Charism Statement:
We, the Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, Arkansas,
have responded to a call to seek God by a total gift of self
in a religious community of celibate women,
who make profession to live the Gospel
according to the Rule of Benedict,
the norms of the Federation of St. Gertrude,
and the normsof the Monastery.
By professing stability and fidelity to the monastic way of life,
we promise to be faithful to our Benedictine tradition
of prayer, work, and leisure,
and to be a Christian community
where persons are reverenced in their uniqueness and diversity.
By professing obedience, we center authority in the Prioress
with all Sisters sharing responsibility in corporate decisions.
We listen to the Lord inviting us as monastics
to be a part of the universal mission of the Church.
In a spirit of hospitality
and reverence for the connectedness of all creation,
we respond to local and global needs
according to our giftedness and material resources.
We strive to give witness that people can live in unity and simplicity,
that bonds of caring and forgiveness can heal
the wounds of loneliness and broken relationships.
To those who hunger for meaning in life,
we wish to share the power of the Gospel
to free people for a fully human life
and to create a community of peace.
Adopted August 1990
Amended July 2000