Saint Joseph's Abbey — Attraction in Spencer

This review is from the perspective of making a retreat. I have been making mine there for years and I recommend it. The retreat house is comfortable. You get a little room with your own bathroom. The rooms on the west side come with a little tiny enclosed backyard. The inner courtyard of the retreat house has been redone recently and is a lovely place to go out and sit in the nice weather. There is a little chapel in the retreat house. Remember that the retreat and the meals are silent! Retreatants eat in their own dining room, not with the monks. You will help with cleanup and setting the dining room for the next meal. The meals are simple, but tasty. Highlights of my last stay included a delicious red bean soup and a very good meatloaf. The retreat house cook is also an excellent baker; you'll get breads, cakes, all that stuff. For lauds, vespers, and Mass, you will enter the abbey church itself and be in a section of choir stalls in the back. For vigils (if you want to get up that early), none, and compline, you will use the visitors' galleries. Priests can concelebrate if they wish. A monk will come to give a talk each day, and he will also make himself available to speak privately or for confession if he's a priest. One drawback to note is that there aren't a lot of options for taking a walk. Most of the area is within the monastic enclosure. You can walk the road down to the bookstore and back, that's about it. There is, however, a state park nearby if you want to hike. Enjoy...

Gorgeous place to enjoy from all aspects. This place fulfilled all my family and my sentiments for our country in East Europe. Is nice to see the brother's , going in old traditional church, listening the bell. The view is same like we have in Transylvania or Moldavia where our Abbey's are located on the high hills. Jams are same like our grandmother did, full of flavors, is just melting on your mouth. All religious gifts are high quality, very nice and just you can't leave the store with out buying something. Highly recommended for everyone who like to talk in peace with God, who wants to retreat from daily stress and meditate, for all who wants to eat old fashion jams full of flavors and for once who are fare away from their country . Thank you so much for giving us so many things today in our short visit to your place . We will be...

Very serene and beautifully landscaped area. Great place for a walk and some peace and quiet. The gift shop also has some great preserves, honey, and other goodies! If you have a chance to purchase some of their beer locally (we could not buy any on the premises, but bought some from a store down the road), I highly encourage that as well! I believe they are still the only Certified Authentic Trappist beer brewed in the US (Trappist beers are some of my favorites and so I try to buy and support the real thing whenever I can), which is an interesting feather in their...