Category: News

The Oblates of St. Scholastica Monastery welcomed two new Oblates and five enrollees at Mass on May 18, 2025. The Oblates signed their certificates of Oblation and received their Oblate pin as a sign of their commitment as Oblates of St. Benedict. The Sisters then extended their traditional blessing to the new Oblates and enrollees. A brief meeting and then a luncheon took place after the Mass concluded.

If you have an interest in the Oblate program at St. Scholastica, check out our Oblate page.

As part of an ongoing social justice series, the Sisters hosted artist Monica Moore at St. Scholastica Monastery May 9, 2025. Moore is the creator of “The Hearts Project”, an art exhibit centered around honoring the lives in Arkansas lost to Covid-19. Moore spoke on the origins of the project, the future of her work and collaborations, and the need to see the project as an approach to social justice. She is passionate about representing those who seem to have been forgotten and giving a voice to all those who sacrificed their lives physically or emotionally during a time when so many felt pressed to pursue normalcy even during loss and danger. She encouraged the Sisters to share their stories of the lockdown and the changes they saw and felt in their lives at the monastery.

Her full story can be heard here: https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2025-01-17/the-hearts-project-memorializes-the-pandemic-with-hand-cut-paper-hearts

In February and March of 2024, UAFS students, instructors, staff, and Sisters began the first series of oral history interviews as a collaboration between the two entities. The UAFS Pebley Center acquired a grant to record the histories of underrepresented individuals and communities. The UAFS faculty, staff, and students will continue to record the oral history of the Benedictine Sisters and their history in Arkansas and Fort Smith as part of their semester-long projects until both groups feel all the stories that need preservation have been told.

In July 2023, the Sisters decided to build a columbarium.  After months of working out the details, the stately columbarium was installed in the monastery cemetery in August 2024. The two sides of the columbarium flank the path to the cemetery as the path divides around a beautiful statue of the crucifixion, and descends to the graves of the deceased. One side is reserved for the Sisters, and the other is open for the public. The area is surrounded by trees, flowers, and a view of the bell tower, offering the peace and beauty of nature. The columbarium was blessed by Bishop Anthony Taylor during a special ceremony on April 25, 2025.  On June 26, the remains of the Sisters who have been cremated since 2020 will be removed from their burial places and recommitted to the columbarium. 

Please see our new page for the columbarium and download our brochure. If you are interested, please contact us for an appointment.