The Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Cross was founded in 1950 but our roots run deep. We have a close kinship back through 900 years to the New Monastery, as it was first called, the Abbey of Citeaux founded in 1098. Of course, the journey between there and here has not always been smooth and the connection has not always been direct but it is no less real for all that.
To narrate our history is to tell you our story. To tell our story is also to tell you our hopes for the future. In the first section you will find a description of Holy Cross Abbey from its foundation to the present.
The history of the Cistercian Order is about the past. It is also ecclesial in nature, that is, part of the story of the Church. That’s not to say that there won’t be some re-editing as time goes by, but we do maintain that additions or change will not be frequent. (More notes on monastic life and St. Benedict can be found here.)
The story of the Cool Spring property is broader than the monastic world. It’s also here that you’ll find reference to the Civil War Battle which took place at Cool Spring on July 18, 1864. The bottom of that page also contains a small archive of posts related to the history of our property.