About the Monastery
Conception Abbey is a Benedictine monastery located in northwest Missouri where all we do is dedicated to the glory of God following the instructions of St. Benedict in his Rule. We exist to praise God in our daily cycle of prayer and work, welcome guests, educate future priests, and share the Gospel. Learn more about us and know you are always welcome at Conception Abbey.
Becoming a Monk
How Does One Become a Monk or Priest?
It is important in your prayer to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you in your discernment. Listening to the Holy Spirit, and the many ways God speaks to us is essential to discerning your vocation.
Prayer and Work
"The brothers should have specified periods of manual labor as well as for prayerful reading."
(Rule of St. Benedict, 48:1b)
In Chapter 48 of his Rule, St. Benedict outlines the daily schedule of prayer and work for his monks. The monastic horarium, or schedule, is the heartbeat of the monastic community.
The History of Conception Abbey
But for the persistence of an Irish-American missionary named Father James Power, Conception Abbey may never have existed.
As Father Joel Rippinger, O.S.B., recounts in his book, The Benedictine Order in the United States, the hard-working Father Power had long tried to lure a religious community to the region to serve the colony of Irish and German immigrants he'd founded before the Civil War.