Nun Has Calling to Serve Through Culinary Arts
January 14, 2026
Posted by STLCC-Forest Park in Programs and Pathways
Sister M. Stephanina Newell doesn’t know what comes next. She said it’s not for her to know. Through Mother Superior, God will decide what her next purpose is.
For now, Newell has been asked to study culinary arts at St. Louis Community College. After she graduates, she’ll likely be assigned to take the lead in the kitchen at one other order’s properties at the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George.
“That's the thing about religious life,” Newell, 54, said. “We prepare, and then close to the time, Mother says where she needs you.”
Newell has held several roles since joining the order straight out of college 30 years ago. She has served as a business manager at a daycare run by the order. She’s been a formator, helping teenage girls and young women learn about religious orders. She formed a development department for the order and served as a secretary for the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious in Washington, D.C., where she lived in the Vatican embassy.
Before being called to the St. Louis area, she was as a missionary in Cuba. She spent nine years on the island helping the citizens practice Christianity.
“It was beautiful and difficult,” Nowell said. “I was sent there to start a mission, to serve the bishop there and to do catechesis, to impart the faith to the Cuban people. They have a beautiful faith even though their faith has been squelched by the powers there.
“Their simple faith was an inspiration to those of us who have been born into it. Their eagerness and openness to want to learn more about God was something that gave us energy.”
About three years ago, she returned to Alton where her order is headquartered and three months later was sent to Bridgeton, to serve as the IT director for the Mother of Good Counsel Home. Director is a bit of a strong term as she is the only person who handles IT at the facility and is the first person to hold the position. Nowell remains in the role as she attends STLCC and will turn the job over to another sister when it comes time to move to her next position.
Finding Community — and Confidence — in the Kitchen
Throughout her travels, she picked up ideas and concepts about cuisine that, coupled with her six years of restaurant experience during high school and college, made her an ideal candidate for her new role. It also provided her a real-world experience of what she’s learning at STLCC – a diversity of cuisine and cooking styles.
That well-rounded approach marks one of the culinary arts program’s most important factors. By the time someone earns their associate in applied science degree, they’ll have been exposed to numerous techniques and approaches to the art.
“I have had the pleasure of having sister in two of my culinary lab classes,” said Jeffrey Seaborn, an adjunct faculty member in the culinary program. “It is quite evident that sister has a passion for learning and a passion for the culinary industry.
“Her energy in class is at a high level and is continuously panning the entire classroom for knowledge. She arrives early to set her station and is always willing to help with things that are not assigned to her. It is a joy to have her in my classroom.”
One thing Newell said she’s learned from Seaborn is how to stay calm in pressure-filled situations. While her next calling might not be a five-star restaurant – it won’t be – it will still come with challenges that can cause anxiety.
Newell said that among all the things she has learned, how to not panic might be the most helpful.
“Chef Seaborn is teaching us not only how to cook, but how to present, how to plan and really how to pay attention to details that on a normal basis you wouldn't. And to do it in a way that's not stressful, you know,” she said. “Now, he's had 50 years of practice, sure, but just seeing him inspires us to want to do better.
“And he's an encourager. He's not like, ‘Oh, you shouldn't have done that.’ He's like, ‘Now, this was good, but let's do it this way. So, you could do it this way, you know?’ So, he elevates the product, but he also helps to elevate the person.”
The culinary arts instructors bring a combined decades-worth of real-world experience from the hospitality field. They’ve spent time in restaurants, hotels, country clubs and many other settings, so they understand the field.
These instructors also stay connected with professionals across the St. Louis area and even farther, giving students a ready-made circle of contacts. Because of this, instructors often guide graduates toward solid job opportunities and support them as they start their careers.
Along with top-notch instruction, STLCC provides students up-to-date tools of the trade, which lets them practice on the same gear they’ll see in future jobs. The culinary arts space is undergoing major renovations to the classrooms and kitchens, providing leading edge environments for students to perfect their craft. The program is also adding more evening classes to the schedule to help accommodate students who may work during the day.
Belonging, Respect, and Everyday Joy
Fellow culinary student Angelina Ayers said she was thrilled when she got partnered with Newell for their third semester in the four-semester program. The two had worked together during their first year on an informal basis, helping each other prep food and clean up. Basically, whenever one of the two needed something, the other would jump in.
“She’s like my best friend,” Ayers, 22, said of Newell. “She’s really nice. She’s older, but she reminds me of a friend that I have that’s my age.
“She’s also very patient. She’s very, very supportive. Like, when I’m stressing out or I did something wrong, she’ll be like ‘It’s okay, dear, don’t worry about it. It’s not that big of a deal.’ And she’s always reassuring me.”
Newell wears her habit at school so she’s easily identifiable. She said that while she’s fielded a few questions about her work as a nun and faith more generally, the rest of the students treat her mostly like just any other student.
“They respect me,” she said. “But I also respect them. You know, we help each other. Like, we'll sit in the cafeteria before class and we'll just sit and chat. I've been surprised at actually how accepting they have been of me, because I'm a religious sister.”
Ayers, who has attended a Russian Orthodox church her entire life, said that religion never comes up with her partner. The two students talk about cooking (naturally), Ayers’ new puppy and pretty much anything besides religion.
It’s a mutual respect that they have for each other and, Ayers said, Newell has with the others in the class.
“I never really thought about the differences,” Ayers said. “I feel like it’s more important if you have a good faith and if you’re a good person, that’s all that really matters. She doesn’t let that matter in our friendship. I feel like she knows where I lie, and I don’t really think it matters if we practice our faith a little differently.”
That doesn’t mean that the other students don’t recognize they are around a nun, which is not an everyday occurrence for the other students. While some kitchens can be notoriously boisterous with occasional – if not frequent – vulgarity, the atmosphere in the STLCC kitchen is expected to maintain civility.
And when someone does get a bit frustrated and says something they shouldn’t, they’re quick to apologize.
“Now, most of them are pretty cognizant of their language, because in the kitchen oftentimes language is not something that they're aware of. Some chefs accept that or not. Most of them don't like language in the kitchen, which is good. It's helpful, but sometimes they'll slip out something, and say, “Oh, sorry sister.”
“There's an awareness of a behavior that they actually should have as human beings. So, I guess my just being a sister calls them to be a better person.”
