Guest and Vistor Policies
Anyone can come and visit our Abbey. If you would like a tour you should contact the Abbey and let us know when you will arrive so we can schedule your tour. If you arrive without letting us know a monk might not be available to give you a tour.
Unfortunately due to us not having a guest house, we only allow vocational guests to stay overnight as our rooms are limited. If you still desire to stay overnight, please contact Fr. Bernard our superior at porter@monksonline.org. Please indicate your desire to stay overnight, your reasons for the stay and to forward the mail to Fr. Bernard. Please allow for time in responding to your email and do not request an overnight stay at the last minute. A good amount of time is a week before. Thank you for your understanding in these matters. It helps us serve you better.
Because we don't have a guest house all guest sleep in a designated dormitory in our abbey. Therefore we cannot take in married couples or women as overnight guests. We have many hotels in the area fortunately. We are in no way discouraging married couples or women to visit, we encourage and appreciate all visitors to our abbey. We ask that you are accepting and understanding of our policies considering guests which helps keep stability in our abbey.
All guests and visitors arriving during liturgy are invited to attend the liturgy. Please enter the chapel quietly and sit in the pews. Unless you are familiar with Gregorian chant and latin we ask that you celebrate with us in silence. If you are arriving during Mass, you are also invited to attend our mass. Our mass during the week in English except during special feast days celebrated throughout the fiscal calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. During these days and Sunday, mass is latin. We have books which help you follow along during mass when in latin.
The policies concerning our Abbey are simple. Unless given permission please do not enter the cloister areas of the abbey and restrict yourself to the cloister walk, the foyer entrance and the Chapel. There are restrooms marked in Cloister for guest use. Remember, an abbey is a private house for monks. Although we have public areas (the chapel or church is always a public area in almost every abbey) we also have private areas and we thank you for your understanding in our desire for privacy and solitude in these areas.
I hope I have been helpful in answering questions you may have about our abbey and hope I have not been discouraging. I know some people feel uncomfortable when visiting because they do know what to do or where they can go. Believe me, if you find yourself in a place where you shouldn't be, we will not bite. We know and understand that there will always be some confusion at the start. We welcome all guests as Christ and hope you are enriched during your visit.
Thank you and God Bless.