In keeping with the instructions of Archbishop Jose Gomez, and the
commitment to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Abbey chapel and Grounds will
remain temporarily closed to the public (Public is defined as: anyone who is not a Monk member of the religious Community at Saint Andrew's Abbey) until further notice.
Thank you for your understanding and support. Please continue to check this website for further updates.
Be assured of our daily prayers.
Abbot Damien & the Monks of Valyermo
WELCOME
SAINT ANDREW'S ABBEY
A BENEDICTINE MONASTERY
Saint Andrew's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery, a religious community of Roman Catholic men who are vowed to a life of constant conversion and witness to the Gospel. The monastic community was founded in China in 1929 by the Abbey of Sint Andries Zevenkerken in Brugge, Belgium. The monks prayed, taught, and worked in China until they were expelled by the communists in 1952. In 1955, the community relocated to Valyermo in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, California. The Abbey is a sacred place where every day ordinary people can come away from their busy life to renew and refresh their body and spirit.
RETREATS
In the holy rule, St. Benedict teaches his monks to welcome each guest as Jesus Christ himself. Thus, hospitality has been a charism of the Benedictine monastic life for over a thousand years. Owing to this age-old custom of hospitality, we endeavor to make each guest feel at home in this oasis in the desert.
The monks of St. Andrew's Abbey gather together as a community several times each day to pray the Divine Office and to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on behalf of the entire world. Guests are always welcome to join the monks for prayer.
MEN between the ages of 21-45 who are interested in learning more about monastic life at Valyermo should contact the Director of Vocations at Saint Andrew's Abbey.
A short historical notice published 11, 1955 Chengtu, China
Expelled by the Chinese Communist regime, the monks of St. Benedict's Priory of Chengtu, China, have found a new home in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. With the authorization of His Eminence James Francis Cardinal McIntyre, Archbishop of Los Angeles, they will soon reopen their monastery under the new name of St. Andrew's Priory on the former Hidden Springs Ranch at Valyermo.
St. Benedict's Priory of Chengtu, founded in 1929 by the famous Abbey of St. Andre, Belgium, conducted a diocesan major seminary and a state-recognized school for non-Catholic students. Shortly after World War II, the Priory established the Institute of Western and Oriental Cultural Studies, with a 10,000 volume library.
