Back to Country House Retreat Center

Since the early third century of Christianity we know that people have been fascinated by monks, their life, and their prayer. The ancient books of "The Life of St. Anthony" and the "Diary of Egeria" tell of day trips and pilgrimages that people would make to monasteries of monks. 1,700 years later, the same can be said here in Arkansas as our Abbey is one of the most visited tourist spots in the state. There are three ways you can follow in visiting our monastery:

SELF-GUIDED TOUR: You can drive to our Abbey and follow the signs leading you to our Coury House Retreat Center. There you can register and take one of our self-guided brochures to walk around the Abbey and see many of our sites. You will want to call ahead to make sure there are no events on the grounds that might preclude your visit. 

COMMUNAL PRAYERS: Five times a day we monks gather as a monastic community to offer communal prayers and chant. You can enter the front of the Church which is unlocked during the day and sit anywhere in the pews on the west side of the altar to listen. You can find the schedule of our communal prayers by clicking HERE. 

GUIDED TOURS: If you have a group of ten or more people, then we may be able to arrange a monk to lead your group on a small tour of our Abbey. You can meet a monk, learn about our way of life, and have him lead you to various sections of our monastery.