telan received a bachelor’s degree in English with minors in biology and philosophy from the College of Saint Benedict (CSB), St. Joseph, in 1958. At the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., she earned a master’s degree in education with a minor in English. She also studied theology and linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Chinese language at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., Chinese literature at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., expository writing at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, and theology at Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minn.

An educator in many areas, S. Telan first taught biology at St. Boniface High School in Cold Spring, Minn. In Taiwan, she taught at the National Taiwan University, the Junior Nursing College, and National Cheng-Chi University. She then taught Chinese at CSB. In 1970, S. Telan returned to Taiwan as regional superior in Tanshui and taught English at Fu-Jen Catholic University. In 1972, she returned to CSB and taught Chinese, as well as various other subjects, andserved as foreign student advisor and as director of the China Study Program. In 2005, S. Telan retired from teaching at CSB and assisted as hostess for the Haehn Museum and worked for Monastic Enterprises by embroidering beautiful dish towels.

S. Telan is survived by the sisters in her Benedictine community and her nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Xian-rong and Xian-ging, and her sister and brother-in-law, Jui-pi (Pang-ji) Li.

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