The watchword of the Benedictine order is pax, or peace. The word ornaments Benedictine entry ways and provides the header for all their written words. The purpose of a monastery is to create a space where God is loved and adored in an ordered life of peace, manifested especially in monastic silence and the world-renown Gregorian Chants, sung in their ancient splendor each day. Everyone is welcome to visit the monastery, attend the prayers, and experience an other-worldly peace, a peace which can then be brought back into the world, diffusing light and hope to many.

When the Sisters arrived in Ava, several local families began to attend Mass at their very small chapel, As more families began to hear about the community, and even move to the area, the Sisters had to rent a building down the road, once used for “Friday Night Jamborees!” They make use of it each Sunday and Holy Day to provide sufficient space for all the laity. Even now, the hall has filled up, making the need for construction extremely urgent. In helping the Sisters move forward, all benefactors are also assisting the needy local church of rural southern Missouri to have a reverent place of worship.