Los Angeles - Just beyond the sprawling expanse of Los Angeles lies St. Michael's Abbey, an abbey whose inhabitants devoutly seek the intercession of angels through their prayers. Established in 2021, St. Michael's Abbey in Orange County stands as one of the world's most recent abbeys. Situated at the perfect juncture between the bustling urban life and the serene desert, it offers a balance for its residents to engage in apostolic work and contemplative reflection, as shared by Father Ambrose Criste in an interview with EWTN News.
Reverend Chrysostom Baer, the prior of St. Michael's Abbey, aptly describes the abbey as a "heaven on earth," enriched with the tenets of Catholic truth and the solemnity of liturgical celebrations. A sanctuary for personal spiritual progress, it serves as a space to cultivate virtue, conquer shortcomings, and guide others towards salvation.
Amid the global decline in religious vocations, St. Michael's Abbey defies the trend with 42 men currently undergoing priestly training and numerous hopefuls awaiting their entry. This summer, the order expanded its presence by founding a new priory in Springfield, Illinois, where a group of California Norbertine priests now reside.
The draw of the community to young men, according to Criste, stems from their unwavering adherence to the order's traditions. Their commitment to maintaining prayer routines, wearing religious habits, and upholding the order's charism and customs resonates with the younger generation.
Rooted in the canons of the Norbertines, a religious order established in 1121 by St. Norbert in France, St. Michael's Abbey continues its legacy. The mother abbey, known as the Abbey of Csorna, finds its home in Hungary. In the face of Communist suppression in 1950, a handful of Norbertine priests sought refuge outside Hungary to ensure the order's continuity.
Currently, St. Michael's Abbey is inhabited by 70 men, equally divided between priests and seminarians. Father Criste suggests that the allure of religious communities and seminaries that embody authentic traditional Catholicism resonates deeply with the youth. He emphasizes that these establishments meet the yearnings of young people and address the world's genuine needs.
Prior Baer's foremost hope for the abbey is to be a bastion of spiritual salvation, a source of light and optimism in a world that seemingly distances itself from the Divine. Amidst a society that believes it has outgrown the need for God, the abbey's mission is to fill the void within human hearts with the teachings of Christ and the love of the Holy Spirit.