Purpose, Promise, Passion & Products
OUR PURPOSE
Snail’s Pace is owned and operated by Saint Meinrad Archabbey, a 150-year-old Benedictine monastic community in southern Indiana. In addition to Snail’s Pace, Saint Meinrad Archabbey operates a nationally renowned school of theology. This institution is instrumental in providing us with priests and lay leaders to guide us in our Christian faith and society. Net proceeds from your purchases go to support these ministries.
OUR PROMISE
These promises are just a beginning … our ultimate aspiration is to continually seek ways to enhance and expand the Snail’s Pace experience.
• When creating products, we remember that many people experience peace and tranquility when they come into contact with the beauty of God's creation.
• Through the efforts of our artists and craftspeople, we honor the value of hand-made objects and the qualities of order, proportion and simplicity.
• When making use of natural resources, we practice preservation and conservation and consider both the social and ecological cost associated with their use.
• In keeping with the Benedictine vow of stability to place, we protect and care for our local environment, including the people who live within it.
• Recognizing that many seek to add meaning to their lives in this fast-paced world, we invite people to reclaim a simpler, slower lifestyle centered in truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others.
OUR PASSION
Because Snail’s Pace makes its home at Saint Meinrad Archabbey, our company’s passions
are rooted in many of the same principles and traditions practiced by the monks.
Environmental Stewardship
Catholics and Christians have long-held traditions of acting as stewards of the environment, guarding the ecological balance and praising the Creator. Those traditions are practiced here at Saint Meinrad Archabbey, through the materials selected and processed employed to create every Snail’s Pace product, and on a daily basis through recycling and conservation efforts
that take place all across the Abbey grounds.
Click here to read more about Saint Meinrad’s ongoing environmental initiatives.
Social Responsiblity
Just as important as our commitment to the environment is our commitment to the people within it. Most Snail’s Pace products are printed locally in our own St. Meinrad facility, Abbey Press, by skilled Indiana craftspeople. In a number of cases that skill comes from longevity—more than half of Abbey Press’ co-workers have over 25 years of service, and many are just the latest generation of their families to work here. These craftspeople take pride in their work, knowing the products they’re producing are done so with respect to the local environment. Materials used to create Snail’s Pace products are 100% US-made and meet the stringent social and environmental standards set forth by the Forest Stewardship Council, one of the premiere, not-for-profit organizations established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. Snail’s Pace strives to meet the principles set forth by the Forest Stewardship Council, ensuring our end products represent the highest attainable level of earth-friendliness and social responsibility.
Click here to see the FSC’s 10 Principles and Criteria for Forest Management.
Click here to learn more about the Forest Stewardship Council.
Meaningful Communication
At its heart, the Snail’s Pace product line is an invitation to slow down and rediscover the power of the written word. In this age of email, cell phones, deadlines and constant hurry, truly meaningful communication is not always the easiest alternative. Social media and online interaction are certainly important ways to communicate. Even the monks here at Saint Meinrad Archabbey understand that we must live in the times in which we live, taking advantage of available technologies. But the monks also understand the need for balance and moderation—it’s the foundation of the Rule of St. Benedict.
Click here to read Saint Meinrad Archabbey’s own Br. Francis Wagner’s thoughts on “slowing down” and its ties to the monastic life.
OUR PRODUCTS AND PACKAGING
Snail’s Pace products:
• feature natural designs celebrating the artistry of God’s creation
• are created in an environmentally and socially responsible manner
• support the local environment—most are printed in our on-site FSC-certified facility
• invite the user to slow down and rediscover the written word
Every step in the Snail’s Pace production process is designed to be as environmentally responsible as possible, and we strive to make the most ecologically sound choices in materials. We use only FSC-certified recycled papers and soy-based inks for our products. Most of the paper we use in the Snail's Pace line is produced to be carbon neutral, through the purchase of Verified Emission Reduction credits and Renewable Energy Certificates that support renewable windpower. Even our packaging puts the earth first—from the plant-based, compostable bags we put our cards in, to the recycled boxes, bags, packing materials and tape we use to ship your order. We’ve also taken steps to ensure our “All for the Church” fundraising program operates in an earth-friendly manner. Groups have the option of running their fundraiser completely online; and the prizes students can earn—including recycled notebooks and 100% organic cotton tees—are chosen to benefit the student and protect the environment.
