“Listen carefully … with the ear of your heart”

Disgusted by the vice of his time, St Benedict abandoned everything and retired to the lonely rocks. His example was to seek deserted spaces to pray alone and or with community. Many who have followed his example through the Order Rule, which can be defined as a small compendium of the Gospel, have lived lives of holiness. This shrine with the mosaic is there to aid or give inspiration for prayer.

A shrine usually houses an object of veneration of a certain saint As you enter our Shrine you are greeted by a beautiful mosaic depicting St. Benedict holding his rule; the Benedictine medal and other important Christian symbols depicted on the back wall. You will find a peaceful space with sunlight streaming through ecru stained glass windows in the side walls and the arched doorway.

This simple chapel, built in 1930, contains kneelers, chairs, benches and two candelabras. The original rafted ceiling, arched doorway and stone floor are reminiscent of the Romanesque architecture of St. Benedict’s time. The bell located to the east side of the shrine is from 1885 and can still be rung. The shrine is ideal for a variety of prayer services such as a Mass of remembrance, a Taize prayer experience or a small group event.

The Benedictine Sisters of Virginia believe in the sacredness of all creation. This belief requires they be stewards of the land entrusted to them. In doing so, they have committed themselves to conserving, enhancing, and sharing this property for the purpose of creating spiritual spaces dedicated to cultivating peace.

Monastic gardens throughout the centuries have been created as a retreat. It was believed to be a concept that flowed from divine inspiration. They were designed as the ideal of Heaven on earth. Their aim was to posses a feeling of tranquility.

The gardens surrounding this monastery have arbors, formal flowerbeds, statuary and vegetable gardens. These gardens celebrate the beauty of nature focusing on the delight of color, smell, texture, taste and sound. All these combine to create a powerful ambiance and have always been associated with healing.

The arbors are nurturing spaces that cover you with vines and surround you with a multitude of flowers with their different colors, smells and textures. Statue gardens help to remind us of the simple lives of saints who have retreated to natural spaces such as these in centuries past. Vegetable gardens allow us to see how important our earth is to sustaining us both body and soul.

Walking and resting among these gardens is an escape from the noise of our busy urban environment. God, being the first gardener, invites us all into these places of tranquility where these spiritually uplifting gardens can bring us peace.