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Charism
The same call and gift of the Spirit came to Benedict of Nursia in the
fifth century, to Benedicta Riepp in the nineteenth century, and to
the Benedictine women in the monasteries that today form the
Federation of St. Scholastica. The original expression of this charism,
the Rule of Benedict, is a privileged text for monastics. The Rule is,
after the Gospel, the touchstone for all later lived expressions and
spiritual documents within the Benedictine tradition. The charism as
articulated in the Rule of Benedict is to seek God through cenobitic
life, prayer, and work, attending to the gospel mandate of service and
mission, listening daily to God's call and responding with good zeal.
The Federation of St. Scholastica articulates this charism through the
Declarations, Constitutional Norms, and Specific Norms of its
monastic constitution, Call to Life. In its relationship to the member
monasteries the federation functions according to the principles of
solidarity and subsidiarity It fosters the diverse expressions of the
charism, respecting the autonomy of each member monastery, and
creates an environment in which these expressions may be shared at
the federation level.

History
The Federation of St. Scholastica traces its roots to a group of three
sisters from St. Walburg Convent, Eichstätt, Bavaria, who came to the
United States in 1852 to respond to the growing needs of the Church.
Sister Benedicta Riepp, superior, and her companions, Sister
Walburga Dietrich and Sister Maura Flieger, settled in St. Marys,
Pennsylvania. From there missions developed rapidly over the next
fifty years, and most became independent houses… It was not until
February 25, 1922, however, that the Apostolic See approved the
constitution and granted official approbation to the Congregation of
Saint Scholastica, which then consisted of ten monasteries in seven
states.1 In 1974, the "Congregation" was designated the "Federation"
of St. Scholastica to reflect more accurately the actual nature of this
monastic structure. This revision was published in 1974 under the
title Call to Life. The constitution was further refined in 1978, 1982,
and 1986, and was given formal approval by the delegates to the
Federation Chapter of 1986. The Decree of Final Approbation of the
constitution of the Federation of St. Scholastica was granted at Rome,
February 10, 1988, the Feast of St. Scholastica.

Federation Function
It is the function of the Federation of Saint Scholastica, through its
chapter, president, and council, to:

Federation President
It is the function of the Federation of St. Scholastica, through the
president of the federation, to:

-- unite the monasteries of the federation for the purpose
of mutual support and enrichment
-- _assist the member monasteries in maintaining their
identity in the contemporary church and society
-- authorize canonical visitations
-- provide through these visitations a moral force for the
implementation of the norms of the Federation of St.
Scholastica
-- protect the canonical rights of the member monasteries
-- provide a process for the conciliation of grievances
according to the principles of charity and justice
whenever requested by a member of any monastery of the
federation
-- facilitate communication among the member
monasteries and between the individual monasteries and
the Apostolic See.

Schooled daily for the Lord's service (RB P:45), Benedictines
embrace ways of acting different from the world's ways: the love
of Christ must come before all else (RB 4:20-21). To seek God is
primary. As disciples of Jesus, Benedictines live with an
ever-increasing passion for the reign of God and God's justice (RB
72).

Having blessed Benedict, the Spirit has unfailingly touched his
followers, and so a living tradition has been established through
the centuries. We share in this living tradition and extend it as
we respond from within the contemporary situation of the
Americas. Becoming freer ourselves through the Spirit's action,
we are being empowered as was Jesus to enter compassionately
into the struggle, pain, and suffering of our sisters and brothers.
We are aware of God working within us and among us for the
conversion of our hearts and the breaking of our bonds. God's
graciousness continues to liberate us so that we are better able to
assist in creating a just and compassionate society where all
persons can experience human dignity and live with firm hope for
the final reconciliation of the world with the One who is both
Creator and Redeemer.