Abbey of St. Walburga – Quick Trips

Looking for an unusual quick trip?  The Abby of St. Walburga provides visitors with a rare glimpse into the life of a cloistered nun, while letting visitors get in touch with their spiritual side.  The Abbey invites the public to join them during their daily services.
The Abbey also has retreat programs that allow men and women of all denominations to come visit the Abbey.  There are daily retreats and weekly retreats, as well as daily hiking retreats.

Located south of Laramie on Hwy 287 by Virginia Dale, the Abby of St. Walburga is set in the peaceful country side.  However, this was not always the case.  The Abby has a long history—a history that they trace back to the early nuns and monks of the Middle Eastern deserts, as well as St. Benedict, whose virtue and teachings they model their abbey around.  Originally, the Abbey grew out of their Motherhouse, Abtei St. Walburg, in Eichstatt Germany. During the difficult times previous to WWII, the Motherhouse established a nun community in Boulder, which eventually expanded into the Abby of St. Walburga in Virginia Dale. The Abbey of St. Walburga was established because the abbey at Boulder was growing, and its metropolitan location was not ideal.  In 1997, the Abbey of St. Walburga was established.

The Abbey houses contemplative nuns, who “attend with the ears of [their] hearts” to the voice of God.  The nuns’ main task is to listen for the world of God, and in order to do so, they like to maintain a certain distance
from the clamor of the world.  The nuns observe constitutional enclose (a type of cloister) which allows them to mix with the public while still maintaing a contemplative life.  However, the nuns state that they do enjoy
people, and keep up with current events in order to pray for the world. Consequently, this is why their services are open to the public and they offer retreats.

So next time you want to get away from the busyness of the world, perhaps a trip down to the Abbey of St. Walburga will refresh your spirits and give you a new perspective on life.