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    Mount Angel Abbey

    4.4 (25 reviews)

    Mount Angel Abbey Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Mount Angel Abbey

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    Lanturn
    Monica K.

    Fred and I loved this book store there was a priest cemetery right next to the parking lot. The set up was beautiful! Fred loves a good cemetery! Definitely recommend stopping by and paying your respects.

    Steve Z.

    One of the most peaceful places on earth. I came here twice. Once for a 3-day personal retreat and again years later for a discernment retreat weekend. Both times were unforgettable. I love Benedictine spirituality since it revolves around their motto: "Ora et Labora" (pray and work). The Benedictines welcome all visitors regardless... their second motto is "treat all visitors as if they were Christ". This the staff at Mt Angel did and many times over. I came away changed forever. You can check their website for information on events. As far as the liturgical prayers go, I can tell you the schedule below never changes: Daily: Vigils. 0520 Lauds. 0630 Mass. 0900 Midday. 1200 Vespers. 1715 Compline. 1930 Great Silence: 1930 until Vigils/Lauds next day Sunday: Lauds: 0640 Mass: 0900 Midday. 1200 Vespers. 1715 Compline: 2000 Great Silence: 2000 until Vigils next day If you've never experienced the peace that comes with this proven 1500-year old contemplative cycle of prayer (note: Gregorian chant is actually prayer) and work, I invite you to come here and try it. I'll be back soon. See you here maybe? Pax vobiscum...(peace be with you all)

    Lawrence L.

    Beautiful grounds, well manicured. Great view of the horizons below. The soccer fields are being redone though. The library is closed on weekends. Must check out are the main oratory during prayer hours and the weird taxidermy museum downstairs. Sacred upstairs, weird downstairs

    Monk cemetery
    Jody J.

    This beautiful and peaceful private Catholic monastery/seminary came about in 1882. Located atop Mt Angel which is an approximately 500' butte. It has its own zip code and is known as Saint Benedict, OR. The Abbey was started by Benedictine monks who migrated from Switzerland. On this hilltop there is a beautiful church, a library that contains over 200K books including rare and hard to find ones, a museum, a bookstore and a coffee shop. The monks have opened a brewery where they handcraft beer. The brewery is called the Benedictine Brewery. Their signature beer "Black Habit" is available for purchase in the bookstore in the coffee shop. Outside, the Abbey is surrounded by naturally landscaped grounds and tranquil walkways. There is a nice walking tour that you can go on to hit different points of interest including the monk cemetery. So "Yes" the public is welcome to this mysterious hilltop and you could spend the day up here seeing everything. 2015-141

    World's largest hairball.
    Jen K.

    A hairball. It sounds bizarre, but that is what inspired my trip to the abbey. But, it is no ordinary hairball. Perhaps the world's largest (pulled from a pig's stomach in 1941) and preserved by the monks along with other religious and mundane objects in their museum. Since I've visited most of Oregon's popular tourist attractions, my focus has turned to finding the oddities. This Abbey is located on the outskirts of Mount Angel and the drive through the Willamette Valley is beautiful. The experience begins as you drive up the hill past the Stations of the Cross, recalling the suffering and death of Jesus. It is a tranquil place to walk and pray. Once you are at the top, turn right and choose a parking place at the end of the lot. Both the Abbey Museum and Abbey Church are located at the back of the property. First my disclaimers. I am not religious and have been known to feel overwhelmed at Natural History Museums when surrounded by a herd of preserved animals. So on the face of it, this shouldn't be my kind of museum. Religious artifacts are mixed in with taxidermied animals and other little treasures and souvenirs donated throughout the years. The animals (all appear to be from the collection of one big game hunter) stole the show. What surprised me most was the staging of the animals, since there are several pairs posed in battle. A bear taking down a deer or a bobcat swiping at a fleeing bird. The artistry was quite amazing. The posted museum hours are 10-11:30a and 1-5p daily, but we arrived outside of those hours and the door was open. So we turned on the lights and had the museum to ourselves. I went to revel in the oddities (the eight-legged calf and the hairball), but felt quite moved by the beauty and care taken with all of the items in the collection. After the museum we took a walking tour of the property, including the Abbey Church. The simplicity and tranquility of this place was a wonderful change of pace. Highly recommended for a drive in the country.

    Sign of Cross in Angel religion
    Robert H.

    This is really a special spot in Oregon. In sleepy Mt Angel, on the highest spot in the area, this abbey overlooks the surrounding farmlands. The car road in, with a good walking path, has signs of the cross stations, a ritual in the abbey religion, among trees. There are shrines on the land and a charming burial ground. The campus is beautiful and a fine backdrop for exploration and portraits. You can visit their church and peek into other buildings on open days, or ask to visit. The library is off to the side of a large campus and a little different from the construction of other buildings. This is a review of the library. The library was designed by internationally noted architect Alvar Aalto. Alto is one of the giants of mid-century modern. The number of buildings in Oregon and Southern Washington designed by noted architects is less than 10, maybe 5. This is one. The Aalto library is designed with curved split levels. They are a library with numerous obscure books and a journal reading room for their ecclesiastical students. Staff is chill and helpful. Plenty of uncrowded space to read and think. They also have a very cool rare book collection. The Mt Angel Abbey is a fine spot to visit and explore the inner workings of one of the world's branches of religion in little Oregon. Or just chill there and take it all in!

