Faith in Action #15: The Cheese Nun Who Blends Faith, Science & the Art of Cheese

In the serene cloisters of a Benedictine abbey in Connecticut, an unlikely pioneer of artisanal cheese is quietly shaping the global conversation on food, science and tradition. Sister Noella Marcellino, affectionately dubbed The Cheese Nun, has earned international acclaim not just for her award-winning cheeses, but for her groundbreaking work in microbiology. Clad in her religious habit and often seen peering through a microscope, she brings together faith, fermentation, and a fierce commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of raw milk cheese.

From Abbey Cellars to Global Cheese Circles

Deep beneath the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut, cheese wheels quietly age in natural caves. But it's not just the cheese that matures there—so does a remarkable story. Sister Noella Marcellino, better known as The Cheese Nun, has spent decades uniting monastic tradition, microbiology, and a love for raw-milk cheese, earning her an unlikely place in the global food spotlight.

A Habit for Fermentation

Born in 1951 and raised in a devout Catholic family, Sister Noella entered the Benedictine abbey as a young woman. Tasked with traditional cheese-making duties, she soon became fascinated by the invisible world behind the flavours. Her curiosity led her to earn a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Connecticut, focusing on the fungi and bacteria that shape raw milk cheeses.

Science, Tradition, and a Stand for Culture

Sister Noella’s research broke ground in understanding microbial biodiversity in cheese—especially the wild fungi essential to flavour and character. At a time when traditional raw-milk cheeses faced threats from industrial food safety regulations, her work helped defend and preserve centuries-old European practices. “Cheese is alive,” she has often said, both literally and culturally.

Security Checks and Scientific Pilgrimages

Her story is filled with unusual moments—like carrying live fungal cultures through airport security, much to the confusion of TSA agents. Featured in the PBS documentary The Cheese Nun, Sister Noella is shown travelling through rural France in full habit, armed with a microscope, studying farmhouse cheeses with both reverence and scientific rigour.

Faith in the Details

For Sister Noella, cheese-making is not just culinary or scientific—it’s spiritual. “God is in the details,” she believes, viewing microbes as part of a divine design. Her advocacy extends beyond taste to biodiversity, sustainability, and cultural preservation.

Quietly Influential

Though cloistered, Sister Noella mentors students and advises cheese-makers across the world. Her work shows that faith and science can coexist—and even ferment something beautiful. As the culinary world continues to embrace traditional methods, it does so with a quiet nod to a nun who found God in the rind of a wheel of cheese.

“Faith in Action” highlights inspiring stories of Catholic priests and nuns who have made remarkable contributions in fields like science, law, and technology. These individuals have pioneered inventions, developed cures, and impacted lives beyond the church. Know someone deserving of recognition? Contact editor@catholicconnect.in.