In 1985, St. Benedict’s Abbey came into being, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with the intention of placing itself in the midst of a world, which has in the main, alienated itself from God.

As monks & nuns, we wish to be guides for those who long for an encounter with God and his people.

Our community is named “St John the Baptist and St. Benedict”.

St. John the Baptist because we identify ourselves with what his mission was, namely, to show the way of the Lord and open the path for His coming.

Today, we feel called to open the path for Christ’s second coming and we do so by imitating the Baptist’s life of prayer, penance, preaching and profound communion with the mysteries of God.  Also, because St. Benedict dedicated his first chapel to St. John the Baptist.

St. Benedict because we strongly identify with the way he interpreted Christ’s discipleship which is expressed in the Rule he wrote.  He majestically laid out a way of living this closeness to Christ in a monastic community setting.

St. Benedict’s Abbey was founded by Dom J. Alberto Morales in 1985 in Puerto Rico.  In 1996 we moved to our present location in Bartonville.  We are a Benedictine monastic ecumenical community whose mission is to pray and work for the unity of Christians and make a reality Jesus’ Prayer: “May they all be one…” (Jn 17)

On July 4, 2014, we opened our Abbey to female vocations and accepted a new sister in our midst.  Imitating Benedict’s sister, St. Scholastica, the sisters work with the monks and share in the prayer life, work and meals.