monastic life
Father René Guesnier, OSB, enters eternal rest
On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, our beloved confrere, Father René Guesnier, OSB laid down the burden of earthly travail and entered the undying light of God’s glory. He had been a resident in our St. Stephen’s Infirmary since 2018 and, at the time of his death, was a Golden Jubilarian of both profession and…
Young men discern monastic life at Conception Abbey
The monastic community at Conception Abbey has received a true blessing from God that all such communities dream of: an increase in young men discerning monastic life. Ten men are currently in various stages of formation, following one who made solemn vows to the community this summer. For a religious community, receiving new members is…
Meet Altar + Home by Conception
The Printery House has been in business in some capacity for more than 90 years, beginning with the publication of the periodical Altar and Home, then operating as Conception Abbey Press before becoming The Printery House. Even before that, the monks of Conception Abbey arrived in northwest Missouri in 1873 with the mission of daily…
Leading Men and Women in Encounter Christ
The Abbey Guest Center introduced its new Encountering Christ silent retreats in January 2024. We had our vision and knew we wanted to lead retreatants into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. We desired to unpack and present the richness of Benedictine spirituality and the Benedictine tradition. We knew it was key to direct retreatants…
Meaningful Friendship provides beauty in art
Many wonderful friends contributed to the construction of Good Shepherd Hall, which has been a great blessing for Conception Seminary College. The building was designed to feel less like a dormitory and more like a home in which a supportive community lives together in pursuit of a common goal. We determined the space needed artistic…
Vocations Flourish at Conception Abbey
As our world becomes more secular and materialistic, many people have stopped regularly attending church and are falling away from faith in God. Though this reality is disheartening, there is a counter-movement of many young people seeking to live out the fullness of their Catholic faith more intentionally, I see the transformation happening on college…
Seek God, Seek His Wisdom
Afriend of mine who visited Conception once remarked at the end of his visit: “The giant windmills are a symbol. The monks are running around doing many things, but they go in circles.” A first-time visitor might be forgiven for concluding that the monastic life is circular. Perhaps the phrase Ora et Labora, “prayer and…
Adoring Our Eucharistic Lord
The monks of Conception Abbey and seminarians of Conception Seminary College were a key part of the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, July 17-21, where 60,000 Catholics gathered for a Eucharistic Revival. The seminarians took shifts to ensure that the event’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. John the Evangelist Church, where the Eucharist was, was…
Camp Savio Impacts Youth
When working with youth, there can be the temptation to underestimate the strength of their faith. Participants for Camp Savio—a middle school camp to strengthen faith—make that temptation impossible. The camp, nestled in the serene countryside, provided the perfect backdrop for young people to explore and deepen their faith. From the moment the campers arrived,…
Conception Abbey revitalizes ministry The Printery House
CONCEPTION, Mo. — This summer, the monks of Conception Abbey made a fundamental change to one of their ministries. The community’s apostolate The Printery House became Altar + Home by Conception Abbey. The name change has brought with it a more focused mission to share the monks’ Catholic faith and Benedictine spirituality. The change in…