Guest House

The gift of welcome is at the heart of monastic hospitality. The guesthouses of Cistercian monasteries are renowned for their special atmosphere of peace, prayerfulness and Christian kindness. Monastic hospitality is the most visible expression of the monk’s concrete concern for others. It is the overflow of a life given to prayer and the perfection of charity.

There is a great hunger for God in our world today. Most of those who visit the monastery guesthouse come to deepen or rediscover their relationship with Him. Others come just to be close to the community in whom they sense the love of Christ. It is hoped that all who visit for whatever reason feel welcome and consider the meaning of the life we live. Above all, monasteries are principally silent signs pointing towards heaven. They are a reminder that another world exists, of which this passing world is only an image, a foreshadowing.

With the dawning of a new Millennium, we draw closer to that holy night two thousand years ago in Bethlehem. In preparation for the coming of our Lord, the community here at Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey desire that this will bring a new beginning into the lives of all. To this end our monastic guesthouse has been completely restored to make the stay of our guests as pleasant as possible. “He who receives you, receives Me”, our Lord has told us. We Cistercians see here the ipsissima verba, the literal meaning of Christ’s words. We try to live them as encouraged by our Rule: to receive each guest as we would receive Christ. Retreats can be organised with the Guest Master and refreshments are available in the basement.