"Every week throughout the year, services are held in the remains of the Abbey's great medieval monastery or under the roof of St Patrick's Chapel.
The Chapel, with its holy water vessel, stone altar and nearby sacred thorn tree - dating from the Abbacy of Richard Beere in 1500 - has been witness to five centuries of Christian worship."
Westminster Abbey - Place of Worship House of Kings
"Westminster Abbey, a work of architectural genius, a locus of daily worship, deploying the resources of high musical expertise, a burial place of kings, statesmen, warriors, scientists, musicians and poets is the result of a process of development across the centuries, which represents the response of a monastery and later a post-Reformation church to the stimulus and challenge of its environment."
Of special interest will be the historical account of the Lia Fail, or the Stone of Destiny, which is somewhat different from the account in which the Dagda is given this stone about 3,000 years ago by a Tuatha de Danaan Magician.
Three Stones Abbey's first treasure, a literal Lia Fail, and the gift from the High Priestess of a coven of the same name, comes from Westminster castle.
"800 years of history! The Abbey, Britain's largest monastic ruin, was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks seeking a simpler life. They later became Cistercian monks. The history of the Hall {Fountains Hall} is much shrouded in mystery and many legends have sprung up about it, including a hiding place for Catholics during the Civil War, and being haunted by the Blue Lady."
"The Peace Abbey is dedicated to creating innovative models for society that empower individuals on the paths of nonviolence, peacemaking, and cruelty-free living." Particularly beautiful are the peace prayers from: Native American, Buddhist, Shinto, Christian, Zoroasterian, Baha'i, Moslem, and Jewish traditions (and others) that appear on this site.
Peace
Abbey
Gampo Abbey, A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery of the Kagyu Lineage
"Life at the Abbey offers a rare opportunity to practice and study in a contemplative environment that so closely resembles those which have been experienced by dedicated practitioners since the time of the Buddha. And, whether you will be taking householder vows, temporary monastic vows, or you aspire to become a lifetime monastic, the monastic life carries the blessings of the authentic expression of the Buddha's teachings and life example."
Taking Monastic Ordination
"People can be cynical about temporary ordination saying "they're just playing". What I've found is you can be a monk or a nun for your whole life and be pretending. Just using it as a way to run away from life and not observing the discipline of not causing harm. It's easy to be a monk or a nun and not acknowledge your habits directly. Refraining and not causing harm is a powerful way to live. Even for one day, living this way wholeheartedly is more than some do their whole life. You can spend these days and learn something of value for the rest of your life.
"Iona is a small island off the west coast of Scotland, where in 563 Columba founded a Celtic monastery that was very influential in its own times. In the middle ages it was the site of a Benedictine abbey and over the centuries has attracted many thousands of people on their own pilgrim journeys."
This Abbey is particularly devoted to exploring an ecumenical approach to spirituality, and has a strong dedication to the preservation of the earth. Be certain to explore their bookshop, where you will find re-written prayers and chant from The Carmina Gadelica, as well as books about managing how we live and work in our societies to preserve our planet. Visitors to Iona live and work side-by-side with the monastics, sharing a simple life while on retreat.
Founded in 1926 by the English Benedictine community, the school is a coeducational boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12. Three Stones Abbey has italicized statements that are very similar to the Order's ideas.
"The Portsmouth Abbey education is grounded in the Western intellectual tradition, from ancient Greece and Rome and continuing into this century. The Benedictine tradition underscores the importance of an education guided by reverence for God and the human person and based on a respect for learning and order. As you study a classical language and ancient history you learn to think and write critically.Although the problems and issues faced by our distant ancestors and the characters in literature may seem remote, in many ways the themes and patterns repeat themselves today. Studying the classics helps you to put in place the building blocks for understanding the modern world. This classical curriculum is balanced by a focus on spirituality, athletics, the arts and fun. You will not be an observer in your education, you will be a participant, building your knowledge year by year." [webmistress' italics]
Fountains 