We are a community of thirty-four women living The Rule of Benedict, supporting one another in our mutual search for God and ministering to the needs of the Church in Virginia since 1868.

Our daily life in the monastery is comprised of communal prayer, meaningful ministry and the sharing of life in common. Praying the psalms, or the Liturgy of the Hours, at morning, midday and evening, we bring the needs of our world to the timeless praise of God.

Our ministries, as diverse as the individuals who bring them to life, include: a transitional housing program for homeless women and their children (Transitional  Housing BARN), an adult literacy project (BEACON), a pastoral  center (Benedictine Pastoral Center), a counseling center providing service on a sliding scale (BCS), an elementary school (Linton Hall), and a secondary school for young women in the city of Richmond (Saint Gertrude High School).  

Common meals, household chores, and holy  leisure round out the monastic life.   Essentially, we are sanctified by the daily - by seeking God in the everyday moments of life lived simply with gratitude and joy.

The Bristow Bulletin