St. Scholastica Benedictine Monastery

Prioress: Mother Margaret Mary Ngobidi, OSB

St. Scholastica Benedictine Abbey,
P. O. Box 301, Umuoji Idemili North L.G.A,
Anambra State.

Mobile: 0703.852.5154,

Email: abmargaretmary@yahoo.com

Our Apostolate

St. Scholastica Benedictine Abbey:
"Peace and Joy", forms part of the great Benedictine family which St. Benedict of Nursia started in the 6th century at Subiaco, Italy. The story of the Abbey began in 1977 when Francis Cardinal Arinze, who was then the Archbishop of Onitsha desired to establish a monastic foundation in his Archdiocese. He then invited the Abbey of St. John the Baptist in Rome to help him establish a Benedictine foundation here in Nigeria. One of the nuns in this Abbey was a Nigerian called Sr. Mary Patricia Alufuo.

The foundation stone for the building of the new monastery was laid on 17^th December, 1977. After some due preparations, the founding Abbey in Rome sent 5 nuns to begin the foundation. These were Donne Saveria Moscini, Gregoria Toffano (R.I.P), Arcangela Bruni, Gertrude Moscini and the Nigerian Sr. M. Patricia Alufuo. These, accompanied by the Mother Superior of the founding Abbey, arrived at Umuoji where the foundation is situated on 8^th July, 1978 which is the official birthday of the monastery. Thus, monastic life commenced at St. Scholastica on that very date. On 9^th August 1978 , Sr. Patricia Alufuo was appointedthe Prioress of the new foundation.

The Novitiatewas opened 23^rd July, 1980 with the clothing of eleven Postulants. In 1992, St. Scholastica became independent from the founding Abbey in Rome thus attaining the status of a monastery sui iuris. The monastery was further raised to the status of an Abbey on 13^th November 1993. Then on November 16^th 19933, Sr. Patricia Alufuo OSB was unanimously elected the first Abbess and she received the abbatial blessing on 21^st, August 1994. She piloted the affairs of the Abbey until 2007 when she freely resigned from the abbacy. On 27^th August 2007, Mother Margaret Mary Ngobidi OSB the incumbent Abbess was elected and she became the second Abbess of the Community. The ceremony of her abbatial blessing took place on 6th January 2008.

The Abbey of St. Scholastica is an enclosed religious institute of papal law. It is wholly ordered to contemplation and does not engage in any external apostolate. However, the Abbey engages in the baking of altar bread, sewing of liturgical vestments, farming, candle making, poultry, honey making, etc. It also operates a retreat house where Priests, religious and Christ's faithful come for their retreats.

Presently, we have two daughter houses; Queen of Peace Benedictine Monastery, Ozubulu which was founded in 1998 and Nuestra Signora del Camino monastery in the diocese of Caxito , Angola which was founded very recently in June 2012.

Sisters in Solemn Monastic Vows

Number of Sisters in Temporary Vows – 18

Necrology