General Information for Guests
Abbey Church:
We invite you to participate in services conducted in the abbey church. You are welcome to join the monastic community in the singing of the psalms, be we ask that you do so quietly and in unison with the monks. The acoustics of the church can make even moderately loud singing in the visitor's section a distraction for the monks in the choir.
We encourage visitors who are not Catholic to participate in church services to the extent they are comfortable.
Saint Cecilia Chapel:
St. Cecilia chapel is open at all times and you are invited to take advantage of the contemplative environment it offers. Please use the chapel rather than the Abbey Church for your personal prayer.
Meditation Room:
The meditation room, located on the north side of the chapel, is always open. We ask that you please remove your footwear upon entering the room. In inclement weather feel free to place your shoes on the inside shelving located behind the meditation room door.
Library:
The guest library is always open. Please feel free to use this space for reading or quiet study. Through an honor system, library books may be "checked-out" for use in guest rooms. Please place all returned books on the counter in the library before you leave the monastery. The monastery librarian will re-shelf all returned books.
Bookstore:
Located in the Welcome Center, the bookstore has a variety of books, gifts and cards. Taxes are included in the purchase price. You may place your payment in an envelope available in the bookstore and insert it in the mail slot of the Guestmaster's door.
Meals:
The guest dining room is available at all meal times. A Silent Room, located adjacent to the main dining room, is available for those wishing to maintain silence during meals. You are invited to help yourself to all food in the hot plates, or in the dining room counter and in the guest refrigerator. Regular tea and herbal teas are available in the kitchen. Meal times are:
Those on special diets are encouraged to bring their own food. Unless you wish to share this food with other guests we encourage you to label each item with your name and retreat dates. Peel-off labels and felt pens are provided in the kitchen.
Following meals, please clean off your plates in the trash containers located at the rear of the kitchen area. Rinse your plates, cups and utensils and place them in the dishwasher. Please help maintain the guest dining room and kitchen. A good rule of thumb for use of the guest dining room and kitchen is to leave no trace.
Silence:
We strongly encourage you to maintain a spirit of silence during your retreat. We especially encourage you to observe the period of Grand Silence that extends from Compline, the last prayer of the day, until after Lauds in the morning.
Spiritual Direction:
If you wish to talk with a monk for spiritual direction and/or confession, please contact the guestmaster. Due to scheduling demands on the monks available to meet with guests, we cannot always fulfill all requests for spiritual direction, but we will try to meet as many requests as possible. The monastery does not provide psychological or any other form of counseling.
Vocations:
Men between the ages of 18 and 40, who are in good health and who want to explore the calling towards a monastic life can contact the guestmaster to request a meeting with the vocations director.
We invite you to participate in services conducted in the abbey church. You are welcome to join the monastic community in the singing of the psalms, be we ask that you do so quietly and in unison with the monks. The acoustics of the church can make even moderately loud singing in the visitor's section a distraction for the monks in the choir.
We encourage visitors who are not Catholic to participate in church services to the extent they are comfortable.
Saint Cecilia Chapel:
St. Cecilia chapel is open at all times and you are invited to take advantage of the contemplative environment it offers. Please use the chapel rather than the Abbey Church for your personal prayer.
Meditation Room:
The meditation room, located on the north side of the chapel, is always open. We ask that you please remove your footwear upon entering the room. In inclement weather feel free to place your shoes on the inside shelving located behind the meditation room door.
Library:
The guest library is always open. Please feel free to use this space for reading or quiet study. Through an honor system, library books may be "checked-out" for use in guest rooms. Please place all returned books on the counter in the library before you leave the monastery. The monastery librarian will re-shelf all returned books.
Bookstore:
Located in the Welcome Center, the bookstore has a variety of books, gifts and cards. Taxes are included in the purchase price. You may place your payment in an envelope available in the bookstore and insert it in the mail slot of the Guestmaster's door.
Meals:
The guest dining room is available at all meal times. A Silent Room, located adjacent to the main dining room, is available for those wishing to maintain silence during meals. You are invited to help yourself to all food in the hot plates, or in the dining room counter and in the guest refrigerator. Regular tea and herbal teas are available in the kitchen. Meal times are:
- Breakfast: anytime between 4:15 and 8:30 am
- Dinner (Lunch): any time between 12:30 and 1:45 pm
- Supper: any time between 4:00 and 7:00 pm
Those on special diets are encouraged to bring their own food. Unless you wish to share this food with other guests we encourage you to label each item with your name and retreat dates. Peel-off labels and felt pens are provided in the kitchen.
Following meals, please clean off your plates in the trash containers located at the rear of the kitchen area. Rinse your plates, cups and utensils and place them in the dishwasher. Please help maintain the guest dining room and kitchen. A good rule of thumb for use of the guest dining room and kitchen is to leave no trace.
Silence:
We strongly encourage you to maintain a spirit of silence during your retreat. We especially encourage you to observe the period of Grand Silence that extends from Compline, the last prayer of the day, until after Lauds in the morning.
Spiritual Direction:
If you wish to talk with a monk for spiritual direction and/or confession, please contact the guestmaster. Due to scheduling demands on the monks available to meet with guests, we cannot always fulfill all requests for spiritual direction, but we will try to meet as many requests as possible. The monastery does not provide psychological or any other form of counseling.
Vocations:
Men between the ages of 18 and 40, who are in good health and who want to explore the calling towards a monastic life can contact the guestmaster to request a meeting with the vocations director.
Air conditioning/heating:
Room temperatures in the guesthouse (rooms 1-8) can be adjusted by pushing the up or down arrows on the remote control thermostat. The additional variables on the remote control units (e.g. mode, fan speed, time, etc) are preset. Please close all windows when using the air conditioners.
