Tucson Monastery History
We came to Tucson, Arizona, a town of about 37,000 people in 1935, invited by Bishop Daniel Gercke, head of the diocese (which at that time included Phoenix). Our rose-colored, Spanish Renaissance style monastery, with tile roof and arched porch, was built on the edge of the desert. Today, with Tucson's population of nearly 800,000 and the city's expanse, our monastery is situated in the heart of the city, not far from the campus of the University of Arizona.
Over the years loyal friends have offered their support in various ways. Whether joining us for Lauds, Vespers, Eucharist, or simply coming to pray in the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, faith-filled people have enhanced our service of prayer. And with their generosity over the years we have harvested dates, planted an orchard of oranges and lemons, fed the poor, offered assistance to refugees, made altar breads, enhanced our 'Zen' cactus garden, provided spiritual counsel, and been a monastic presence in the diocese.
Currently we sponsor a Contemplative Prayer group that meets weekly for instruction and practice in this ancient monastic prayer, and an Oblate Program (with chapters in Phoenix and Prescott), for those who find inspiration for their lives from Benedictine spirituality. Both groups meet in our assembly room which is also utilized by the diocese for church related meetings.
Two of our Congregation's main works, publication of our bimonthly magazine and sewing liturgical vestments, are done in the Tucson monastery. Begun in 1905, Spirit&Life is one of the longest-running Catholic publications in the U.S. With articles devoted to the spiritual journey and tidbits of Congregational news, we share the fruits of our monastic life with our readers.
Our pioneer sisters from Switzerland brought with them a love for embroidery and sewing. Over the years we have kept alive the tradition of vestment-making and today we continue to provide chasubles, stoles, albs, dalmatics, as well as altar linens and purificators in our Liturgical Vestment Department. Each article is carefully crafted and sewn by our sisters.
Along with these works and correspondence with people who write and ask our prayers, our sisters carry on the necessary tasks of running a monastery: administrative and domestic services, overseeing the maintenance and grounds-keeping, gardening, and caring for senior members. All of these services enable us to do the fundamental work of our Congregation: pray, for the needs of the Church and the world.