Monasteries have long been centers of innovation, especially in the realms of science and technology. Much of our day-to-day lives — timekeeping and clocks, for example — has its genesis in monastic innovation.
Over the centuries, abbeys have acted as a petri dish for discoveries in astronomy, biology and genetics.
Now, a monastery on the outskirts of Orange County is embracing a new kind of innovation — the digital kind.
St. Michael’s Abbey has created a virtual abbey, known as the Abbot’s Circle, and has a presence on social media.
“Life in a monastery, much like our faith, is challenging and rewarding, intellectually engaging, emotionally rich and fundamentally beautiful,” Father Ambrose Criste, a priest at the abbey, told L.A. Inno. “And beauty demands to be shared. In days long past, many people had access to this beauty and the experiences of abbey life.”
Now, the virtual monastery enables the priests and students at the abbey to provide a window into the “edifying and transformative beauty” of abbey life to people around the world, Criste said.
Monastic innovation through the centuries
A lot of the scientific innovation that took place within abbeys was catalyzed by Catholic monastic challenges.
For instance, Italian monks were among the first to divide the day into even sections (predating hours), since it was important for them to say their daily prayers at specific times throughout the day. Abbeys became centers of manufacturing, too, for items like beer, honey, candles and books.
Since a lot of monks could read — especially significant Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic texts — they can could use that knowledge to teach, tinker and invent.
And, monks like Albert the Great conducted what would be considered "pioneering" research at the time in biology and natural science, Criste told L.A. Inno.
Cellular biology is named after monastic cells, the small rooms that monks, nuns or confreres live in at a monastery or convent. And Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics, was an Augustinian friar and abbot.
St. Michael's Abbey
St. Michael's is located in Silverado, an unincorporated community in the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County. It’s an idyllic place, far from the gated communities, upscale shopping centers, resorts and beaches. Long, windy, narrow roads are shrouded by tall, sturdy trees that imbue the area with a hallowed sense of peacefulness.
Construction on the original abbey broke ground in early 2018. The abbey opened, and was officially dedicated, in 2021.
There are more than fifty priests and close to forty seminarians studying for the priesthood.
There is one High Latin Mass at the abbey every Sunday. The attendees are mainly young individuals and families. Celebrities and athletes have also been known to seek solace at the monastery. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker spent a week on retreat at the abbey after his team won this year’s Super Bowl.
The virtual abbey
The Abbot’s Circle has an email blast so the SoCal community can receive content about sacred Catholic art, original sacred music and reflections.
The art includes original pieces by members of the abbey community, as well as scholarship about the “singular importance” of the Catholic artistic tradition, according to the abbey’s website.
The Abbot’s Circle also hosts virtual retreats.
While entering a monastery typically evokes the idea of cloistering yourself away from society and cutting out all distractions, the Norbertines recognize that, “especially in the world today, digital media is a critical tool in our life of service," Criste said.
So, St. Michael’s Abbey took the digital plunge and created an Instagram page, a Facebook page, a Twitter page and a presence on LinkedIn. It has more than 100,000 followers across its social media channels.
“I think there’s always a little trepidation when trying anything new, but the response from my confreres has been overwhelmingly positive,” Criste told L.A. Inno. “St. Michael’s Abbey has always been a destination for pilgrims, as well as a homestead for many faithful Catholics in the area who attend Mass and vespers at the abbey every week. But our online presence has certainly landed us on more people’s radars, and we’re welcoming regular visitors who want to take in the beauty of this sacred space."
Visiting in-person
The abbey staff encourages visitors in-person. Although, inside the monastery, no lay men or women are allowed, only those who live in the abbey.
In addition to the virtual retreats that St. Michael’s hosts, there are also monthly in-person retreats led by the Norbertine priests. Other in-person events include lectures, classes, festivals and processions.