    Ariel View of Abbey
    Catie L.

    Beautiful quiet place. I walked the grounds sat and meditated with my boyfriend Brian. I am a Protestant minister and I love this place. Brian says he comes here often just to sit and enjoy the view of the Oregon county side. I want to come and take a sabbatical at the retreat house. I loved the chapel the architecture is beautiful. We saw and talked briefly with a monk and then a nun walking her beautiful dogs. At one time I wanted to be a Nun and my boyfriend wanted to be a Priest. Go figure. I am glad we can enjoy the Abbey without being so. If you are ever in the area please go visit this Spiritual place and get renewed in your walk with Christ, pray, or just listen for his sweet voice in the atmosphere and aurora of the place.

    library entry - alvar aalto shout-out!
    Jenny C.

    As a rosary wielding member of the catholic community, I've found myself in countless sacred institutions in the northwest, but never once with any reason to visit Mt. Angel and its abbey. Until quite recently, I would have never bet that it would take the ideas of deceased Finnish man to draw me there. But there I stood, almost timidly as if I were opening the door to a confessional rather than the building I had drove over an hour to see...the library. Designed by the legendary Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1970, it's one of his only two buildings in North America, and the only one on the west coast. So if you're a fan of the man, like yours truly, and don't quite have a trip to Finland planned anytime soon, it's an awesome opportunity to experience the his work firsthand. The space is open to the public every day, and you're free to quietly walk around after saying hello to the pair of friendly, soft-spoken attendants at the central desk. The multiple story space is bathed in natural light, though there are few windows one can easily peer out of. Skylights and clearstories offer astounding daylight, suitable for studying and internal focus, rather than being distracted by the outdoors, as is common in many contemporary libraries. While nearly everything is over 40 years old, it is all beautifully preserved. Fixtures, furniture, lamps, and shelving were all designed by Aalto, who embodied the notion of gesamtkunstwerk (an impossible to pronounce German word used to describe an art form or design where all of the components complement each other) . Walking around is like time time traveling back to the late 60's... students hunch over books and scribble on pads of paper. There are very few computers in sight, nor is there the sound of a single cell phone. I almost felt as if I was committing some sort of sin taking photos... though my friends and I were assured that cameras are okay. Like places of worship, libraries are spaces that almost inadvertently generate a period of self reflection. Perhaps what makes Mt. Angel's library so successful is that the simple space is easy to use and understand, leaving plenty of time for our emotions, senses, and memories to dominate our experience. Even if religion isn't your thing, if you find yourself in Mt. Angel or even looking for a quick trip to experience something special, consider a visit here. It's easily one of my most favorite spaces that I've ever been in, and will forever sit high on my list of architecture that people really must see.

    Beautiful and very peaceful . The view it's self is amazing . We enjoyed the meusum . It had a large selection of interesting items . The church has a huge organ. The woodwork was inspiring . It is a wonderful place to relax and meditate. This is a must stop if you are in the area.

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    14 years ago

    An escape to enjoy the scenery. Love the architecture of this place, I'd recommend it and even great for a first date; picnic???

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    Review Highlights - Mount Angel Abbey

    This is an active study and worship grounds as is evidenced by the dormitories for the Benedictine monks.

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    St Mary's Catholic Church

    St Mary's Catholic Church

    4.0(2 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    Churches are so subjective…read more.. This one is gorgeous- a real gothic feel from the steeple and stained glass windows to the altar. The pews are high back and uncomfortable. The church is over 100 years old so I guess they didn't care about comfort when they made it :) Fr Phil is wonderful and has a good sermon now and then, even if it is read verbatim from the pulpit- no ad libbing here. Sometimes, a seminarian will preach, which can be good or bad- sometimes they have very thick accents so it's hard to understand. The music is so old school- I mean like a school from 100 years ago- and the choir can be off key. Everything is sung, so it seems, so this can be a real drag if you want something livelier in your mass. In the end, it was the music that did me in. Overall- the good and bad equal each other out- 3 stars.

    I grew up here and so I think it has kind of been my measuring stick of parishes. I really like…read moreFather Philip, the current pastor. He is friendly and personable but also a little bit "type A." Mass goes an hour and not a minute longer except for the big holidays. He runs a tight ship and there is nothing gamey or cutesy about mass here. It is plainly and simply mass. It leaves you feeling spiritually "full," but without being overly emotional or dramatic. There are some talented musicians, but how good the music is depends on who the current music minister is. Things are good right now. The pews are uncomfortable, but the church itself is one of the most beautiful in Oregon.

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    St Mary's Catholic Church
    St Mary's Catholic Church
    St Mary's Catholic Church

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    Mount Angel Abbey - churches - Updated May 2026

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