Saint Andrew's Abbey

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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 and until 1953, the monks of the Priory conducted missionary work among the people of China.
In 1953, the Communists expelled all foreign priests as well as all religious brothers and sisters. Forced to leave China behind, in 1955 the monks purchased the Hidden Springs Ranch where the monastery is now situated. 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 and Wrightwood, California.
St. Andrew's Abbey is well known as a retreat centre in California. The abbey is located in a isolated area which is conducive to silence. While the abbey does not care for any parishes, it welcomes numerous guests each year either as retreatants or as casual visitors. Additionally, the abbey is also known for its ceramics[1] that it produces. A number of the monks also teach at the seminary for the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles[2] and in colleges and universities in the Los Angeles area.
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Coordinates:   34°27'25"N   117°52'11"W

Comments

  • THe abbey is a delightful place to visit even caually. It has a wonderful and relaxing pond with wildlife and turtles. The gift shop is full of it's signature art items: ceramic angels and Catholic saints.
This article was last modified 11 years ago