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Expressed in “brick and mortar” are the three elements that are key in St. Benedict’s Rule: God, the superior and the community./photoalbums/monastery-tour/monasetry-tour-a.jpg_parent
Cor Jesu Chapel - Dedicated in 2002, the Cor Jesu Chapel lifts the eyes and the heart upward to God. /photoalbums/monastery-tour/monasetry-tour-b.jpg_parent
Cor Jesu Chapel -The nuns occupy the choir stalls not only as their area of the chapel, but also as the visible expression of the Church at prayer as they sing The Liturgy of the Hours six times each day (and daily Mass) upholding the intentions of the Church and for the world./photoalbums/monastery-tour/monasetry-tour-e.jpg_parent
Prioress’ Office - With its lance-type windows, the design of the Prioress’ Office repeats the sacral character of the chapel. According to St. Benedict, the superior is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery (Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 2)./photoalbums/monastery-tour/monasetry-tour-c.jpg_parent
Monastery Entrance - For centuries, the word Pax (Latin for peace) has welcomed visitors to monasteries and welcomes you to St. Emma Monastery. St. Benedict asks us to “seek God — and to seek peace and pursue it” as cenobites within community.
The peace that so many visitors to monasteries experience is the fruit of the struggle of monks and nuns to allow Christ to come more and more into their hearts and their lives./photoalbums/monastery-tour/monasetry-tour-d.JPG_parent
Monastic Refectory - St. Benedict placed great emphasis on the monastic refectory (dining room). Here not only is the community nourished physically by the common meal but also nourished spiritually by table reading. The Prioress sits at the head of the U-shaped tables, with the Sisters sitting in rank along the sides. Table reader’s stand occupies the right corner./photoalbums/monastery-tour/B-4-Monastery-Tour-f.jpg_parent
Chapter Room - The Chapter Room derives its name from the meeting space where originally the community gathered to hear a reading (a “Chapter”) from the Rule of St. Benedict each day with a commentary by the Abbot. Today, the Chapter Room is used for formal community meetings./photoalbums/monastery-tour/B-4-Monastery-Tour-g.jpg_parent
