Historic Sites in Clarke County, Virginia

Holy Cross Abbey (orig. bldg: 1784)

History of the Abbey

Holy Cross Abbey is a monastery of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists) sheltered by the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Cistercians dedicate their lives to seeking God according to the sixth-century Rule of Saint Benedict, living the vows of obedience, stability, and conversion of life in the monastic School for the Lord's Service. Their desire is to grow ever more deeply in the love of God, and of their fellow men and women in Jesus Christ.

Abbey Life

Manual labor is characteristic of Cistercian life, fulfilling the precept of the Rule of Saint Benedict that “then are they truly monks, when they live by the labor of their hands as did our fathers and the apostles.” In order not to be a burden on the generosity of others we labor to realize our own financial support like the vast majority of persons who shoulder difficult conditions to earn a living. For the monks of Holy Cross Abbey this work includes care of the land and buildings, and the service of the community and our guests, in addition to the operation of the Monastery Bakery, our chief means of support. The balance of the monastic day rests on these two elements, and a third, the reflective study of divine things in Holy Scripture. In times set aside for this lectio divina, as in work and in worship, the monk seeks God, who has revealed Himself in history as communicated by the sacred authors and the traditions of the Church.

Information Source: http://www.holycrossabbeybrryvlle.org/