St. Martin Monastery was founded in Sturgis, South Dakota in 1889 by five sisters from the Benedictine Convent of St. Nicholas of Flue in Melchtal, Switzerland. The frontier town offered few amenities to Mother Angela Arnet and her companions, whose first home in Sturgis was an abandoned tavern.

Undaunted, within ten days of their arrival the sisters began a summer school. This was the beginning of St. Martin's Academy, which by 1916 had developed into a four-year high school that continued in operation until 1991. The sisters also staffed many of the parochial schools in the diocese of Rapid City, as well as schools in Laguna Beach CA,and Casper and Riverton WY.
Mother Angela Arnet

A typhoid epidemic prompted the community to open St. Joseph's Hospital in Deadwood, SD in 1898. Hospitals and schools of nursing were later established in Hot Springs and Rapid City, SD. The community discontinued sponsorship of hospitals in 1983. At the request of Pope John XXIII, several members of the community served as missionaries in Columbia, S.A. from 1963-1981. Another sister recently worked for several years in Chile.

In 1962 the community moved to a new monastery and academy complex in Rapid City. With a decline in boarding students, the residence hall was converted into a retreat center in the 1970's. Classrooms have been converted into apartments for retired persons.

The sisters' ministry at St. Martin's today focuses on hospitality and on fostering the spiritual growth of people of all faiths who come to the monastery for spiritual direction, retreats and workshops. The gift of Benedictine life is extended beyond the monastery through the ministry of community members in parishes, health care facilities, daycares and schools.
An exciting day in the recent history of the community was the move from the 1962 monatery building to a new smaller monastery farther up St. Martin Dr. On August 13 the Sisters processed to the new building and entered the chapel for a blessing.