Candles/Incense:
For the safety of our guests, burning candles or incense is not permitted in any of the guest rooms.
Laundry:
The washer and dryer in the Linen Closet are for staff use only. If you have clothes that must be laundered, please check with the Guestmaster.
Cell Phones:
We strongly encourage you to turn off your cell phone during your entire stay at the monastery. If you must make or receive a call, please be mindful of how your use of the phone impacts the contemplative environment for you and for those around you.
Dress and Demeanor:
We encourage you to wear modest and comfortable clothing during your stay. Please refrain from any activities that could disrupt the prayerful environment. Please, no sunbathing or playing of musical instruments anywhere on monastery grounds. Radios, ipods, or other personal music systems should be used with headphones.
Departure:
Check-out time is 10 am. As an expression of monastic hospitality for incoming guests we ask that you place a set of clean sheets and towels in your room before you check out. Clean linens are available in the Linen Closet located next to the guest library. Please leave all blankets and bedspreads in your room, but any used linens may be placed in the large bins also located in the Linen Closet. Please place your room key and any donations for your stay in the mail slot of the Guestmaster's door in the Welcome center.
Donations:
The donations we receive from our guests allow us to keep the Guest House open and available for all. Your generosity helps cover some of the costs for building maintenance, grounds maintenance, meals and general services in the guest area. Currently it costs the abbey over $60 per guest/per day to operate the Guest House, but our monastic tradition of hospitality invites you to leave what you can. Any amount, however large or small, helps cover the costs.
Parking:
After unloading your luggage to your room, please park your vehicle in the guest parking area located on the south side of the winery.
Emergencies:
In an emergency, contact the Guestmaster immediately. If an emergency occurs during the night, a telephone is available by the rear door of the guest kitchen. The Guestmaster can be reached by dialing 111. In an extreme emergency, you may call directly for ourside emergency assistance by dialing 9-911.
Messages:
Telephone messages, changes in the Abbey prayer schedule, and other important guest information are posted on the bulletin board at the front entrance of St. Luke guest dining room.
Pets:
Please, no pets in the guest house or anywhere on monastery grounds.
Work:
Manual labor is an important aspect of monastic spiritual practice. If during your visit you are interested in joining the community for some of our seasonal work, please contact the Guestmaster in the Welcome Center.
Recycling:
Please place your clean cans, bottles, milk containers, cardboard and paper in the recycle container on the back porch of St. Luke guest dining room.
Water:
Our water meets all federal and state standards for drinking water and is safe for public consumption. It is pumped from two wells on the property and is tested each month by a state licensed laboratory under regulation by the California Department of Health Services (530-224-4800).
Smoking:
Smoking is permitted outdoors far away from all Guest House buildings and we ask that you completely extinguish and deposit cigarette butts in outdoor trashcans.
Room temperatures in the guesthouse (rooms 1-8) can be adjusted by pushing the up or down arrows on the remote control thermostat. The additional variables on the remote control units (e.g. mode, fan speed, time, etc) are preset. Please close all windows when using the air conditioners.
Candles/Incense:
For the safety of our guests, burning candles or incense is not permitted in any of the guest rooms.
Laundry:
The washer and dryer in the Linen Closet are for staff use only. If you have clothes that must be laundered, please check with the Guestmaster.
Cell Phones:
We strongly encourage you to turn off your cell phone during your entire stay at the monastery. If you must make or receive a call, please be mindful of how your use of the phone impacts the contemplative environment for you and for those around you.
Dress and Demeanor:
We encourage you to wear modest and comfortable clothing during your stay. Please refrain from any activities that could disrupt the prayerful environment. Please, no sunbathing or playing of musical instruments anywhere on monastery grounds. Radios, ipods, or other personal music systems should be used with headphones.
Departure:
Check-out time is 10 am. As an expression of monastic hospitality for incoming guests we ask that you place a set of clean sheets and towels in your room before you check out. Clean linens are available in the Linen Closet located next to the guest library. Please leave all blankets and bedspreads in your room, but any used linens may be placed in the large bins also located in the Linen Closet. Please place your room key and any donations for your stay in the mail slot of the Guestmaster's door in the Welcome center.
Donations:
The donations we receive from our guests allow us to keep the Guest House open and available for all. Your generosity helps cover some of the costs for building maintenance, grounds maintenance, meals and general services in the guest area. Currently it costs the abbey over $60 per guest/per day to operate the Guest House, but our monastic tradition of hospitality invites you to leave what you can. Any amount, however large or small, helps cover the costs.
Parking:
After unloading your luggage to your room, please park your vehicle in the guest parking area located on the south side of the winery.
Emergencies:
In an emergency, contact the Guestmaster immediately. If an emergency occurs during the night, a telephone is available by the rear door of the guest kitchen. The Guestmaster can be reached by dialing 111. In an extreme emergency, you may call directly for ourside emergency assistance by dialing 9-911.
Messages:
Telephone messages, changes in the Abbey prayer schedule, and other important guest information are posted on the bulletin board at the front entrance of St. Luke guest dining room.
Pets:
Please, no pets in the guest house or anywhere on monastery grounds.
Work:
Manual labor is an important aspect of monastic spiritual practice. If during your visit you are interested in joining the community for some of our seasonal work, please contact the Guestmaster in the Welcome Center.
Recycling:
Please place your clean cans, bottles, milk containers, cardboard and paper in the recycle container on the back porch of St. Luke guest dining room.
Water:
Our water meets all federal and state standards for drinking water and is safe for public consumption. It is pumped from two wells on the property and is tested each month by a state licensed laboratory under regulation by the California Department of Health Services (530-224-4800).
Smoking:
Smoking is permitted outdoors far away from all Guest House buildings and we ask that you completely extinguish and deposit cigarette butts in outdoor trashcans.
