All Guests who arrive at the monastery should be welcomed as Christ Himself, since He tells us: I was a stranger, and you made me your guest (Matt 25, 35). So then, as long as we have the opportunity, let all our actions be for the good of everybody, and especially of the pilgrims and those who belong to the household of the faith (Ga 6, 10).
Monastic Rule of St Benedict, 53, 1–2
Dear Guest,
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our Abbey. We would like you to feel perfectly at home here and spend your time fruitfully. The Guest House is a part of the monastery – the home of the monks who pray and work here. We invite you to enter this sacred space and experience the pervasive Spirit. It was almost 1000 years ago when people set out on their personal quest for God at this place. If you wish to, you can join the monks in their work and in their prayers. You can also speak individually to the Fathers. We hope you will find here the blessing of a true peace.
Monks and BIC Associates
Living within our community means conforming to the existing order and time-honoured rules. We would like you to read the following regula and bear it mind while staying at the Abbey.
- Please keep silence in the Guest House, especially in the corridors. It is indispensable for intensifying the inner life of the spirit and spending the time fruitfully. Be careful not to disturb the others. Conversations should be held in the rooms or in the places designed for this particular purpose.
- The 24-hour schedule of the Guest House is the following:
- The Reception Desk is open from 6 am until 20 pm. It is there that you should go if you have a problem, need information, etc. The Guest House Prefect will help you if there is any exigency and the Reception has already closed.
- If you wish to speak to one of the Fathers, you need to inform the Guest House Prefect beforehand.
- If you take part in retreat/workshops, you need to arrive at the Guest House between 4 and 7 pm on the first scheduled day of the retreat/workshops.
- You should leave your room before 11.30 am on the last scheduled day of the retreat/workshops.
- The main gate is open from 6 am until 10 pm.
- Absolute silence should be observed in the Guest House and within the Abbey between 9 pm and 6 am.
- Cars must be parked outside the gate within the designated space. You can enter the churchyard by car only for the purpose of transporting your luggage.
- Registration and accommodation are dealt with at the Reception Desk where you receive a set of keys: one to your room, one to the elevator and one to the entrance door. You will also be given the BIC Card which entitles you to a 5% discount on every purchase you make at the Abbey restaurant, café, shop and bookstore. The Card also allows you to use the car park.
- It is strictly forbidden to smoke and drink alcoholic beverages at the Guest House. You may smoke only outside the precincts of the monastery (and the churchyard).
