Prince of Peace Abbey

Generally, monks do ordinary things but try to do them in a consciously prayerful way, in a way that unites to God. The everyday chores within the cloister of a monastery become God-given tools for the sanctification of the monk. Through the many centuries monks have been called upon for all kinds of services. They have worked as teachers, artists, musicians, farmers, shepherds, craftsmen, missionaries, scholars, scientists, but it is not so much a question of what monks do as who monks are. The monk’s identity is rooted in his consecration as a praying man of God, rather than from any specific apostolate.

The structure of the monastic day revolves around three basic activities. These are: liturgical prayer, work, and lectio divina (or prayerful reading). In the course of the day, the monk moves through cycles of these which flow into and reinforce one another, generating a peaceful, balanced rhythm in which spirit, mind and body are stretched and relaxed and the whole of a man’s life becomes an ordered harmony giving glory to God.

     "A monk is a man who is separated from all and who is in harmony with all." —Evagrius Ponticus (d.399)

At the heart of the monastic day is the celebration of the Eucharist, when God becomes present in Word and Sacrament. Attentive listening to, meditation on, and assimilation of the Word of God as it is made present throughout the day is fundamental to the monastic discipline.

"Abba Poemen said, 'The nature of water is soft, that of stone is hard; but if a bottle is hung above the stone, allowing the water to fall drop by drop, it wears away the stone. So it is with the word of God; it is soft and our heart is hard, but the man who hears the word of God often, opens his heart to the fear of God.' " --Sayings of the Desert Fathers

The monks of Prince of Peace Abbey, founded in 1958, is a community of Benedictine monks in Oceanside, CA. We are part of a time-tested tradition, over fourteen centuries old, of living by the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, under the guidance of a spiritual father, the abbot. Each Benedictine monastic house is autonomous, but bound by constitutions to a federation. We are members of the Swiss-American Benedictine Congregation, with traditions from the venerable Abbey of Our Lady of Einsiedeln (founded A.D.835) in Switzerland. The first monks of Prince of Peace Abbey were sent to San Diego from St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana which was itself founded from Einsiedeln.

We offer a retreat house where the faithful may grow in the life of prayer through silence and participation in the liturgy. Many of the monks are engaged in work related to the staffing and maintenance of the retreat house and monastic facilities. Other types of work and crafts are also present. There are 26 professed monks at Prince of Peace, of which nine are ordained to the priesthood. The monastery sits atop a hill, or mesa, from which the Pacific Ocean is visible to the west and the San Luis Rey Valley and Mount Palomar to the east.

"Seeking his workman in a multitude of people, the Lord calls out to him and lifts his voice again: 'Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days?' If you hear this and your answer is 'I do,' God then directs these words to you: If you desire true and eternal life turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim ." —Rule of St. Benedict

Everyone has a vocation to serve God and neighbor. A monastic vocation is a special gift from the Holy Spirit and it takes a certain amount of openness and insight to discern whether God’s call is to this type of life and to this monastery in particular. One basic disposition is the desire for holiness of life and the recognition that help from more advanced souls is needed. Discernment is best realized through prayer and the assistance of the vocation director. A good indication of a possible monastic vocation is an attraction to the prayer life of a monastery. Is participating in the Divine Office a joyful experience, inviting one deeper into the mystery of God’s life?

Becoming a monk means accepting the challenge of a radical re-orientation of the entire person to the life of the Gospel and the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, as they are more concretely expressed in the monastic tradition at Prince of Peace Abbey. This means a dying of the old self and a rising to new life conformed to the image of Christ. As with all personal growth, the process is never effortless. Candidates for formation as monks are Roman Catholics in good standing, unmarried men between the ages of 21 and 40, of at least average health and intelligence. Initial contact with the vocation director is the most important step. Then, after discussions, suggested reading, visits to the abbey, etc., an invitation is extended for one to make an application. This application will require background information, parish records, a medical exam, transcripts, references from clergy and/or religious, and some sort of psychological assessment. Incoming postulants are normally admitted and clothed with the habit in August.

The formation program at Prince of Peace Abbey is geared towards assisting men who enter our community to live a balanced life of prayer, work, and study in the Benedictine tradition.  Candidates in our formation program are expected to attend each of our common hours of prayer:  Vigils, Lauds, Sext, Vespers, and Compline.  Prayer, though, should also consist of spending time in private prayer.  The times of prayer would then be balanced by performing work that maintains the facilities within our monastery.

Classes will also be provided that aids a candidate to grow in the Catholic faith, to be knowledgeable of the Psalms and basic chant, and how to live by the Holy Rule of life according to St. Benedict.  Material for understanding the psychology that explains the fundamentals for living the monastic life will also be covered.  The use of media will also be utilized to have an introduction to Sacred Scripture, to understand the biblical roots of the mass, and Catholic Sexual Ethics.   We will also cover the meaning of the Benedictine vows:  obedience, conversion to the monastic way of life, and stability in the community.  After a candidate has spent several years with this balanced formation, he would be prepared to live within our community.

The initial formation of monks at Prince of Peace lasts at least four and a half years and involves three distinct stages, (1) the postulancy; (2) the novitiate; (3) first vows or the juniorate.

(1) The Postulancy. This stage lasts at least six months. During this time the postulant (or candidate) is introduced and integrated into our community life and habits of work, worship, prayer and reading. He begins the re-orientation of his life from the values of the world toward those of a man of God. His time is highly structured and access to the outside is very limited. 

(2) The Novitiate. This is a crucial year of testing that lasts at least twelve months and may be extended. The novice continues in the program of formation begun in the postulancy and should begin to “interiorize” and appropriate to himself the elements of the monastic charism.

(3) First vows - the Juniorate. This period begins with public profession of vows which are temporary, valid for three years only. Men in this stage are called "junior monks." They begin receiving work assignments in positions of responsibility and continue also some classroom training in formation subjects.