BELCOURT - The Sisters of St. Benedict are closing the Queen of Peace Monastery here, citing the lack of women entering the convent.

The six remaining sisters have put the 2,000-square-foot building up for sale, and eventually will be leaving for other convents in Indiana and South Dakota.

"I came here in 1945 to teach," said Sister Alma, 84. "I did outreach work and visited the sick and the elderly. The years have passed so quickly, and it is time for us to move on, but it will be hard to leave because this community has become my family."

The Sisters of St. Benedict have been doing missionary work and teaching in the Belcourt area since 1933.

"We came to teach but are living richer lives for what the people of this community have given back to us," said Sister Maura, who has spent 47 years in Belcourt. "These friends have truly become our family, and we will cherish the years we have spent here."