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Subiaco Abbey

Ancient Monasticism For The Modern World

Ancient Monasticism For The Modern World

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Our Mission

We Are Subiaco

2,000

Years of Christianity

Christ is our Foundation

Our Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. Today over 1 billion Catholics throughout the world continue to preach and teach the Good News of Jesus Christ under the pastoral care of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Successor of Saint Peter the Apostle.
 

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1,500

Years of Benedictine Monasticism

Saint Benedict

We Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (LatinOrdo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of St. Benedict. Initiated in 529 AD, we monastics are the oldest of all the religious orders in the Latin Church.

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147

Years in Arkansas

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Our Foundation

Three Swiss-German monks from St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana were sent in 1878 to found St. Benedict Priory in Arkansas to serve the needs of the German speaking immigrants. Today we are known as Subiaco Abbey.

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33

Monks

Monks at a Marian Conference

Monks in Arkansas?

In the earliest days of the Church, men and women would go into the desert for a life of prayer and work but live as a single or solitary person (the greek word is monachus where we get our English word monk). Some of these hermit monks would join together for work, prayer, and meals. They were called Cenobitic monastics who live alone, while living together. Subiaco continues this as a monastery of Benedictine cenobitic monks

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Apostolates

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Prayer and Work

Communal and private prayer seven times a day are the foundation and primary work of a monastery. At Subiaco, our secondary apostolates are Education (our all-boys college-prep day and boarding school for grades 7-12) and Hospitality (our Retreat Center and Guest House).

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Subiaco Abbey is a Benedictine Abbey of 33 monks living in Subiaco, Arkansas, USA. We follow the 1,500-year-old Rule as written by our holy father Saint Benedict. This Rule and monastic way of life flow from the ancient biblical model of Christian discipleship as found in Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-35. Our balanced life of prayer and work (known as "Ora et Labora") has existed in Arkansas since our founding in 1878.

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We have therefore to establish a school of the Lord’s service, in the institution of which we hope we are going to establish nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.

-Saint Benedict, Prologue #45-46, in his Holy Rule for Monasteries

Our Stories

Our Subiaco Calling

A Tailor

Br Jose as Tailor

“My path is truly a winding one. God led me to realize that I needed a community since I was particularly called to contemplation and spiritual growth. I finally moved from California after my ESL studies and entered the community here.”

Brother José Professed September 8, 2002

An Iconographer

Br Augustine Teaching

“I’ve come to love the monastic way of life partly because of the prayer, the sense of peace, and the natural beauty of this place but mostly because of the community.”

Brother Augustine Professed February 2, 2023

A Scholar

Fr Jerome in Archives

“I saw the monks' dedication, their life centered around prayer, and their joy. I knew it had to be hard, but it seemed easy for them. They wanted to serve God together and to help others. I wanted to be a part of that.”

Father Jerome Professed September 8, 1959

A Teacher

Fr Raban with Students

“At Subiaco, I get to give my life to people and a place that is beyond anything I could have wanted.”

Father Raban Professed February 2, 2016

A Gardener

Fr Richard with Hot Sauce

“What at first attracted me to Subiaco was the opportunity to become a priest. It is perhaps a bit strange, but the longer I have been in religious life, the more I have come to realize that it is the community life I am most attracted to and which I depend upon totally.”

Father Richard Professed September 8, 1961

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Monastic Life

Our Four Pillars

Prayer

Solemn Professions

Prayer is the foundation of a monk's life as a Contemplative. We pray communally and privately at least seven times a day.

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Work

Br Andre with Soap

Benedictine monks seek a balanced life of Prayer and Work. Our primary work is Prayer, but our secondary works are Education, Hospitality, and tending to the needs of the monastery.

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Lectio

Lectio Divina is our distinctive method of monastic prayer through the use of Scripture in words or chant just as the early Church used. 

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Brotherhood

Einsiedeln Brothers

We are monks who live a solitary life, but we also live in community where brotherhood is the means of service for putting our faith into action. 

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Three Monks to Guatemala

 

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A Glimpse into our Life