For the sisters at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, caramel is just a way of life. Take a look inside their operation, ahead of the Feb. 14 holiday.

The nuns of Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa are preparing for the holiday season by making and selling caramel candies.

At that point, and after searching for the right monastery, she entered the Mississippi Abbey in 1979. “We are part of the Benedictine family, following the Rule of St. Benedict,” she said.

Along the Mississippi river bordering the state of Illinois is Dubuque, Iowa. There, the Catholic sisters of the Mississippi Abbey start their day with prayers — a large part of their ministry.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) - The steady chugging and churning of the candy-making machine at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey wasn’t loud enough to hurt your ears, but it did make it challenging to ...

DUBUQUE, Iowa — Like most people, Trappist order monks and nuns in the Dubuque area have to find ways to pay the bills. Without much funding from their orders, their dioceses or the Vatican, the ...

In Dubuque, Iowa, the sisters of Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey support themselves by manual labor – especially by handcrafting caramels and other candies. TODAY’s Dylan Dreyer heads to ...

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Sister Sherry Pech enjoys the soft chirping, incessant scratching and endless exploring of the two dozen hens newly in her care at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, nestled ...

PEOSTA, Iowa — Brother Placid, ... For 20 years he ran the farm and did carpentry and maintenance work at nearby Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey at Dubuque.