Mission and Values
Our mission calls us to center our day on communal and personal prayer and on the meditative reading of scripture. Our mission is also to follow the Rule of St. Benedict—in other words, to act as Christ did-in our relationships with one another and with the people we serve. Prayer and Work—Ora et Labora. This balance, when combined with an appreciation for peaceful leisure, helps define our monastic lives.
PrayerWe Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery, Duluth, Minnesota, are monastic women who seek God in community through a life of prayer and work. Living in accordance with the Gospel and the Rule of St. Benedict, we respond to the needs of the Church as the world through our ministries.
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"While Benedict did not envision his monks working outside the monastery, monasteries began reaching out to the world around them, welcoming guests, offering medical care, educating the young, creating works of literature and art. Our work is the Work of God (Benedict's term for communal prayer), but we continue to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need in many ways." — Sister Margaret Clarke, professor emeritas of Physical Science at The College of St. Scholastica, and Monastery Archivist |
Students from The College of St. Scholastica and Sisters pray together at evening prayer. |
Sisters chant the "Our Father" during a Eucharistic Celebration |
WorkThe Rule of St. Benedict (Chapter 48) emphasizes the importance of work in the life of the monastic and describes the ways in which each member of the Community should contribute according to her talents and abilities. Work is key to Benedictine spirituality because it is through creative and productive work that we become co-creators of God’s world. Living in accordance with the Gospel and the Rule of St. Benedict, we respond to the needs of the Church and the world through our ministries, which include education, health care, retreat and pastoral work, liturgy, creative arts, and peace and justice. |
What We Value |
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The uniqueness of the individual The dignity of human labor The worth of all human life The beautiful and fitting in Divine worship Stewardship of God’s world Moderation in all aspects of life Hospitality for all who come to us Sharing of material goods Peace and justice |
