Since its completion in 1940, the Benedictine Monastery has served as a place to seek peace in the heart of Tucson.The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have been in Tucson since 1935.
They are a monastic community that lives and works at the historic Roy Place-designed monastery on Country Club Road near Speedway Boulevard.
But while the city all around the monastery has changed over the decades, life within its walls has in many ways stayed the same. For the 30 sisters, the days are full of prayer and work. The community is currently involved in making vestments and altar bread, running a popcorn business, and producing newsletters, podcasts and blogs.
Sister Joan Ridley says the residents consider themselves an integral part of the community at large.
“As a person, I’m extremely happy to be part of this life, part of this community of sisters, and part of the broader community of Tucson,” Ridley says. “We attract people to this lifestyle because it is a life of meaning, and it gives joy--I really can say that about this life for me, and it’s a grace and a gift.”
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