St. Scholastica Monastery to be demolished after 'years of research and discernment'

Alex Gladden, Fort Smith Times Record
·1 min read
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The St. Scholastica Benedictine Sisters have made the difficult decision to demolish their former monastery building.

The demolition will take place June 1, according to a press release. The building, built in 1924, is considered unsafe and unlivable. It has sustained flooding, mold and wall damage.

In February 2019, the sisters moved out of the monastery to live in a more energy-efficient building to the south.

"The decision to demolish the former Monastery Building is not one that the Benedictine Sisters made lightly or without years of research and discernment," according to the release.

Saint Scholastica's former monastery building is scheduled to be demolished June 1.
Saint Scholastica's former monastery building is scheduled to be demolished June 1.

The sisters have been searching for a solution to the problem that the monastery poses since 2010. The sisters estimate that it would cost at least $15 million to bring the building up to code and adjust it for practical uses.

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"After years of looking, no feasible uses for the former monastery building panned out," according to the release.

The sisters are forming a committee to determine uses for the land "that reflects the sisters’ desire to be good stewards of their land and their commitment to serve the greater Fort Smith community," according to the press release.

At its peak in the 1970s, about 300 sisters called Saint Scholastica home. Today, there are fewer than 30 sisters at the monastery.

The sisters moved into the 1924 building after moving from their original residence in New Blaine. The building served as a school for students in first through 12th grades and as a monastic home for sisters returning from missions throughout the state and adjoining states.

In 1958, the sisters built what is now Trinity Catholic School north of the monastery building.

Alex Gladden is a University of Arkansas graduate. She previously reported for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and The Jonesboro Sun before joining the Times Record. She can be contacted at agladden@swtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Fort Smith monastery to be demolished after nearly 100 years