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Founded by St. Norbert of Xanten on Christmas Day, 1121, the Norbertine Order was born from the heart of the Church for her renewal. In an age of spiritual confusion, St. Norbert sought reform, not through protest, but through holiness—by forming priests into communities of faith, prayer, and sacrifice devoted to the service of God and His people.
As canons regular following the Rule of St. Augustine, the Norbertines unite the contemplative life of the monk with the pastoral mission of the priest. Throughout the history of our Order, our abbeys have served the Church by making Christ present in the world through the faithful celebration of the sacred liturgy in our abbey churches, and through the lived reality of communio, by which we manifest Christ’s love in our common life and ministry. From these abbeys, generations of Norbertines have gone forth to preach the Gospel, guide souls, and strengthen the life of the Church through faithful service.
In 1950, under the cover of nightfall, seven Norbertine priests narrowly escaped the Communist suppression of their abbey in Csorna, Hungary. Their journey to freedom was a hard one—the priests crawled under barbed wire, navigated through minefields, and swam across rivers to reach freedom in neighboring Austria.
In the seven years that followed, these priests lived and worked as refugees around the world, guided always by their faithful patron, St. Michael. They at last arrived in Southern California in 1957, where the local ordinary permitted them to establish a small monastery, which they dedicated to the great archangel who had served as their protector.
Over the next half century, St. Michael’s Abbey began to grow, first under the care of our founding abbot, Fr. Ladislas Parker, and then under the steady leadership of Abbot Eugene Hayes. Vocations began to increase as young men were drawn to the abbey’s clear witness to truth, its reverent liturgy, and the common endeavour of men striving together for holiness.
Abbot Eugene nurtured this growth and, when the practical demands of these new vocations began to exceed what the old monastery could support, he helped to shepherd the community to its new home in Silverado Canyon. Fr. Abbot’s courage and faith won a great triumph for Holy Mother Church: on May 4, 2021—900 years since the Order’s founding—St. Michael’s Abbey dedicated its abbatial church, and so marked the beginning of a new chapter in our story.
Today, St. Michael's Abbey is one of the largest communities of the world-wide Norbertine Order. The fire which St. Norbert kindled in 1121 still burns bright as ever. God continues to call young men of faith in great numbers to live the lofty priestly ideal of St. Norbert, and these men continue to dedicate themselves to the communal life of service to God and His Church.
The Sacred Liturgy is the center of abbey life and its most important work. Each and every day, the Norbertines of St. Michael's Abbey lift up the world in prayer through the common observance of the Divine Office and at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This tireless prayer, emblematic of the community's relentless pursuit of holiness, is the heartbeat of the Church.
St. Michael's Abbey’s Archangel Institute is a faith-formation program for young men aged 14-18. The Institute offers weekly high school-level religion courses, spiritual outreach to parents, and quarterly father-and-son days of recollection to foster authentic Catholic maturity among our youth.
Through monthly spiritual retreats at the abbey, we invite the faithful into the monastic discipline of ongoing conversion. Men and women, especially the members of our Lay Order, draw from the spiritual richness of our canonical life and so pursue holiness through their own work, community, and family lives.
The Abbot's Circle is a first-of-its-kind virtual monastery—an evolving, curated library that offers an inside look at the artistic, cultural, intellectual, and spiritual work that the Norbertines of St. Michael’s Abbey carry out each day for the praise and honor of God.
The Abbot's Circle is a first-of-its-kind virtual monastery—an evolving, curated library that offers an inside look at the artistic, cultural, intellectual, and spiritual work that the Norbertines of St. Michael’s Abbey carry out each day for the praise and honor of God.
Founded in 2023, the Evermode Institute has grown rapidly, answering the Church’s urgent need for sound Catholic formation. Now reaching every Catholic school and parish in two dioceses, the Institute serves as a center for intellectual and spiritual renewal—forming more than 1,500 Catholic school teachers and catechists to hand on the faith with clarity, conviction, and joy.
Founded in 2023, the Evermode Institute has grown rapidly, answering the Church’s urgent need for sound Catholic formation. Now reaching every Catholic school and parish in two dioceses, the Institute serves as a center for intellectual and spiritual renewal—forming more than 1,500 Catholic school teachers and catechists to hand on the faith with clarity, conviction, and joy.
One of the marks of our order is the cura animarum—the care of souls. Living their priesthood entirely in this spirit, the canons bring the grace of the sacraments to thousands each week. From the abbey, they serve more than two dozen parishes across Southern California, including three parish schools, and their apostolic work extends throughout the United States—in the dioceses of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Springfield (IL), and La Crosse (WI)—as well as internationally in Rome.
God has blessed St. Michael's Abbey with an abundance of vocations. Thanks be to God, young men continue to answer the call to lay down their lives, pick up their crosses, and follow Him. The abbey's house of formation educates and forms these young men for a priestly life of service and sacrifice—and incomparable joy.
In June 2026, the community will gather for a truly historic moment—the election of a new abbot, to succeed the thirty years of leadership under Abbot Eugene. This marks both the culmination of a remarkable era and the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the abbey. An abbatial election is an occasion of great hope and immeasurable grace, as the community discerns the man whom God is calling to guide them into the future. We invite you to follow along with this sacred work and to keep St. Michael’s Abbey in your prayers.
The Abbot's Circle is more than a monthly giving team–it is a growing movement of faithful men and women whose prayers and sacrifices sustain the life of St. Michael's Abbey. Their monthly generosity supports our priests serving souls today and forms the priests who will shepherd the Church for generations to come. Become part of this vital work.
Have a question about giving? Head over to our Accounts FAQ page for questions regarding donations to the Abbot’s Circle.
The Abbot's Circle is a first-of-its-kind virtual monastery—an evolving, curated library that offers an inside look at the artistic, cultural, intellectual, and spiritual work that the Norbertines of St. Michael’s Abbey carry out each day for the praise and honor of God.
Hidden in the stillness of southern California’s desert mountains, St. Michael’s Abbey goes about a timeless and supernatural mission: the common worship of God. This is a place for all to encounter the unfathomable beauty of God and to enter into the mystery of His unrelenting love.
Against a culture in ever desperate need for beauty, St. Michael’s Abbey stands as a refuge for reverent liturgy, inspiring art, and captivating sacred music and chant. Through our work, we are laying the foundation for the sanctification of our society and a renewal in our Church.
