Brief History

We are a branch on the 1500 year old family tree of Benedictines. Along with many communities of Benedictine women in this country, we trace our roots back to Eichstatt, Bavaria. Sisters from Eichstatt came to the United States in 1852 and founded a monastery at St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania. Responding to needs, other monasteries were founded. Among these, on our branch of the family tree are Erie, Pennsylvania, (1856) Covington, Kentucky (1859), Ferdinand, Indiana (1867) and Shoal Creek (now Fort Smith), Arkansas (1879).

St. Scholastica Monastery, Fort Smith, Arkansas

In 1956 the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri was founded, and Bishop Marling asked the Fort Smith Sisters to make a foundation in his new diocese. Sisters from Fort Smith had taught in schools in Moberly, Clear Creek, and Pilot Grove, and owned and ministered at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Boonville. The Bishop’s request bore fruit in 1969, as Our Lady of Peace Monastery became an independent community as part of the Benedictine Federation of St. Gertrude. Sister Sabina Gillespie was the founding prioress.

A three--story house was purchased at 1511 Wilson Avenue in Columbia to serve as the motherhouse for the new community. This location was near the campus of the University of Missouri. In December of 1995 we moved from 1511 Wilson Ave to our new monastery on the west side of Columbia, designed to better enable us to live out our monastic charism of prayer and hospitality (picture). We “listen with eagerness to the Spirit’s call into the unknown future.” (from Listen I, Heritage of the Federation of St. Gertrude) 

For more information on our German/Austrian heritage, click here

For information on the history of the Benedictine Order, click here