St. Andrew's Abbey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Andrew's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery of men located in Valyermo, California. In 1929, St. Andrew's Abbey in Bruges, Belgium founded St. Andrew's Priory in China. Until 1953, the monks of St. Andrew's Priory conducted missionary work among the Chinese.
In 1953, the Communists expelled all foreign priests as well as all religious brothers and sisters. Forced to leave China behind, the monks were able to purchase the Hidden Springs Ranch in 1955. St. Andrew's Priory thus began its ministry in Valyermo, California, which is located in the high desert of Southern California within the boundaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It is not far from the communities of Palmdale, Lancaster, California and Wrightwood, California.
St. Andrew's Abbey is well known as a retreat centre in California. The abbey is located in a very isolated area which is conducive to silence. While the abbey does not care for any parishes, the abbey welcomes numerous guests each year either as retreatants or as casual visitors. Additionally, the abbey is also known for the ceramics that it produces. A number of the monks also teach at the seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and in colleges and universities in the Los Angeles area.
In 1992, St. Andrew's Priory became St. Andrew's Abbey. Father Francis Benedict, OSB was elected first abbot of St. Andrew's Abbey and received the abbatial blessing on August 2, 1992. As of 2005, Abbot Francis Benedict continues to lead the community of St. Andrew's Abbey.
