... St. Scholastica's proved inadequate for the increasing number of elderly and sick members. Mother Dolorosa Berg purchased a 750-acre plantation near Ridgely. The motherhouse was then canonically  transferred to the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware (of which the Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part) and placed the community  under the patronage of St. Gertrude the Great. An academy for girls was soon opened — the only Catholic school in the vicinity for for that half a century. The sisters taught religion in nearby parishes and soon staffed parochial schools in the northern part of  the diocese as well as one in Southern Pennsylvania. By the  late 60's, the community didn't have enough members to meet the needs and it was forced to withdraw from all parishes except the elementary and secondary schools at St. Elizabeth's in Wilmington. St. Gertrude Academy was phased out in 1959, and a new ministry evolved; the care of the mentally challenged.  So began the Benedictine School for Exceptional Children.  That ministry has since been expanded to include similar programs and facilities for young adults — both on the premises  as well as in nearby cities. The community's commitment to peace and social justice found yet another outlet in St. Martin's ministries  — founded in 1983 to try to meet the needs of the rural  poor. St. Martin's Barn is a thrift store and food closet  that also provides financial support to help our clients avoid  utility cut-offs and eviction. St. Martin's House is a transitional residence, where homeless/abused women and their children can stay for up to two years.